TORI DERR
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Environmental Education and Assessment

When I began my doctoral studies in 1996, I was interested in studying children’s sense of place as a way to broaden the environmental education discourse, from a predominantly white, Eurocentric, upper middle class lens, to one that was more inclusive of diverse classes and cultures.  I chose to work with three communities in northern New Mexico which represented a range of social, cultural, and economic contexts in which children were raised, and to extend this research to the parents and grandparents of my case study children.  After completing my Ph.D. in 2001, I returned to New Mexico to facilitate community-based participatory research that could integrate cultural and community values into research practices that would contribute to improved livelihoods of Southwest tribal and Spanish land grant communities.  For most of my career, I have worked at this interface to bridge community and education, research and practice, and to amplify the importance of diverse cultures in the application of science. Much of this work was through my practice Crane Collaborations and through collaborations with schools.
      Assessing Environmental Literacy     Participatory Curriculum Development             Post-Fire Rehabilitation              Applied Science Garden Planning​

2019 Projects in Environmental Education Capstone with Los Arboles Middle School
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The Projects in Environmental Education course brings CSUMB undergraduate students in environmental studies together with Los Arboles Middle School environmental literacy students to work on applied projects in the middle school's outdoor classroom. In 2019, there were four projects: installation of a vermicompost system, a weather station and local ecosystem mural, a directional totem, and a native plants group. 

​Elkhorn Slough Foundation and North Monterey County High School
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The Elkhorn Slough Foundation has been working with North Monterey County High School to build environmental literacy, primarily through its environmental club, Slough Crew, and increasingly through field trips that reach all students.  Together we developed a survey instrument to collect baseline data on students' environmental literacy - comprised of knowledge, attitude, and behavior questions. 

In 2017-2018, this survey was issued at beginning of the academic year and again at the end of the year.  CSUMB students in my ENSTU 350: Research Methods course analyzed data and collectively generated a preliminary report that shares this baseline data.  Two additional reports describe findings after a freshman fieldtrip to the Elkhorn Slough, and the final results that include all three assessment periods from 2017-2018. We hope to build and refine this survey to gather meaningful information for the Elkhorn Slough Foundation's programming, STEAM literacy, and career pathway development.

​In 2018-2019, we issued the freshman field trip survey only. View the results here.

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Outdoor Programming Network
In 2016-2017, I also served on a Steering Committee for a newly created Outdoor Programming Network within Monterey County.  This group sought to identify approaches and needs to increase the effectiveness and reach of outdoor programming and education in the county.  The Influencing Behavior Change report helped to identify approaches that most directly support environmental behavior change.
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Big Sur Charter School
One of my first engagement projects in Monterey County was at Big Sur Charter School in Monterey, to explore possibilities for environmental engagement with the school.  See the report submitted to BSCS here.  This led to the development of a service learning curriculum in which students identified the values they see in their community, chose an individual project of interest, and (and in some cases implemented) a service action plan.
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Applied Science-Environmental Design Partnership. From 2013-2016, I was part of a collaboration between a middle school applied science class and an environmental design class focused on community engagement and sustainability. Once a week, university students visited the middle school class to facilitate lessons in systems thinking and sustainability. The semester was set up in a series of modules, presenting design thinking challenges to students. Over the years, modules focused on terrestrial-aquatic systems, indoor growing systems, transportation, and food systems.  Students generated reports that reflected on their experience of each module as well, from indoor growing systems and design thinking to increasing wildlife habitat on the school's campus. I reflected on the teaching of this course in an article in Applied Environmental Education and Communication.   
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Crane Collaborations.  From 2004-2013, I ran a consulting firm that allowed me to provide environmental education services to communities in New Mexico, particularly in association with the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program, post-fire rehabilitation, and river otter restoration.
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  • The Engagement Lab
    • Creating Sustainable Communities
    • Environmental Education
    • Greenspace Planning
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