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2024 Elections – Candidates

President

Maile Sullivan

Maile Sullivan, Seattle, WA

As Washington Sea Grant’s Marine Education Specialist, Maile has spent the past 15 years managing K-12 education and outreach programming helping to build ocean literacy among teachers, students and their families. She orchestrates all aspects of Orca Bowl and NOAA Science Camp, develops program partnerships, and designs and implements program evaluation tools. Maile has served on the NAME Board of Directors since 2012 as Secretary, WA Co-director, and currently as NMEA Representative.

Prior to working at Sea Grant, Maile spent two years as a coral program specialist with NOAA Fisheries, where she managed regional coral reef efforts in U.S. jurisdictions and implemented the new, congressionally mandated Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program. She also served as the Education Director for Camp SEA LAB, where she grew its marine science education offerings from a five-week summer camp to year-round programming serving more than 1,500 youth annually. Maile has consulted on projects for the National Geographic Society, the Ocean Conservancy and she has logged many volunteer hours for more regionally based NGOs in WA, CA, DC and in the Caribbean. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences from Connecticut College and a master’s degree in Marine Affairs from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington.

Secretary

Amy ColeAmy Cole, Vashon, WA

Amy Cole studied Zoology and Marine Biology at the University of New Hampshire. She currently works at Rehab Seminars administering professional development content delivery for K-12 special education teachers. Her background also includes marine education at the Seattle Aquarium in interpretive volunteer supervision, teaching, and curriculum development. Prior to joining Aquarium staff, Amy was a volunteer interpreter for both aquarium exhibits and field programs. She chaired a volunteer committee to develop and administer Master Birder programs for Seattle Audubon, and reviewed King County water conservation grant applications. Her professional background also includes program management at Microsoft, gene therapy research in the Bay Area, and whale watch interpretive work off the Maine coast. She holds a professional certificate in project management and has put some of those skills to use as NAME Secretary.

Treasurer

Sue Nightingale

Sue Nightingale, Seattle, WA

Sue Nightingale has been teaching a variety of Biology, Ecology, Oceanography and Environmental Science courses at Bellevue College since 1995, particularly enjoying Marine Biology, Puget Sound Ecology and teaching in the Interdisciplinary program. Sue received a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from Occidental College and a Master’s degree in Fisheries from University of Washington School of Ocean and Fisheries Sciences. She spent a year working in Alaska as a Scientific Observer on commercial Fishing Vessels in the Bering Sea, and a year working in the San Juan Islands as a research diver before starting her career at Bellevue. Her favorite class activities with students are field trips and dissection labs and she spends as much time as possible at the beach turning over rocks and picking up critters. Her interests include the reproductive strategies of marine organisms, bioaccumulation of pollutants in commercially important fish species and plastic pollution in the Pacific. If you ever want to know about fish – just ask! “They are my favorite animals, and they taste good too!”

NMEA Representative

Maile Sullivan, Seattle, WA

Alaska Director

Leigh LubinLeigh Lubin, Valdez, AK

Leigh Lubin is the Marine Education Specialist with Alaska Sea Grant. She is an exceptional educator and seasoned guide with over two decades of experience instructing in classrooms, universities, outdoors, online, and in studios in the United States, rural Alaska, China, and Ecuador. Leigh has a Master of Arts in Teaching, a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with an Emphasis in Natural History, is an Alaska Certified Science Teacher, and is a Certified and Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher. She has a special gift for connecting students to material and for creating experience-based learning regardless of location or subject matter. Leigh draws on familiarity with an abundance of educational environments, cultures, and age groups, to facilitate authentic interest, learning, and integration. Her successes stem from her deep appreciation and awe for the natural world, marine environments, inquiry, and the learning process. Leigh’s teaching style and ability to connect with students inspires deep learning and a desire to understand more fully.

Leigh has been in Alaska year-round since 2003 when she arrived to guide sea kayaking in Prince William Sound. The wildness of Alaska and the authenticity of its people are what keep her motivated and thriving. Leigh believes that there is always something to learn and is thankful for all that her students and nature have taught her.

