Viristar’s Director, Jeff Baierlein, has been selected to present at the “Thrive Outside” 2022 ANCA Summit, August 1-5 2022, at Irvine Nature Center in Maryland, USA.
Jeff will be presenting on “Risk Management for Outdoor Programs.”
The workshop aims to help nature center administrators understand contemporary safety science, and how it can be applied to their nature center context.
The workshop will cover theoretical models of incident prevention, and their use in managing risks in nature centers, environmental learning centers, and outdoor schools.
The workshop also addresses how to use complex systems theory and resilience engineering to enhance safety outcomes in the out-of-doors and informal education settings.
Part of Viristar’s long-standing commitment to environmental education
Viristar’s engagement with supporting environmental learning centers is at the core of the organization’s priorities.
Viristar conducted a multi-day training on curriculum design in environmental education in 2019 for a diverse audience in Taiwan, including that country’s National Parks service (part of the Ministry of the Interior), Taiwan's Forestry Bureau, and numerous businesses and non-profit organizations.
A 2019 environmental education two-day presentation by Viristar in Taiwan.
But far before that, Viristar’s Director Jeff Baierlein provided environmental education workshops for the Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education in California, the Environmental Education Association of Washington, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, among others.
Jeff also worked as a naturalist in the 1980s and early 1990s, and administered field science and environmental education programs as Education Director and Executive Director in California and Washington state, USA.
Jeff remembers when ANCA was formed in 1989, while he was working for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and always had an interest in being part of the group. Viristar is very pleased to—finally—directly contribute to the safety and quality of ANCA member programs.
Environmental education: much more than planting plants
Viristar’s Environmental Education Services
In addition to providing risk management workshops, an outdoor safety textbook, and a Risk Management for Outdoor Programs 40-hour online training, Viristar also provides program and curriculum development services for environmental education organizations.
These training and consulting services help environmental education organizations improve their curriculum, staff training, outcomes assessment, lesson planning, and other elements of pedagogy.
Organizations can also improve fundraising, Board development, and other administrative aspects of their organization through Viristar’s offerings.
More Information
Environmental educators and nature center leaders who wish to learn more about or register for ANCA’s “Thrive Outside” 2022 Summit can do so at the ANCA website.