OPTS 2008 Conference
Education About the Environment: Designing With Our Communities
Techniques and methods for expanding our possibilities

The 2008 Our Places Tell Stories (OPTS) conference attracted over 175 attendees and presenters from across the United States. The participants represented federal and state public lands, nature centers, museums, zoos, aquariums, non-profit organizations, and other nature- and heritage-rich places. These professionals came together to learn successful educational and interpretive strategies in order to design, create, evaluate, and sustain effective programs and learning experiences for visitors.

Sponsors

Regional and National Experts and Community Members Share Their Stories

The OPTS 2008 conference showcased a great diversity of speakers and presenters, representing community organizations, private businesses, universities, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. Presentations included: exploring tools and techniques for presenting programs for English Language Learners; discussions about environmental literacy; and creating and implementing evaluation tools – and many, many more!

 The keynote speaker was Mr. David Sobel, Director of Teacher Certification programs at Antioch New England Institute. Mr. Sobel is the author of many books related to education about the environment, including “Children’s Special Places” and “Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education.” His keynote speech on connecting communities and classrooms was celebrated by many attendees for being informational and “inspirational.”

If you would like to communicate with any of the speakers that offered presentations during the conference, please contact Allison Brody for more information.

Acknowledgments and Sponsors

We would like to extend a very special thank you to the speakers who shared their expertise and knowledge. We gratefully acknowledge our sponsors. We are indebted to the conference planning committee and the Public Lands Institute staff for contributing their time and energy to making the conference a success.

Please click here to view the 2008 OPTS sponsors.

2008 Our Places Tell Stories Planning Team

Barbara Adams, Nevada State Museum and Historical Society • Dan Allison, Environmental Literacy Consultant • Kathy August, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Bureau of Land Management • Kerrie Blazek, Clark County School District • Kim Hutson DeBelle, Outside Las Vegas • Nancy Hadlock, Death Valley National Park, National Park Service • Margie Klein, Nevada Department of Wildlife • Stephanie LeFevre, Nevada Outdoor School • Aaron Leifheit, Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association • Bob Loudon, Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, USDA Forest Service • Sky McClain, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, National Park Service • Christina Nalen, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service • Linda Nations • Alan O’Neill, Outside Las Vegas • Amy Page, Las Vegas Natural History Museum • Marcel Parent, Springs Preserve • Amanda Rowland, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, National Park Service • Daphne Sewing, Public Lands Institute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas • Charlie Shrimplin, R.E.I • Amy Shulman, Department of Animal Care, The Mirage • Dan Wegner, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, National Park Service • Mary Weisenmiller, Clark County School District