BC Director

Tristyn Hay, Kelowna, BC

Trisyn is the Biology Program Manager and Outreach Coordinator at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. She developed and implemented a marine mobile biology outreach program, bringing hands-on learning and marine education to urban and rural communities across the province. With a deep passion for ocean literacy, she continuously tries to design programs that inspire curiosity and promote conservation, guided by the belief that “you can’t conserve what you don’t know about.” Through her work, she aims to connect people of all ages with the wonders of marine ecosystems, fostering a collective commitment to protecting our oceans for future generations.

Washington Director

John Hunter, Forks, WA

John grew up in Seaview and Long Beach and went to high school in Camas. He received a BA in Biology from Pacific Lutheran University and an MS in Biology from the University of Southern California where he worked in the “Worm Lab”. He worked as a curatorial assistant in the Invertebrate Department of Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology caring for one of the world’s largest spider collections. After teaching science in private schools for several years he worked as a non-formal science educator in upstate New York and was a deputy director for the Gannett School of Science and Man, a life-long learning program in the Rochester Museum and Science Center. He got a teaching certificate in secondary science while delivering watershed education programs as a naturalist on the Schooner Quinnipiack. Returning to Washington in 2005, he taught science at Forks High School until he retired from classroom teaching in 2021. He is a representative to the North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee and works part-time as the Coastal Region FieldSTEM Coordinator for Pacific Education Institute.

His natural habitat is outdoors, gardening or walking beaches, preferably with his grandchildren. During the monsoon season, he likes to read, cook, and fold origami.

Oregon Director

Lisa Habecker, Cannon Beach, OR

At-Large Board Members

Cathy CarolsfeldCathy Carolsfeld, Victoria, BC

Catherine Carolsfeld née Pennachetti—I have been living, diving, studying, doing research and teaching about marine life along the coasts of Turtle Island since my late teens.  Research during my B.Sc. and Honours at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and M.Sc. graduate work at the University of Victoria piqued my interest in marine invertebrates and helped me recognize the power of “creatures as teachers”. Since 1984, I have been co-operating WestWind SeaLab Supplies, Canada’s longest-lived supplier of living marine organisms for teaching and research; and in 1998 co-founded the Seaquaria in Schools program, to help reach a wider public audience in BC.  I have been active on both NAME-BC and our regional NAME boards for the past 15 years because I believe in our vision: a world where communities respect, experience and share the wonders of healthy freshwater and ocean ecosystems, and work for their sustainability.  I hope to be able to foster this vision by working as a director at large on the newly restructured regional NAME board.

Fawn Custer, Seal Rock, OR

Fawn Custer has worked in both formal and informal settings for over 40 years. She earned a BS in science education, a BS in biological sciences, emphasis in aquatic marine studies, a MS in environmental education and a MS in integrated science with post graduate courses in learning behavior and free choice learning.  While developing and implementing marine science and environmental science lab classes for the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC), Fawn also taught high school marine science on-line, developed invasive species curriculum for educators and protocols for interpreters, and trained volunteers regarding intertidal organisms and the marine environment. For five years, Custer was the CoastWatch volunteer coordinator having the whole Oregon Coast as her office!  She is currently an at large member of NAME as the mini-grant/scholarship chair, auction chair, and the 2025 conference chair and holds the position of NAME OR treasurer.  She is also on the Board of Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve as the treasurer and education specialist where she has successfully worked to hire high school students as Tide Pool Ambassador Interns. Fawn continues to offer marine ecology presentations and workshops and to lead guided beach walks, both private and public.

 

Janice ElvidgeJanice Elvidge, Elmer City, WA

Janice Elvidge is Founder and Manager of The River Mile Network, a watershed health monitoring network, and former Education Specialist at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (retired December 31, 2021). She has an M.S. in Forest Resource Management, specializing in interpretive planning, from the Univ. of Washington and a B.A. in Professional Studies from Central Washington Univ., also specializing in interpretive planning. She is the most recent Past President of Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators and was NAME’s Outstanding Aquatic Educator, Non-Classroom, of the year in 2022.

