ABOUT US
CBEEN is the regional network for environmental education in the Columbia Basin.
MISSION
To encourage environmental stewardship and sustainability in the Canadian Columbia Basin by supporting environmental educators.
VISION
People in the Canadian Columbia Basin respect the natural environment and engage in sustainable activities.
GOALS
1. Maintain a vibrant and engaged network of educators in the Canadian Columbia Basin, and provide this network with excellent environmental education professional development resources and opportunities.
2. Facilitate collaboration amongst members, partner organizations, and Basin communities to effectively achieve our shared mandates and vision.
3. Undertake a process to better role model and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of Environmental Education.
4. Expand network to increase engagement with and support for early years educators.
5. Maintain a sustainable organization which has effective and ethical governance in accordance with its non-profit and charitable status.
CBEEN is a Non-Profit Society and Registered Charity.
Over a decade ago, educators from across the Canadian Columbia Basin recognized that they shared geographic and cultural links and also a common interest in environmental education (EE).
The Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN) was born out of this shared sense of identity and from the common desire to support and promote EE on a regional scale. Over the past 10 years CBEEN has grown from a small group of passionate educators to a large and vibrant network of educators from across the Columbia Basin and beyond.
The Canadian Columbia Basin stretches from the Okanagan in the west to the Alberta border in the east and from Valemount in the north to the United States border in the south.
The communities within this region are linked through the water and their citizens’ past and future are intertwined historically, socially, economically, and environmentally. The region is also internationally recognized for its biodiversity values. Networks like CBEEN facilitate connections and information exchange among individuals who share common interests, inspiring innovation and efficiencies at all levels. This is especially important in the largely rural context of the Canadian Columbia Basin where communities are small, geographically dispersed and resources are limited.
Staff & Board of Directors
Awards
In 2018, CBEEN’s Executive Director, Duncan Whittick, won the Canadian Environmental Education ‘Outstanding Individual in an Organization’ award. This national award is presented to an individual associated with an organization who has made a significant contribution to environmental education in Canada.
In 2018, Cheryl Lenardon (CBEEN Director) received a Canadian Award of Excellence on behalf of the Kootenay-Boundary Environmental Education Committee (KBEE), representing school districts 5, 6, 8, 10, 20 and 51. This is an initiative of the Kootenay-Boundary Chapter of the BC School Superintendents Association.
In 2014, CBEEN was successful in nominating the Columbia Basin Trust for a National Award of Excellence, recognizing their outstanding capacity building efforts of environmental education across the Columbia Basin. CBEEN had the privilege of presenting this to CBT on behalf of the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication.
In 2015, CBEEN was the sole recipient of the province-wide BC School Superintendent Association (BCSSA) Community Award of Recognition. This award recognized CBEEN’s “outstanding contributions to support and enhance public school education in the Province of British Columbia”.
In 2015, CBEEN Director Monica Nissen was named ‘Outstanding Environmental Education Non-Profit Individual’ by the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) at its national conference in Canmore.
In 2013, CBEEN was named ‘Outstanding Environmental Education Membership Organization’ by the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) at its national conference for its ongoing successful support of environmental education across the region.
Simon Fraser University is currently accepting applications for our unique, cohort-based Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction: Ecological Education, designed for K-12 educators, adult and community educators, Aboriginal/First Nations educators, outdoor/experiential educators, park interpreters, naturalists and anyone passionate about the environment. Applications close on January 15, 2025.
This two-year program delves into the intersections of education, ecology, and social justice, preparing students to address the complex environmental challenges of our time. Throughout the program, participants will consider multiple perspectives on the goals, values, and interdisciplinary nature of place-based, indigenous, and ecological forms of education, while also obtaining a grounding in models for learning and teaching environmental topics in both school-based and informal settings.
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Curriculum and Instruction
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Our Curriculum and Instruction programs offer Masters and Doctoral degrees that explore and critically examine learning and teaching within traditional and non-traditional learning environments spann...0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🌟 Review from a BC Kindergarten Teacher for our new Sitting with Nature book! outdoorlearning.com/product/sitting-with-nature/
"Lauren MacLean’s Sitting with Nature is an inspiring and practical guide for educators looking to bring outdoor learning to life. This new release is filled with accessible, easy-to-follow activities that help teachers take their students outside and connect them to the natural world. MacLean’s routines are fun, engaging, and seamlessly aligned with the British Columbia curriculum, making it easy for teachers to incorporate them into their lesson plans. With thoughtful practices that foster curiosity and respect for nature, Sitting with Nature is an invaluable resource for any teacher eager to enrich their students’ learning experience outdoors. I can’t wait to get started using it in my kindergarten classroom." ... See MoreSee Less
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Niigaan Sinclair (son of the late Murray Sinclair) has been called provocative, revolutionary, and one of this country’s most influential thinkers on the issues impacting Indigenous cultures, communities, and reconciliation in Canada.
