Mandi’s love for nature began long before she became an educator. Growing up in Northeast England, she spent countless hours exploring fields, ponds, and streams near her home. Those early adventures filled her with questions about wildlife, ecosystems, and the natural world. That curiosity eventually led her to study biology before becoming a classroom teacher in an inner-city elementary school in London. Even then, her classroom looked different. Whenever possible, students left their desks to explore local parks, observe seasonal changes, build a school nature area, establish a recycling program, and learn science through direct experience. “I loved teaching environmental science,” Mandi said. “Any opportunity we had to get outside of the classroom, go on field trips, explore local parks, and see the seasons changing—that's what inspired both me and my students.”

After moving to California, Mandi spent time as a counselor at Camp Mendocino, where many children from San Francisco experienced towering redwood forests for the first time. Watching children discover nature firsthand reinforced something she already believed: outdoor experiences can change lives. Soon after, Mandi founded KIDS for the BAY with a simple but ambitious vision, to help teachers confidently bring environmental science into their classrooms and give their students meaningful experiences outside in nature. “When I moved to the Bay Area, I wanted to bring together helping and supporting teachers, taking children outdoors, and teaching environmental science in the local watershed,” Mandi explained. “There really wasn't a lot of place-based environmental education happening at that time.” Rather than simply providing lesson plans, Mandi's team worked directly alongside classroom teachers. “We solved that problem by coming into the classroom and working directly with teachers, both in the classroom and outdoors, modeling lessons so they can really see how to make it work,” she said. This approach did really work. Teachers began recommending the program to their colleagues, and one classroom became an entire school. One school became many. Today, KIDS for the BAY has reached almost 120,000 students, partnered with more than 4,700 teachers, and engaged around 16,000 parents, creating what Mandi describes as “a real movement” in environmental education.

While students remain at the center of KIDS for the BAY, Mandi believes one of the organization's greatest accomplishments has been mentoring educators. Over more than three decades, she has intentionally built a diverse staff representing many backgrounds and experiences. “I've always tried to develop a diverse team of staff,” she said.

“It's wonderful to see people grow, develop their skills, and then go on to become leaders in the field of environmental education.” Many former staff members now hold leadership positions throughout California's environmental education community, extending the organization's impact far beyond its own programs.

The organization's motto is simple: “Everyone is an Environmentalist!” That philosophy guides every program. Students investigate local watersheds, restore creeks, explore bay shorelines, visit the ocean, conduct scientific investigations, organize trash cleanups, reduce plastic pollution, and even identify corporate brands found during litter collection and write letters encouraging the companies responsible to reduce plastic waste. “Our students don't just learn science,” Mandi said. “They take action, teach their families, change behaviors, and have a real impact on their local environment.” For Mandi, environmental education succeeds when students see themselves as part of the solution.

Among the thousands of students Mandi has worked with, one story continues to stand out. As a fourth grader in Richmond, Angel Gonzalez participated in a KIDS for the BAY program and discovered local creeks and habitats he never knew existed. The experience sparked a passion that led him to study botany in college. Today, Angel has returned to Richmond, where he now works as an environmental educator and garden teacher, inspiring the next generation of students in the same community where his own journey began. For Mandi, stories like Angel's represent the true measure of success.

As KIDS for the BAY approaches its 35 Year Anniversary in 2027, Mandi views the CEEF award not as the culmination of her career, but as renewed motivation. She hopes the recognition will inspire more teachers, schools, and future environmental educators to embrace hands-on science and equitable access to outdoor learning. “I think this award will continue to inspire others in the field,” she said. “We're striving to practice excellence in environmental education every day, and this recognition is very validating for our work.” For Mandi, success has never been measured solely by the number of students reached or programs delivered. It is measured by the child who discovers a creek for the first time, the teacher who gains confidence leading outdoor science lessons, the family that changes everyday habits to protect local waterways, and the former student who returns home to inspire others. Nearly 35 years after founding KIDS for the BAY, Mandi Billinge continues to prove that environmental education is about much more than teaching science. It is about helping children discover that they have the power, and the responsibility, to improve the world around them. And, as she has believed from the very beginning: “Everyone is an Environmentalist!”