Karycia MitchellKarycia Mitchell, Victoria, BC

My name is Karycia Mitchell. I currently live, work, and learn on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, in Victoria, BC. I completed my B.Sc. in Combined Honours Chemistry and Oceanography in 2001, and recently finished my M.Ed. in Science Education in 2022. Now entering my 20th year as a secondary teacher in BC, I have taught nearly every science or math course across Grades 9-12. I strive to deliver curricular content through an applied lens, so that students can appreciate the relevance to the world around them. In the 2023-2024 school year, my colleague and I implemented a Marine STEM cohort at Belmont Secondary School in Langford, BC. Our secondary-level Marine program is academic focussed and incorporates courses directly applicable to graduation requirements.  Incorporating Place-Based Learning and First Peoples Ways of Knowing, our Marine program re-imagines the Life Sciences (Biology) 11 and Chemistry 11 curricula through an entirely marine and aquatic lens. At the 2024 NAME & CaNOE Conference this summer, I was recognized with the Outstanding Marine/Aquatic Educator Award for effective and innovative classroom teaching. I look forward to helping promote marine and aquatic education through further involvement with NAME.

Charissa Stair

Charissa Stair, Newport, OR

If tidepools are your happy place, you have something in common with Charissa! Growing up near the ocean in both Indonesia and Oregon, Charissa fell in love with the ocean as a child. She followed that passion into marine conservation, then on to teaching middle school and high school science, and now she blends it all together as the Teacher Programs Manager at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon. Prior to her current position, Charissa worked with a variety of marine conservation and research projects both in the US and overseas, including serving with the Peace Corps in the Philippines as a Coastal Resource Management Volunteer. Her first foray into informal education was in high school as a volunteer and then seasonal educator at OMSI in Portland, Oregon. She holds bachelor’s degrees in oceanography from Florida Institute of Technology, master’s degrees from Portland State University in both formal and informal education, and a Professional teaching license in Chemistry from the State of Oregon. She moved to Newport in 2023 and is excited to get more involved in NAME and the Oregon Chapter.

Nathan ZabelNathan Zabel, Bellingham, WA

Nathan Zabel is the Education Program Manager at the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) in Bellingham, Washington. He has over a decade of experience in environmental education and holds a BS degree in Environmental Education from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. He has facilitated and coordinated programming for all ages, including nature preschool, school programs, summer camps, and family programs. In addition, he has developed numerous teacher professional development workshops, working with teachers to incorporate environmental education, aquatic and watershed education, and climate science into their classrooms. He has developed partnerships with universities, municipalities, and community-based organizations and presented at multiple conferences. He currently manages a collaborative of Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups (RFEGs) throughout Washington State, focused on shared education and outreach efforts, and sees that as an opportunity to grow NAME membership and further connect professionals to aquatic and marine education.

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Special Exhibit at the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver, BC

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Orange Sunset
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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2023

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – a Reflection

Members of NAME are well aware that the Indigenous peoples of the US and Canada are the first and continuing stewards of the freshwater and marine ecosystems that are the focus of NAME’S educational efforts. Members of the British Columbia chapter of NAME are also aware that September 30, 2023 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, which occurs annually as established by the Canadian government in 2021. The purpose of this day is to acknowledge the trauma inflicted upon first nation’s children by Residential Schools in Canada, to reflect upon the harmful intergenerational legacy of those schools, and to explore ways to remediate the harm and to promote a healthy, balanced, and mutually respectful relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous people.

Until more recently, it was not well known that during much of the last century, the Government of Canada legally mandated the forcible removal of all First Nations children from their families and communities. They were placed within ‘schools’ where they were forbidden to speak their native language or engage in native cultural practices. The goal was to “remove the Indian from the child.” In fact, the schools removed the humanity from the child*, because children were subjected to physical, emotional, and often sexual abuse.

Non-indigenous ignorance about the abominations committed in residential schools dramatically ended with the ‘Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission’, held between 2009 and 2015 and chaired by Justice Murray Sinclair. The Commission held hundreds of hearings throughout Canada during which 6000 heartbreaking statements from survivors of Residential Schools were recorded. It ultimately produced 94 Calls to Action aimed at remediating the intergenerational harm done by Residential Schools. In the words of Murray Sinclair, “Reconciliation is not an Indigenous problem. It is a Canadian one.” It is necessary to find common ground between indigenous and non-indigenous people as a starting point for the process of building a mutually respectful relationship fostering dignity for both.

