2001

26th NMEA Conference

July 17-21, Victoria, British Columbia (University of Victoria)
Theme: A Water Odyssey: Understanding Our Sense of Place

Executive Committee

President: Paula Keener-Chavis (SC) (2000-01)
President-Elect: Vicki Clark (VA)
Membership Secretary: Sharon Walker (MS)
Treasurer: John Trowbridge (LA)
Secretary: Jean May-Brett (LA)
Editor of Current: Lisa M. Tooker
Administrative Assistant (National Office) & NMEA News: Johnette Bosarge (MS)

Board of Directors:

(1998-01): Rita Bell (CA) Cathy Lepore (CT), David Niebuhr (VA)
(1999-02:) Dru Clarke (KS), John Dindo (AL), Terri Kirby Hathaway (NC)
(2000-03):Julie Childers (FL), Susan Snyder (OH), Pam Stryker (TX)
(2001-04) Rita Bell (CA), Beth Day (MD), Thaxter Tewksbury (CT)

Chapter Representatives:

FMSEA (Florida Marine Science Educators Association): Mark DeCrosta (FL)
GAME (Georgia Association of Marine Education): Maryellen Timmons (GA)
GLEAMS (Great Lakes Educators of Aquatic and Marine Science): Bill Simpkins (OH)/ Rachel Gross (IL)
GOMMEA (Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association): Don Hudson (ME)
MAMEA (Mid-Atlantic Marine Educators Association ): Andrew Wilson/ Andy Wood (NC)
MME (Massachusetts Marine Educators):Gail Brookings (MA)/ Howard Dimmick (MA)
NAME (Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators): Alan Rammer (WA)
NJMEA (New Jersey Marine Education Association): Mary Masterson (NJ)/ Neil Gilbert (NJ)
NYSMEA (New York State Marine Educators Association): Bruce Carlsten (NY)
OCEANIA: Mary Gullickson (HI)
SAME (Southern Association of Marine Educators): John DiPlacido
SCMEA (South Carolina Marine Educators Association): Elaine McClure (SC)
SENEME (Southeastern New England Marine Educators): Cathi Lepore (CT)
SWMEA (Southwest Marine Educators Association): Rita Bell (CA)
TEAMS (Tennessee Educators of Aquatic and Marine Science): Leeann Sipes (TN)
TMEA (Texas Marine Educators Association): Rick Tinnin (TX)

Awards:

James Centorino Award: Gloria Snively (Canada)
Outstanding Teacher Award: Padgett Kelly (TN)
Marine Education Award: Ann Reid (NH)
President's Award: Paul and Taby Keener

Conference Highlights

The host chapter for the 26th annual NMEA Conference was The Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators (NAME). Co-chairs were Mike Spranger, Dave Hutchinson, and Gloria Snively.

Far Left: Conference Program; Left: Conference Bookmark (Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder)

A Conference Tattoo came with application instructions on the back. (Photograph by Susan Leach Snyder)

The conference was preceded by meetings of Sea Grant, the NMEA Board, and Canada's Department of Fisheries and Ocean.

Right: Johnette Bosarge (Administrative Assistant, National Office) and Sharon Walker (Membership Secretary) are busy at the Board Meeting.

Below: Dru Clarke (Board Member at Large), Wendy Allen (SC), and Mary Masterson (Board Representative from NJMEA) take a welcome break from the meeting. (Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder)

Look at the two who are helping with another conference ...it's Bill Hastie (OR) and Gene Williamson (OR). Because this conference was titled 2001 Water Odyssey, they did a parody of 2001 Space Odyssey. Right: Gene and Bill can sometimes be serious. (Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder)

Day One: Following registration, conference participants assembled to hear a special musical welcome by Holly Arntzen and the Keynote Address by Robert Bateman, "Thinking Like a Mountain." During a slide show of his realistic wildlife paintings, Bateman discussed his viewpoint concerning environmental and preservation issues. Next, was the Exhibitors' Reception.

David Natchison posed next to a poster at the Exhibitors' Reception, while Julie Childers (FL) and John Dindo (AL) discussed an important marine science issue. (Photographs: Courtesy of Bill Hastie)

As shown in the following pictures, NMEA Conferences are a real drag. We never have any fun at all. (Photographs: Courtesy of Bill Hastie)

Conference Day Two: The day began with a general session with Dr. John Delaney, Oceanographer at the University of Washington and Chair of the Neptune Project. His talk was titled, "NEPTUNE: An Interactive Earth-Ocean Observatory at the Scale of a Tectonic Plate." Another general session followed, with Dr. Mary Wynn, Ashford Co-President of the International Physicians For the Prevention of Nuclear War. Her

topic was "Youth Taking on the World." Concurrent Sessions began before lunch and continued throughout the afternoon. At 4:00 PM, participants boarded buses bound for the Inner Harbour and "An Evening in Victoria" with desserts at the Royal BC Museum.

Riding in a water taxi is a great way to see the Inner Harbour at Victoria. (Photograph by Susan Leach Snyder (OH).

Below: The Victoria Waterfront was a beautiful sight. (Photograph by Bob Rocha (MA).

