Liza Earle Naturalist Foothill Horizons Outdoor School AEOE Northern Section Environmental Educator of the Year, 2004

AEOE is proud to honor Liza Earle of Foothill Horizons as our northern section Environmental Educator of the Year for 2004. The award was presented at the fall northern conference at Tamarack Flat in Yosemite National Park.

Liza grew up climbing trees and splashing around creeks in Vermont's Green Mountains. In 3rd grade a naturalist took her class into the woods to 'adopt a tree' and Liza decided she wanted to be a naturalist! She studied Spanish while taking lots of courses in Environmental Studies at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. When she is not roaming the trails of Foothill Horizons with students, Liza likes to paint, write, bike, travel, and spend time with people she loves. Liza has been at Foothill since 2001.

In addition to being a talented naturalist, Liza has contributed to her school and profession in many ways. She is a wonderful storyteller and has led workshops on this topic at AEOE conferences. Liza has also been a workshop presenter coordinator for AEOE. At Foothill Horizons she has created beautiful murals, developed the school webpage, and is the site-coordinator for an energy efficiency grant that is helping to reduce the school's energy use. In her off-time Liza loves to travel, backpack, speak Spanish, and organize ultimate frisbee games!

Liza is a caregiver who brings sunshine to the lives of children, and all those who she works, lives, and plays with.

Congratulations Liza!