At last, the pendulum is swinging up, and we are witness to a great resurgence of the language and culture of our many Indigenous peoples.  As the 2023 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approaches, members of NAME might consider that the aquatic and marine ecosystems of North America and their animal and plant inhabitants are a common ground to begin a journey with our First Nations neighbours. This can help us understand the many children who were not only ripped away from their parents, but also from their natural relationship with the land and the land knowledge that would have been provided by Elders and Knowledge Keepers within their communities. By getting to know some of this history and the people who lived it, we can better understand different ways of knowing and appreciating the world around us. We can also recognize the value of all beings, both living and non-living, as teachers – a way of learning that was taken from indigenous children in Canada and from which all of us can benefit.

*Quoted from the 2022 film “Bones of Crows,” written and directed by Canadian Métis playwright Marie Clements.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) also hosts a wide range of films, documentaries & podcasts. To learn more, visit Truth and Reconciliation in action: docs that highlight the experiences of Indigenous people in Canada | CBC Documentaries

~by Louise Page, BC

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Native American Heritage Month

In November we pay tribute to the rich ancestry, traditions, and ongoing contributions of Native Americans as we celebrate Native American Heritage Month.

Often, we think of Native American contributions in the past tense. While it is important to recognize this history it is even more important to learn and support the experiences of Native Americans in the present.

As educators, it is our responsibility to share what we have learned with the broader community and so we recommend some of the following links to learn more about the Native Americans and First Nations who have lived in the Northwest for thousands of years and are still here.

Resources about Thanksgiving

  • Rethinking Thanksgiving Celebrations: Native Perspectives on Thanksgiving—When teaching about Thanksgiving, it is important not to misrepresent Native American cultures. Instead, incorporate Native knowledge into your lesson plans with the provided resources. Celebrate the vibrancy of Native cultures through Native American art, literature, and foods while you celebrate Thanksgiving.
  • Thanksgiving: A Native American View—an article by Jacqueline Keeler, a member of the Dineh Nation and the Yankton Dakota Sioux works with the American Indian Child Resource Center in Oakland, California.

Selected Resources For Teachers

  • National Native American Heritage Month—Selected Resources For Teachers: This Web portal is a collaborative project of the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
  • Encyclopedia of Puget Sound—Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), sometimes called Indigenous Knowledge, refers to cumulative knowledge and experience that indigenous cultures have of their environment. In the last thirty years, there has been growing interest in TEK as a resource for restoration and conservation projects.
  • Tribal Canoe Journeys: Canoe Journey is a revival of the traditional method of transportation and it can be a profound cultural experience for a participant. Canoe Journey began in 1989, and each year, a different Tribal Nation hosts each and every Canoe Family, which includes pullers (paddlers), support crew and often times Elders and family. Indigenous canoe families from as far as way as Aotearoa, Taiwan, Hawai’i, New York, California, and Alaska participate.
  • Native Lands Map: Native Land Digital strives to create and foster conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing, and settler-Indigenous relations, through educational resources such as our map and Territory Acknowledgement Guide.

November featured video from the BRIDGE

 

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Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning

Guest Blog by Woody Moses, NAME Washington Co-Director

The devilish little cell, Alexandrium cantenella, source of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning

For millennia, people have gathered food from the shores of the Salish Sea. Unfortunately, these meals can sometimes lead to serious health issues, or even death. Consequently, whenever Giovannina and I collect filter-feeding bivalves from Washington coastal waters (clams, oysters, mussels, etc.), we always check “The Map.” Run by the Washington State Department of Health, the Shellfish Safety Map lists the most recent health advisories for beaches around Washington State including water quality and biotoxins alerts. The map is interactive and very easy to use, and I strongly recommend it for anyone who is considering collecting a molluskan dinner from our local waters. During our recent kayak trip through the San Juans, Gio and I harvested some large California mussels (Mytilus californianus), and we were most concerned about a toxin known as Paralytic Shellfish Poison (or PSP) which as the name suggests, can seriously fuck you up if you’re not careful. As a general rule of thumb, I try to avoid contracting any condition with “paralytic” in its name. Add “poison” to the description, and I’m definitely going to let it pass.

