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. Continue to grow an active network of environmental educators.
2. Encourage active collaboration on environmental education initiatives amongst CBEEN members, organizations and communities.
3. Support access to environmental education.
4. Strengthen the capacity of environmental educators throughout the Columbia Basin.
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 east to the Alberta border in the west 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 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 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 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.
News, opportunities, and upcoming events.
With the school year coming to an end, have you asked your students why they like outdoor learning?
Thank you to returning funders Kimberley Alpine Resort for their contribution to Wild Voices and environmental learning for local students!
Are you most at home in wild places? Do you have specific knowledge of the local environment, and the communication and interpretive skills to share it with youth? CBEEN is accepting new presentation and field study submissions for the Wild Voices program until July 15th....
Thank you once again to Canfor for choosing to support Wild Voices presentations and field studies in your Kootenay operating areas! With your support, we look forward to mentoring the foresters of tomorrow.
As things got heated, educators dug themselves in on Climate Change Education at our sold out pilot workshop over the weekend. Thanks so much to our partners including Wildsight, Columbia Basin Trust, Environmental Educators Provincial Specialist Association (EEPSA), Alberta Council for Environmental Education, Let's Talk...
This week's #CBEENdirectory feature is Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society (CKISS)!
CKISS works to minimize the impacts of invasive species on the ecosystems, communities, and economy of the Central Kootenay region by promoting collaborative approaches to invasive species management.
Congrats to Lynne, Robyn and Juliet - 3 CBEEN members who just graduated from the Community-based Social Marketing (CBSM) Advanced Training Course in Vancouver with support from CBEEN's Professional Development Bursary Program. We look forward to sharing some of your lessons learned with our network!
This week's #WildVoicesWeekly feature is a new Wild Voices for Kids program available in Golden: Winter Wilds Snowshoe Program!
This half-day field study supports student learning through experience, insight and observation into how local animals survive and travel through...
Our #CBEENdirectory this week features Clear Sky Farm, BC and Clear Sky Meditation and Study Center! As well as meditation retreats, the center is also host to numerous other courses throughout the year on native grasslands, ecology, permaculture, and farming.
...
This week, we're featuring Avalanche Canada on our #CBEENdirectory (http://cbeen.ca/directory/).
Avalanche Canada minimizes public risk in avalanche terrain by providing leadership, development, communication, coordination and delivery of public avalanche safety education, warnings, products, and services.
...
Weekly teacher tip for outdoor learning - from teachers, for teachers: "Carry extra clothes: mitts, toques, buffs and a kid-size down coat." http://kbee.ca/tips-tricks/ #ClassroomstoCommunities
Weekly teacher tip for outdoor learning - from teachers, for teachers: "I have the students fold mini booklets to keep track of their notes in. It adds a novelty, requires less mass to move around, and they love that they can make new booklets for...
Weekly teacher tip for outdoor learning - from teachers, for teachers: "We used the stumps either as tables or stools. The kids got to choose if they wanted to sit or stand to draw. This choice was good for them." http://kbee.ca/tips-tricks/
