North Iowa Area Community College and the Iowa Conservation Education Council are proud to host "The Winds of Change" – The 2005 Midwest Environmental Education Conference (MEEC), the premiere conference for Midwest environmental educators, on July 20-23, 2005. The general public is welcome to register for the event by calling 641-422-4364, or toll-free 1-888-GO NIACC, ext. 4364. There are grants available for Iowa educators and pre-service students. Funding for these grants is through the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) Conservation Education Fund and application is due June 10. Further information is available on the website or by contacting Carol Schutte at NIACC.

"We hope this will be a grand reunion for some and a great new ‘first’ for others as we join in dedication to our common goal of environmental improvement," Carol Schutte, NIACC biology instructor and MEEC event organizer, said.

This event has not been held in Iowa for nine years and conference planners anticipate an enthusiastic turnout of naturalists, camp directors, classroom teachers, natural resource managers and other persons dedicated to environmental improvement.

The conference issue areas include: Hot Topics in Environmental Education, Trends in Energy, Environmental Stewardship & Service Learning, History and Culture of the Midwest and Natural History.

The conference kicks off Wednesday evening with food, displays, entertainment and fun! Dr. John Petersen Myers, of "Our Stolen Future" organization, will serve as the opening keynote speaker on Thursday morning. He will speak about the effects of environmental chemicals on future generations. John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist, authors of Rural Renaissance: Renewing the Quest for the Good Life will share slides and stories at 1:30 on Thursday. A symposium on the future of environmental education and other concurrent sessions will fill the rest of the day. Thursday evening features an all-Iowa banquet and a slide program: "Lifelines: The case for river conservation" by adventurer and author, Tim Palmer. Get outside on one of thirteen field trips Friday, and then enjoy a bison barbeque and a living history performance "The World According to John Muir." Saturday will feature more concurrent presentations, capped with a lively and inspiring program by Chad Pregracke, 29-year-old founder of Living Lands and Waters, the big-rivers clean-up crew. For more information contact Schutte at 641-422-4319 or schutcar@niacc.edu. Or, visit the conference web site at www.niacc.edu/meec.

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For more information, contact the Marketing and Community Relations Department
North Iowa Area Community College, 500 College Drive, Mason City, Iowa  50401
422-4295 or 1-888-GO NIACC, ext. 4295
www.niacc.edu