PSP is a naturally occurring biotoxin produced by a microscopic, single-celled algae known as Alexandrium catanella. Measuring less than fifty microns wide, under the right conditions, these little buggers can do massive amounts of damage. Alexandrium produces a neurotoxin that, as you might have guessed, causes muscle paralysis. A type of phytoplankton known as a dinoflagellate, Alexandrium catanella are floating around in the ocean all the time, but under certain conditions, they “bloom.” This means that their numbers increase exponentially and in a few days a handful of cells can grow to fill an entire bay and inlet. As they grow, so does the amount of neurotoxin they produce. Bivalves, like the mussels we harvested, get their meals by filtering algae (and other bits) out of the water. When there’s a bloom, they end up eating a lot of algae and accumulate the neurotoxin, which doesn’t seem to bother the mussels, but is very dangerous to us. For this reason, we call these as harmful algal blooms, or HABs. And so if you happen to be unlucky enough to eat a mussel (or clam or oyster or scallop) after one of these blooms, you can end up with a truly toxic meal, one that could send you to the hospital or even the cemetery.

A bloom of Noctiluca sp. (a dinoflagellate) seen here in Eastsound, Washington (July 2016). This isn’t harmful to humans, but shows how the a the mass of algae can color the water, which is why algal blooms are sometimes referred to as “red tides”. Photo: Jordan Cole

In September of 2012, a family of seven were vacationing somewhere along the Washington coast when they decided to harvest mussels from the beach by their hotel. If they had checked “The Map,” they would’ve seen a bright red line along the beach where they were staying and probably would’ve decided to stay in and watch The Simpsons. But apparently they didn’t know about “The Map,” or didn’t bother to check, and all seven of them ended up in the emergency room with symptoms ranging from tingling of the lips to vomiting to partial paralysis. The worst affected was a sixty-two year old woman who lost the ability to talk, then fell over and couldn’t stand up. She required intubation, was placed on a ventilator and sent to the ICU. Pretty scary for a nice little weekend at the coast. Thankfully, after a couple days, all seven of them were released from the hospital and seemed to make a full recovery. But not everyone is so lucky.

The first recorded death from PSP in Alaska was in 1799 when members of the Russian American Trading Company ate contaminated blue mussels in Southeast Alaska. The area of the incident is now known as Poison Cove, a great example of geographic names being used for public health education. Unfortunately, folks are still dying of PSP and just this past summer, one poor Alaskan succumbed to the dreaded illness. On July 4, 2020, an individual in Dutch Harbor, AK celebrated Independence Day by harvesting a number of blue mussels from a local beach. They returned home, cooked everything thoroughly and a few hours later were being airlifted to a hospital in Anchorage. Unfortunately, there was nothing the doctors could do, and within days, they died. You see, the PSP toxin is not like a bacterium or virus—you can’t kill it with heat and cooking the shellfish won’t destroy it. The only thing you can do is avoid it.

Cases of PSP seem to be on the rise, and the Alaska Division of Epidemiology estimates a roughly seven-fold increase in PSP events since 1973. The reason for this isn’t entirely clear, but we do know that certain conditions increase the risk of harmful algal blooms. At the top of the list are more nutrients and warmer waters, both of which have increased along with human population growth. More people living around the ocean means more nutrients in the oceans, and that’s more food for algae like Alexandrium. Population growth has also led to more carbon emissions and global warming, which heats the oceans as well as the atmosphere, increasing the likelihood of harmful algal blooms. Unfortunately, humans aren’t the only ones affected by PSP. Recently, a number of Kittlitz’s murrelets died from eating sand lance that were full of the toxin, and in 1978 about seventy common terns and other seabirds died from it.