In his debut collection of stories, observations, and thoughts about Winnipeg, the place he calls “ground zero” of Canada’s future, read about the complex history and contributions of this place alongside the radical solutions to injustice and violence found here, presenting solutions for a country that has forgotten principles of treaty and inclusivity. It is here, in the place where Canada began—where the land, water, people, and animals meet— that a path “from the centre” is happening for all to see.
Learn more: outdoorlearning.com/product/visions-of-canada/ ... See MoreSee Less
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😍 BRAIDING SWEETGRASS FOR EDUCATORS! outdoorlearning.com/events/category/online-courses
A 4-session virtual course in January with award-winning and best-selling Indigenous author, Monique Gray Smith! 🧡
Monique adapted Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, Braiding Sweetgrass, for a new generation of readers. She is well known for her storytelling, spirit of generosity and focus on resilience.
🐦 EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! outdoorlearning.com/events/category/online-courses ... See MoreSee Less
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Events from November 30 – February 19, 2025 › Online Courses › – Outdoor Learning School & Store
outdoorlearning.com
November 30, 2024 - May 31, 2025 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning Online Learning In partnership with over 50 non-profit organizations, we offer the 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning course as an ackno...1 CommentComment on Facebook
Dawnalyn Tl’esqox Health Director
😍 Robin Wall Kimmerer's new book has arrived!! outdoorlearning.com/product/the-serviceberry-an-economy-of-gifts-and-abundance/
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.
We have received 500 copies, with more on the way. And 300 have already been spoken for! And 100% of our proceeds support non-profit outdoor learning initiatives. 🌳🍂☀ ... See MoreSee Less
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The very first copies of Robin Wall Kimmerer's new book have arrived!!😍 outdoorlearning.com/product/the-serviceberry-an-economy-of-gifts-and-abundance/
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.
We just received a first batch of 500 copies, 250 are already spoken for! 🤯
Order your copy of The Serviceberry: An Economy of Gifts and Abundance: outdoorlearning.com/product/the-serviceberry-an-economy-of-gifts-and-abundance/ ... See MoreSee Less
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🍂 Sharing 3 excellent resources for grounding your learning on the local Land by teacher & outdoor educator, Lauren MacLean:
1) NEW! For Educators: outdoorlearning.com/product/sitting-with-nature/
2) For Elementary-aged Learners: outdoorlearning.com/product/me-and-my-sit-spot/
3) For Early Learners: outdoorlearning.com/product/sit-spot-for-early-learners/
Join us with the author on November 26th for a virtual book launch celebration! outdoorlearning.com/event/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Lauren MacLean-Douglas & Jenna Lynn! 🙂
🥳 As a book publisher now, we are celebrating the release of 2 beautiful new books! outdoorlearning.com/2-new-book-releases
1) New Indigenous Children's Book - Whispers of the Earth: A Journey through Indigenous Wisdom ☀
2) New Resource for Educators - Sitting With Nature: An Educator’s Guide to Sit Spots 🌳
We invite you to join us for virtual book launch celebrations with the authors! outdoorlearning.com/events/category/book-launches ... See MoreSee Less
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2 New Book Releases! - Outdoor Learning School & Store
outdoorlearning.com
Just Released! 2 New Outdoor & Indigenous Learning Books Whispers of the Earth: A Journey through Indigenous Wisdom Children’s book by Indigenous authors Launa Purcell and Carl Sam Children will fol...0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Just added!🦅Jenna, Director of Indigenous Learning, shares a new book by her mentor, Leona Prince, that is now available: outdoorlearning.com/product/be-a-good-ancestor
Rooted in Indigenous teachings, 'Be a Good Ancestor' encourages readers of all ages to consider the ways in which they live in connection to the world around them and to think deeply about their behaviors. 🧡
Addressing environmental issues, animal welfare, self-esteem and self-respect, and the importance of community, the authors deliver a poignant and universal message in an accessible way: Be a good ancestor to the world around you.
Thought-provoking stanzas offer a call to action for each one of us to consider how we affect future generations. Every decision we make ripples out, and we can affect the world around us by thinking deeply about those decisions.
Indigenous author Leona Prince is from the Lake Babine Nation and Nak’azdli Whut’en and belongs to the Lhts’umusyoo (Beaver) Clan. ... See MoreSee Less
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Such a gorgeous book!