On May 31-June 1, CBEEN held our Spring Gathering at Selkirk College in Castlegar. This event included a Community Celebration of Environmental Education, the presentation of our Awards of Environmental Education Excellence, our spring board meeting, member socials, a 2-day institute on Community-based Social Marketing (CBSM) and a CBSM Executive Presentation. CBEEN thanks our supporters of this event, including Selkirk College, Columbia Basin Trust, Columbia Power Corporation, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program and Kootenay Savings.

The Celebration of Environmental Education brought together 75 educators, leaders and supporters to showcase the value of environmental education while highlighting some of the incredible programs and initiatives in the region. Short presentations were made by Selkirk College, the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society, and the Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society. As part of this event, we presented our Awards of Environmental Education Excellence. This year this went to Dr. Mel Reasoner, a climate scientist from Nelson, and Linda Out, a classroom teacher from Winlaw.

The Community-Based Social Marketing Institute was facilitated by world renounced originator, Doug McKenzie-Mohr. This Institute provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of community-based social marketing and how it is being applied throughout the world to foster sustainable behaviour. Attendees learned the 5 steps of community-based social marketing and were exposed to numerous case studies. They also had a chance to start thinking about how the principles of CBSM could be applied in their own organizations. CBEEN looks forward to working with organizations from across the region to find ways to support them in integrating CBSM practices into their environmental outreach programs.