Conference Day Three: Busses left the University of Victoria campus and headed for Royal Roads University where all of the day's events would take place. Indoor and outdoor concurrent sessions, chapter meetings, a fabulous lunch on the lawn, and campus tours were followed by a "Social, Dinner, and Dance" in the University Castle garden. The Bill Hilly Band played a blend of acoustic music.

The Past President's Breakfast took place first thing on Conference Day Three. Participants at the breakfast included: Front Row: Jeff Sandler (1984-85) (ME) and Sharon Walker (1992-93) (MS). Second Row: John Dindo (1993-94) (AL), Rosanne Fortner (1988-89) (OH), Vicki Osis (1990-91) (OR), Joy Wolf (1998-99) (CA), and Valerie Chase (1989-90) (MD) . Third row: Rick Tinnin (1987-88) (TX), Mike Spranger (1995-96) (WA) and Bill Hastie (1997-98) (OR). (Photograph: Courtesy of Bill Hastie)

The "Castle" at Royal Roads University is well-named. (Left Photograph by Susan Leach Snyder (OH), below by Bob Rocha (MA)

What a great place to hold a chapter meeting. (Photograph: Courtesy of Bill Hastie (0R)

Susan Snyder was one of the many participants who couldn't resist taking pictures of the beautiful campus at Royal Roads University. (Photograph: Courtesy of Bill Hastie)

One of the outdoor concurrent sessions at Royal Roads University involved a pond study. (Photograph: Courtesy of Bill Hastie)

The Bill Hilly Band provided great evening entertainment. (Photograph: Courtesy of Bob Rocha (MA).

Conference Day Four: Participants grabbed their bag lunches and boarded buses that took them to a variety of field trip locations: a marine field station visit and cruise to Gulf Islands low tide hot spots, whale watching by sea and the natural history of whales, kayaking and a study of sustainable forestry and Cowichan River watershed, exploring historic Saanich Inlet, hiking the Coast Trail in East Sooke Regional Park, a winery tour and a visit to Cowichan Native Village, a Discovery Island cruise and shore walk, a tour of two premier natural history interpretation centres, and kayaking out of Victoria. After returning back to campus, everyone enjoyed the Social Hour, a salmon barbecue, and the live auction.

Above: Rita Bell (CA) grabbed her box lunch and headed for a bus. (Photograph: Courtesy of Bill Hastie)

Right: The Coast Trail Sooke Regional Park Hike was breathtaking. (Photograph by Susan Leach Snyder (OH)

As shown below ....on another field trip, NMEA members always have a great time playing in the water. (Photograph: Courtesy of Bill Hastie (OR).

Below: Kayaking was the field trip of choice by Bob Rocha. The title of the trip was "Kayaking,Sustainable Forestry and the Cowichan River Watershed." (Photograph: Courtesy of Bob (MA)

Left: Sharon Walker (MS) and friends and (Below) George Duane (MA) sample the evening salmon barbecue. (Photographs: Courtesy of Bill Hastie)

At the auction, THE PIKE, held by Joe Cox (FL), looked so handsome that Julie Childers (FL) couldn't resist kissing him. (Photograph by Susan Leach Snyder)

Conference Day Five: Sea Faire/Sea Swap and a continental breakfast started off the day. Then came a general session with Tom Henley, recipient of six national and international environmental and human rights awards. His talk was titled, "Rediscovering A Sense of Pride and Spirit of Place in Maritime Cultures." Concurrent sessions filled much of the day. (All in all, during this conference there were 175 concurrent sessions.) In the late afternoon, conference participants gathered for the annual NMEA Celebration/Awards assembly, where the 2001 award winners were announced and a sneak preview of the 2002 Conference in New London, Connecticut was presented. The Stegner Lecturer was Holly Arntzen (singer and songwriter) with the Watershed Choir (local school children). That evening was the "NMEA Good-bye and Sushi Social."

Holly Arntzen's original songs sung by the Watershed Choir were a real hit at this conference. (Photograph: Courtesy of Bill Hastie)

Additional Highlights of 2001

In 2001, President Vicki Clark made the Conference "Buddy Program" an official part of the Outreach Committee's endeavor, rather than a separate ad hoc committee function. At the 2001 conference, 40 buddies were matched. Since its beginning in 2000, Mare Timmons (GA) (creator of the program) has asked participants to fill out evaluation forms. As a result of the many ideas and suggestions expressed on these forms, the program is constantly evolving.

In 2001, NMEA published two issues of Current: The Journal of Marine Education. The first was titled "Watersheds" and the second was titled "COSEE: Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence: A New Initiative."

The field editor of the "Watersheds" issue was Dave Niebuhr. Issue Editors included Rita Bell (CA), Dru Clarke (KS), John Dindo (AL), Bill Hastie (OR), and Sharon Walker (MS).

The issue editor for the "COSEE" issue was Sharon H. Walker (MS). Funding for this issue was provided by the National Science Foundation, Division of Ocean Sciences, with additional support from the National Science Foundation, Division of Undergraduate Education and The University of Southern Mississippi.