Erin has been an extraordinary teacher leader, planning and carrying out a range of incredibly inspiring and impactful environmental education experiences for her students. Her teaching has included profound nature connection, field trips to explore the wonders of the redwood forest, curriculum design in collaboration with Northern Arizona State University that models pollinator responses to weather and climate in Santa Cruz, and advocacy for green spaces on campus and empowering students to share their passion with the entire school community.

Erin came by her love of the outdoors from her childhood, growing up in the Santa Cruz mountains and hiking and camping with her family. Erin encourages all students to spend time outside and creates opportunities throughout the year, on and off campus.

Erin’s students take two full-day hikes through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and through UCSC’s campus. For some students, this was their first exposure to the redwoods. Erin developed and implemented an Ecology unit focused on the flora and fauna of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Students became experts on the flora or fauna before the hike, learned about the local geology, and the indigenous peoples from each location, which helped them make deeper connections to the Park.

After this project, Erin’s Environmental Club students recognized a trash issue on campus. Over the course of a year, the Club students developed Green Space Expectations to not only address the trash issue on campus but to lay out a roadmap and set expectations for how to interact with and care for the green spaces on campus.

In addition to the field trips, Erin sought to change the outside spaces and convert concrete to green spaces. She led students to create environmental learning spaces right at their school. The outdoor classroom had student-made birdhouses, pollinator plants in raised beds and in the ground, a shade space, and tables and chairs to use for science activities and connection to nature. Students could use the area as a lab rotation for class as well as a spot to meet and relax in nature. Erin led the students in lessons on the benefits of nature, and the reflections that students have written about what these spaces mean to them were incredibly moving.

Last year, as a result of renovations at the school, most of the pollinator space was removed. Erin worked with the administration to educate adult leaders and build better communication to avoid similar situations in the future. Due to construction immediately outside, the pollinator space was no longer a calm place to be, so she pivoted. She had recently learned about a letter-writing campaign in Melbourne, Australia. Citizens were asked to write letters to the city's arborists to alert them of any signs of damaged trees. What actually happened stunned the arborists: citizens wrote letters of appreciation to the trees, poems, and more. Erin realized that her students could do something similar. There is a magnificent Dawn Redwood tree outside Erin’s science classroom, where students would go frequently to do scientific drawings. With the help of the District IT department, Erin was able to assign an email address to the tree. This started a year-long letter-writing project to the Dawn Redwood. “Dawn” wrote back to each student, and correspondence was then shared on the school’s weekly TV show, BTV.

Erin attended an environmental professional development last year, where she was introduced to Jeff Share, an environmental justice professor at UCLA Jeff Share created a project where his students spoke for nature. This project asked students think about what nature would say to us. She loved the idea so much that she had her students create podcasts in which they spoke for their Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park flora and fauna. These podcasts were also shared on BTV.

Starting over after the construction, teachers can see the shift in awareness; it created an opportunity to overcome, learn, and develop resilience. Erin has been a champion for her students, especially when bringing students’ concerns and feelings to district leaders about protecting and rebuilding green spaces. She communicated concerns with goodwill and in the spirit of collaboration, resulting in leadership being receptive and very supportive.

Erin works tirelessly on these efforts, and this award is well deserved. She sets an example for other teachers and feels that any teacher, not just the science teachers, can do this kind of work to build enthusiasm and connection to nature. It is all about keeping it going in lots of little ways, tackling roadblocks in manageable pieces, growth mindset.

She finds highly creative ways to engage middle school students and makes being a protector of nature a thing to be proud of for students! She is truly creating the nature stewards of the future with her amazing efforts.