Gamified simulations, integrating gameplay into education, cater to younger learners' digital preferences and align with Next Generation Science Standards. Current virtual modules focus on advanced high school classes, leaving a gap for middle school students. This study investigated the impact of substituting recitations in a 6th-grade ecology…

Objective: Research in social psychology and the learning sciences indicates that political ideologies shape how learners and teachers engage climate change science. Because conservative worldviews prioritize the maintenance of existing social hierarchies--specifically race, class, and gender--conservative learners often engage in motivated…

Woodland management is critical for ensuring forests are sustainably managed, yet few forest landowners have management plans and are often unsure of where to turn for advice. In New York State, the Master Forest Owner (MFO) Volunteer program provides free support from trained volunteers, however participation in the program has declined since…

Real estate professionals can be an important source of information for home buyers and sellers about regulations and practices that protect water quality and properties from environmental damage. Lake Champlain Sea Grant (LCSG) Extension identified a deficit in real estate education covering these topics for real estate professionals. Accredited…

Amidst increasing concerns about children's mental health, this paper explores the integration of interdisciplinary nature journaling within a middle school English Language Arts classroom as a method to enhance student well-being and environmental literacy. 61 5th-7th students in Garrison, NY engaged in a 75-minute nature journaling activity. We…

This is a story about some of the women of Cornell University who became an integral part of the nature study movement during the years from 1880-1930. The Nature Study movement's aim was to bring children and rural citizens back into a deeper relationship with nature. It is an important precursor to our contemporary environmental movements. Using…

Today humanity is facing a sixth mass extinction: the first in 65 million years. The extinction underway is occurring at a rate faster than any previous mass extinction in Earth's history. Our current forms of extraction economics, overproduction, and consumption are not just unsustainable -- they are literally annihilationist towards our…

This program evaluation outlines the process, challenges, and outcomes of decolonizing middle school curriculum through an interdisciplinary approach. A diverse team of educators conducted a curriculum audit and restructuring initiative in a Western New York independent school. Faced with data analysis challenges, the team devised an Environmental…

In response to growing concern about the increased disconnect between youth and their outdoor environment, this study examines how nature-based citizen science experiences with a local animal (American eels) influence urban adolescents' (high-school students) sense of place in a US city. The juvenile American eel is a unique animal due to its…

Research on environmental literacy in students and adults has often used ratings of high and low to indicate the extent of one's environmental literacy. Such ratings miss the nuances that a continuum could provide. This study uses a contextual perspective on environmental literacy which includes such a continuum to examine the relationship between…

Environmental stewardship education, as a locally oriented concept, benefits from being recast to account for the emergent, multidimensional, and interdisciplinary nature of today's most pressing socio-ecological issues. In an effort to infuse environmental stewardship education with global citizenship, instructional materials on community-based…

The authors of this article have participated in intensive professional development in the Peruvian Amazon and brought this firsthand experience of the rainforest back to their classrooms. However, the activities presented in this article are designed to be accessible and inspirational to "all students," regardless of whether they or…

Positive motivation to perform work tasks has been associated with better performance and outcomes in both the organizational and informal education literature. In environmental education (EE), this means that more motivated instructors are likely to provide better programs for their participants. In this exploratory study across 15 states in the…

Greenwashing is defined as "the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service" (UL Environment, 2013). As "green living" has become a marketable concept, and desirable consumers seek to enact a green identity, more companies are utilizing…

This mixed methods case study research evaluates the outcomes of a place-based experiential environmental education curriculum that incorporated environmental art and muralism to teach fifth to sixth graders about the Hudson River Watershed, environmental issues, and ecosystem recovery. Students showed a statistically significant improvement at…