2005 AEOE Statewide Spring Conference:

California’s People and Places: How California’s diverse ecosystems shape our population and how its people shape the landscape, past, present and future. It was a great conference! Thank-You to Our Conference Sponsors / Donors Conference Proceedings Now Online: Click Here (Workshop handouts and resources, information on speakers and entertainment, and more resources from the Conference)

• Date and Place: April 15-17, 2005, Walker Creek Ranch, Marin County
• Theme: California’s People and Places: How California’s diverse ecosystems shape our population and how its people shape the landscape, past, present and future.

Registration: (closed - conference is over!)

• Cost: $165 (registration postmarked by April 1st) includes 5 delicious meals, dorm-style lodging or camping, entertainment, keynotes, and almost all of the 60+ workshops. Private motel-style lodging is also available at an additional cost.
  • Early registration, postmarked by March 18 = $140 (past)
  • Regular registration, postmarked by April 1 = $165
  • Blackout period-April 2-14 (no registrations accepted - walk in only after April 1, check with conference registrar to be sure there is space)
  • On site, late registration = $185

• Scholarships are available based on financial need. Click here for more information and an application! (Turn in with conference registration by the March 18 deadline)

• Deadlines:
• Workshop Presenter Application Deadline: January 20, 2005
• Conference Registration Deadline: March 18, 2005 (registration packets available online now!)
  • Early registration, postmarked by March 18 = $140
  • Regular registration, postmarked by April 1 = $165
  • Blackout period-April 2-14
  • On site, late registration = $185

Participate!

• Attend the Job Fair - Employers and OEE Programs from around the state will have displays at the Conference Job Fair in the Maple Room - come on by! Sign up to participate if you are an employer; Bring a resume if you are a job seeker!

• Sign up for the Skit and Talent Show! If you didn't make the audition for American Idol, the Talent Show is your chance to strut your stuff. We're looking for skits, songs, dances, mime troupes, jugglers, magicians, lion tamers, or whatever else you’re inspired to create and perform. Groups and acts that tie into this year's theme may be given precedence, so think California People and Places while designing your performance. Give your best "ketchup clap" and "seal of approval" as we give out prizes for the Most Humorous, Most Educational, Most Theme-Inspired, and Most Spectacular Production. We’re hoping to keep all presentations between 5-7 minutes so we can give as many folks as possible a chance to perform. Contact Jared Pruch at as soon as you’ve got your act together—limited space available!

• Volunteer and help make the conference happen! Seeking enthusiastic members for the conference committee — interested? Contact Heather Butler at or Aaron Rich at or call 831-684-0148. All Volunteer positions are now filled! Thank you!

• Help promote the conference: Print a new color flier HERE; (and back of flier with mailing label) or Download a black and white conference flier HERE (pdf - 156k) Download a letter of invitation to pass out to educators HERE (pdf - 100k) Print them out as a double-sided flier to pass out at your program to teachers, pass out at fairs and other events!

Conference Events:

• Schedule: Check out all the amazing events and workshops that have been packed into this year's conference - choose wisely!
• Conference Speakers:
  • Jon Young Wilderness Awareness School founder and keynote from the 2001 Westminster Woods conference is back!
  • Bertram Chatham well-known staff trainer, "Outstanding Youth Services Professional" of San Joaquin County, and 1995 AEOE state conference speaker is also returning as a keynote this year to present a program on "The Art of Welcome." Don't miss it!
• Entertainment:
  • Friday Night: get ready for salsa dance lessons, and then a concert by Salsa Profundo, who will make you groove!
  • Saturday night - what a night!
    • First, we will once again have the popular and ~always~ entertaining Skit Contest and Talent Show, and then ...
    • More danceable music from Buckeye Flatts - hardcore Bluegrass from Three Rivers.
    • But wait, there's more! From 11:00 pm until ?? Late night Reggae Dance Jam, hosted by the Walker Creek Staff, with Comanche Hi-Powered Sound / DJ Big Steve-O, a professional roots reggae DJ. Get up, stand up... Stay up, get down!
• Other events/Displays/Opportunities:
  • The Maple Room will host a Teahouse, the Silent Auction, the Job Fair, the AEOE History Display, and vendors with merchandise and books for sale of interest to environmental educators from Acorn Naturalists and other vendors. Drop on by!
  • CREEC: Coordinators from the California Regional Environmental Education Community (CREEC) Network will staff a table with information about services they provide in achieving their goal to provide teachers with high quality EE resources. CREEC services include regional websites with information about environmental education outings, funding opportunities, professional development workshops; an online searchable Resource Directory that can be used by anybody to look for curricula, EE Providers, or even as a job search tool; as well as a wealth of knowledge about the EE Providers in the state of California. If you haven't connected with the CREEC network yet, you are missing out on an amazing California resource!

Workshops - check out the impressive line-up of workshops! More to come by the conference, too!

• Workshop Descriptions along with links to the presenters' programs (this page will be updated as we add workshops - check back often!)
  UPDATE, 3/17/05: 19 NEW workshops added since the conference registration packet came out in the newsletters - click here!
  • Workshops from the conference registration packet (pdf - 76K)

• Pre-Conference Workshops especially for AEOE conference attendees!
  • Leopold Education Project workshop (pdf - 492K) Friday, April 15th, 9am - 4pm - only $35 for AEOE Conference-goers!
  • Solar Fountain workshop from the folks at Solar School House (pdf - 164K) Friday, April 15th, 10:30-3:30 - FREE! for AEOE conference-attendees only - space limited!