Food Taster By Giorces – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5 it

You might be thinking you should never eat shellfish from the beach, and honestly, that’s not a terrible idea. When I was guiding, the official policy was to never gather shellfish as the risk of PSP was just too high. However, there was one guide who apparently thought this was merely a suggestion and chose to treat his clients to fresh oysters, using himself as a pregustator. He would cook an oyster, eat it and if it made his lips tingle he wouldn’t feed the rest to his clients. As far as I know, he never fell ill from doing this. He did get a lot of tips, however, though not enough to cover potential medical or legal bills.

Historically, indigenous folk didn’t harvest shellfish during the summer, when long days increase the risk of harmful algal blooms. Instead, they collected shellfish during the darker winter months supplementing salmon and other fish harvested in the warmer months. Today we have agencies like the Washington State Department of Health that conduct regular monitoring of the bivalves we like to eat, and can let us know if the appetizers we’re gathering will send us to the ER.

So what about the mussels we collected?

I was able to use my iPhone to check “The Map,” and sadly, there was a thick red line running all along the southern coast of Lopez Island where we harvested them. Nope. We were not going to eat anything growing there. So even after all that work pulling those damn mussels off the rocks, we tossed them back into the sea, hoping that a local crab or sea star might find them for a nice evening meal.

About the Author

Since 2003, Woody Moses has been living in Seattle where he works as a biology and environmental science instructor at Highline College. He spends his free time exploring the wonders of the Salish Sea and the majesty of the Cascade and Olympic Mountains. Read about the rest of Woody’s Wanderings in the PNW on his website, Three Gems.

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Member Spotlight – Fawn Custer, Oregon

I have been a marine educator for over 35 years.  Besides working with various school and scout groups, I have the opportunity to work with over 1300 amazing volunteers along the Oregon coast who have adopted a mile of beach and are asked to report officially, quarterly, on the state of their beach. My job is to make sure our volunteers are introduced to the most recent research, coastal concerns and interesting findings on the beaches they’ll be visiting.

I am currently NAME Oregon Treasurer, Past Oregon Director, and a Past NAME President (2011-2012). I’ve been a member since 1993 or 1994, since I helped with the 1992 conference as an employee for Sea Grant at Hatfield Marine Science Center. I have found my contacts in NAME to be very beneficial to my success as a marine educator.  We always have a wonderful time exploring our water world!

This spring I’m looking forward to going to Qatar to visit my daughter and family, go to the beach and check out the different marine organisms there, then to Sri Lanka to check out the beaches there, go on a Blue Whale watching tour and visit the sea turtle rescue center.  For the summer,  I’m looking forward to hanging with my buds from afar, participating in some of the freshwater experiences and, of course, the banquet/auction at our annual conference.

Oregon CoastWatch is celebrating its 25th year of collecting data along the 362 miles of coastline.  We will be hosting various events throughout the year to commemorate the commitment of our volunteers.  We will be kicking this off with our annual “Sharing the Coast Conference”, which is celebrating the 10th year of our partnership with the Oregon Chapter of NAME.  This year, Cannon Beach and the Haystack Rock Awareness Program in Cannon Beach, Oregon are hosting it.  We would love to have our awesome NAME members attend.  To register or for more information about CoastWatch or the conference, feel free to contact me at fawn@oregonshores.org  or 541.270.0027.

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NAME Represents at NMEA 2017

The National Marine Educators Association’s annual conference was just held in Charleston, South Carolina. This four-day event was replete with activities for both new and experienced marine educators. Featured speakers included scientists, environmentalists, artists, writers, storytellers and members of the Gullah/Geechee Nation. The sessions were chock-full of curriculum ideas and hands-on activities. To access presenter materials go to download.nmea2017.org
Next year’s NMEA conference will be hosted by the Southwest Marine Educators Association chapter from July 15-20 in sunny Long Beach, CA! It is being held on the Queen Mary, docked adjacent to the Aquarium of the Americas.
We were proud to have so many NAME members representing the Pacific Northwest at the conference this year! We hope to see some of you there next year!
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In Memory of Joy Tally

All of us at NAME were honored to know and work with Joy Elizabeth Tally. Her passion for the environment and love for her community made a deep, permanent mark on NAME as an organization, and for each one of us fortunate enough to know her as a friend. If you would like to make a donation to NAME in honor of Joy, please follow the Donate link below. Your donation will help fund the professional development of aspiring marine and aquatic educators so that NAME can continue to create a community of water-literate stewards.




