December 2014 Newsletter Vol. 2 No. 1

SEA: Bringing Learning to Life in 2014Dear Friends of SEA: 2014 has been a good year. Our

mission feels as vital and important as ever: to promote engagement with community and spirited environ-mental stewardship by connecting youth and adults in real-world learn-ing and meaningful service in the Puget Sound region.

We achieve this thanks to creative collaborations and the generous sup-port of individuals, allies and organi-zations who share our vision.

Here’s what one high school student said after participating in a 2014 SEA program:

The field trip was arguably the best learning experience I’ve had in my senior year. It was thrilling to be outdoors in the forest, learning from my experience rath-er than a worksheet or PowerPoint.

I loved being able to put my hands on what we were studying – the soil, the trees, the environment itself. The lessons I learned on the field trip will stick with me for a long time. Every walk I’ve been on since, I can’t help but identify the species of all the trees I pass by.

The enthusiasm of our guides was contagious and ex-citing. I hope the program continues to benefit others as it benefited me.

April 2014 was Whidbey Earth and Ocean Month. With the support of a Puget Sound Partnership grant, this month’s activities reached over 800 Whidbey Island-ers from the south end to the north end of the island.

Our “Science While Sipping” Pub Talks offered com-munity members the chance to learn from experts about noxious weeds and the future of fish. At South Whidbey High School, a “Puget Sound Starts Here” Earth Day

event included presentations for over 500 students. The day featured a talk by keynote speaker Vicki Robin, Whidbey resident and author of the recently pub-lished “Blessing the Hands that Feed Us”, which addresses themes of local eating and environmental sustainability.

In the spring, SEA also partnered in delivering a Celebrate the Water day at South Whidbey State Park.

This event was coordinated by the Na-ture Education Network partners - Ca-lyx Community Arts School, SEA, and Friends of South Whidbey State Park. 200 people showed up to enjoy the park’s rich saltwater shoreline and tidelands, and engage with presentations, interac-tive displays, hikes, games, exhibitions.

One highlight was the Integrating Sci-ence and Art activity. Lauren Atkinson, Calyx Mentor/Teaching Artist, said:

“To have the time and space to guide children in ob-serving the natural world, in a beautiful forest class-room is a powerful tool to support a child in developing their conscious creative practice. Painting the flickering reflections in the stream we are observing, deepens our understanding for our earth. It reveals the depth of this connection with the trees, the ferns and all the animals that are with us while we quietly paint.

A child speaks to how much he loves this forest and how beautiful it is to him, as he shares his painting.”

With the support of the Lucky Seven Foundation and the Tulalip Tribes Charitable Fund, we brought half-day Bring-ing Learning to Life environmental education programs to over 200 students from Langley Middle School, Hillcrest Elementary School, Cascade High School, and Serene Lake Elementary School.

Yes, I want to support this work!Since SEA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, your

donation is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Make a secure online donation to SEA via PayPal by

clicking the button below or on our website at www.ServiceEdAdventure.org.

Or make a donation by check payable to SEA and mail to: SEA, PO Box 362, Freeland, WA, 98249

SEA wishes to acknowledge the recent generous support of the Lucky Seven Foundation, Puget Sound Partnership,

and the Tulalip Tribes Charitable Fund.

These Bringing Learning to Life programs, based in the South Whidbey State Park, combine inspiring encounters with the natural world, structured learning and mentor-ship from life-long environmental stewards, hands-on citizen science, stewardship activities that benefit the en-vironment, and nature-based creative activities.

Sue Ellen White, founder of Save the Trees in the 1970s, said this after her program participation:

My surprise was to learn how infrequently students have the opportunity for field trips; frankly, I was shocked. The power of first-hand, direct experience leaves a lasting impression on youngsters as they engage all their senses and cannot be underestimated in the learning process… If asked, I plan to continue working with SEA and those students fortunate enough to be in-cluded in its programs.

And a Cascade High School teacher declared: This was such a valuable experience for my students.

Suburban kids don’t know the woods anymore and this trip gave them first-hand knowledge of, and passion for, a world they didn’t know existed. The instructors were all amazing, knowledgeable, friendly and had terrific in-terpersonal skills. I recommended this field trip to three other teachers for next year.

At the end of one stewardship rotation removing the species “Yellow Archangel” that is destroying large ar-eas of native plants, students were asked by a State Park Ranger “Who owns our state parks?” The students all replied with a resounding “we do!!”

More than ever, young people need experiential edu-cation that is engaging, physical, and place-based. They need challenging activities that connect them to their own bodies and the natural world. And while Puget Sound is one of the earth’s most beautiful, diverse and resource-rich ecosystems, our growing population lives unsustainably.

Dedicated action by youth and adults is needed to pro-tect and preserve the Puget Sound environment. This dedication can only come out of a genuine, personal rela-tionship with the natural world.

SEA works to nurture a new generation of young people who know the earth, who care about the earth, and who are committed to being stewards of the earth.

Your support makes this possible.