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 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.
News, opportunities, and upcoming events.
The latest from our friends at the North American Association for Environmental Education - NAAEE? Research that supports what many of you already know: http://ow.ly/3MEh30mDl8y
"Place-based and community-engaged environmental education can empower students to exercise greater civic agency related to...
FortisBC has been a long-time supporter of Wild Voices programs in the Basin communities they serve. Thank you FortisBC for helping us get more kids outside, learning in and from their natural environment!
Hey Teachers! Do you have an idea to help nature thrive at your school? You could receive up to $500 to bring your project to life with @WWFCanada’s Go Wild School Grants: http://ow.ly/PGQ130mwqeG. Deadline to apply is November 12th.
Want to really get things going for EE in your community? Check out this great webinar from our friends at Green Teacher: "Creating Community Wide Outdoor Education Festivals", available on our webinars page: https://cbeen.ca/webinars/. Learn more about the hosts work in Vancouver on...
We are still buzzing from #EECOM2018, and wanted to extend another heartfelt thanks to all of our amazing sponsors and partners who came on board to support the Canadian Classrooms to Communities (C2C) Environmental Education Conference! We are excited that this will be...
Participants enjoyed over 100 sessions and workshops on outdoor and environmental learning
BC’s Minister of Education Rob Fleming voicing his support for environmental education and place-based learning as being a key piece of BC’s redesigned curriculum.
Keynotes greeted by a packed house with 300 educators across Canada participating
ʔaq̓am Nasuʔkin (Chief) Joe Pierre taking the time to greet each of the 300 conference participants at the Opening Circle.
Wild Voices has programs on agriculture and school gardens across the Basin, but it's in the fertile Creston Valley that they truly shine. Check out the selection of food-centric programs from Creston educator Melissa Flint here: http://cbeen.ca/wildvoices-programs/
If Green Teacher's "Why Learn About Insects?" webinar with Rob Bixler got you jazzed to get buggy with your primary class, check out our Wild Voices programs on insects in the East ("The Wee Things That Rule the Earth") and West Kootenay ("A Bug's Life/La...
We're just a week away from Take Me Outside Day! Next Wednesday, join over 20,000 students and teachers across Canada in learning, alfresco: http://ow.ly/jQhw30lT473
It's Waste Reduction Week in Canada, what can you or your class do to learn and contribute? Find out how to get involved in WRW and it's daily themes here: http://ow.ly/XrpT30md7hw. There's also some great learning resources available for your class through our...
This October is FULL of amazing webinars from our partner organizations! The next? "Designing Green Schoolyards - With and For the School Community" with Children & Nature Network: https://cbeen.ca/webinars/
This week we gathered with a great group of representatives from communities across the Basin for training on effective organics collection programs using community-based social marketing (CBSM).