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On Watch – January 30, 2017

“On Watch”—from the President’s Desk

January 30, 2017

There’s something about water that draws all of us closer to the fundamental mystery and wonder of life. And when we find others – friends, loved ones, mentors or colleagues – with whom we can share this mystical journey, we know we have been given a profound gift. All of us at NAME were blessed by the gift that was Joy Elizabeth Tally. As a friend, a colleague, a mentor and an inspiration, Joy offered her spirit and energy to us in the NAME community. Her passion for the environment and love for her community made a deep, permanent mark on NAME as an organization, and for each one of us fortunate enough to know her as a friend.

Before moving to the wind-swept beaches and wave-drenched tide pools of the Pacific Northwest, Joy grew up exploring the protected salt marshes of southern New England. This is where she first encountered something that ultimately drew her into the NAME community. Once she arrived to the Pacific Northwest she brought with her an energy and passion for environmental education that inspired everyone she worked with. I first met Joy while attending the 2010 NAME conference in Florence, OR and knew immediately that we were all in good hands. Persistent, energetic, aware and deeply committed, her energy was infectious. I had the honor to work with her on a number of projects and when I took over as NAME President last summer, I felt a strong sense of responsibility knowing I had to live up to the standards that she had set as President only two terms before.

It was with deeply opposing feelings of loss and comfort that the NAME community gathered during the weekend of January 28-29th in Des Moines, WA for our annual mid-year Board Meeting. For me, it felt very odd to be discussing issues like D&O insurance while mourning the loss of our close friend. But at the same time we all needed each other in that moment and were thankful to be together to share our memories and grief, and to do the diligent work of making NAME a better organization that could live up to the ideals we shared with Joy. Doing the hard but necessary work of running an organization like NAME is what Joy did so well, and while she is deeply missed by all of us, we carry her memory and spirit as we move forward. It is in her memory that the NAME Board voted unanimously to rename the President’s Award, the Joy Tally President’s Award, so that all future NAME members will know the indelible mark she left on us.

After the Board Meeting some of us were lucky enough to spend the night at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium for a first-ever NAME Overnight at PDZA. Cathleen McConnell from PDZA helped organize the event and we were able to share our passion with new and old NAME members, as well as friends and family who also cherish the natural world. Joy was to be there with her niece and nephew, and while everyone had a deliriously good – though somewhat sleep-deprived – time, we all felt like someone was missing. I don’t think that feeling will go away any time soon. But when I walk down by Puget Sound and stare down into those breaking waves I know I’ll catch glimpses of it in the last retreating shimmer of the water’s edge.

 Woody

Woody Moses
NAME 2016-2017 President

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Passing on the Inspiration

I recently received the sad news that one of my favorite professors had been diagnosed with stage four cancer, and the prognosis wasn’t good. I sat down and wrote him a letter, try to explain the difference he made in my life and thanking him for helping me to become the person and the teacher that I am. After I wrote it, I realized that many of my fellow educators likely have similar stories about someone who helped them on their way. I don’t usually share this sort of thing on social media, but thought it might resonate with some of you, so here it is.

“And now I’m sharing what I’ve learned with another generation. I’m trying to pass on the inspiration that you gave me to my students. These are the ones who walk through the door the first day of class full of apprehension, worried about what they’ve gotten themselves into. It’s not easy to inspire students, to make them want to learn. I’m sure you know that. Each student enters with his or her own history of bad high school science classes, skeptical that this will be any different. But there’s something about the ocean that makes everyone smile. And there’s something about knowing what you love, so that when you talk about it they can see it. Maybe they don’t see why you love science, not at first anyway. But they do see that love. They see that it did something to you, that it changed you for the better and that it’s going to be ok. It’s ok to let what you love change you. It’s okay to follow those passions and to dream about the day when you can experience a world that you’ve only read about, because this person, this teacher, he’s done it. He’s been there and he’s bringing that love back.

You brought it to me. Thank you for that. And I know you brought it to countless others as well.

With deepest regards and wishing you and your family peace, your student,

Woody Moses”

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