ZERO TO SIXTY Jymn Scooby Meier AEOE State Historian 2012 The 52nd Howard Bell Award went to Mr. Dean Thompson. The following was taken from the Summer Newsletter of 2012 and written by Mr. Paul Grafton I first met Dean Thompson in April 2000 at the AEOE Conference at Thousand Pines. After initially being awed by his commanding six foot six presence and wily mustache, I become even more impressed by his interest in sharing with others how to be a better educator. He led a workshop delving into the topic of how best to address the topic of human consumption. I appreciated how he took an emotional and challenging subject to address with kids and made it simple, humorous and enlightening. He also helped me to see that bringing connections to the students’ world was the key. He talked about how kids love milkshakes and he would gently wind them down the path of how this yummy treat does not exist without manure. So you better learn to appreciate poo! Over the ensuing eight years I was able to connect with Dean at AEOE conferences where we shared teaching strategies over meals. I especially looked forward to the Saturday Night Talent Show when he would tell one of his finely woven tales. Sometimes they were about ruling a kingdom from a bubble (that’s trouble!), lemonade stunned gophers, or the beauty of a Monterey cypress tree grown at the edge of the rocky coastline. He even has recorded two CDs: “Dogs. Bears and Other Beasts” and “The Circle Continues” (his current projects can be heard on slolio.org).Since Dean was about ten years older than myself I saw him as a role model. Maybe this naturalist gig I’d grown to love so much could really be a career? Dean’s doing it! Every year, I kept looking for weariness, burnout, or even his absence. But, each year, like the leaves of the Sycamore, he came back as enthusiastic as ever – usually sporting a new story he’d developed. Then, in 2008, my own path took a turn and I ended up working on the same staff with Dean at Camp KEEP (Kern Environmental Education Program) in Montana de Oro State Park. It was here that I was able to witness the everyday effect Dean has on students, teachers, and fellow staff. Even though he’d been at the same site since 1986, he still exhibited a childlike enthusiasm for the delights found in the tide pools or sand dunes. In addition, he took gentle care to steer new naturalists toward the best path of teaching. When we say goodbye to the students as they head on the bus, we form a hi-five line and Dean is always at the end acting as the wise one sending them back into their every day worlds. His own involvement in AEOE has extended far beyond just being a regular for the last 26 years. In 1995 he was elected as Northern Chair elect and suddenly found himself in the middle of a debate about the role of AEOE. Some felt the organization should be an advocate for naturalists and environmental educators while other felt that AEOE should have a more active role in political issues. There were strong opinions and tense exchanges during meetings. There was even a possibility that the northern and southern sections would split and form their own organizations. Dean had the idea of bringing all of these different voices to the table with the goal of keeping AEOE as one body, working together. In 1996, he organized the Northern Fall conference in Mission Springs Camp in Santa Cruz with the theme of “AEOE: Moving towards the 21st Century. What’s our direction and who’s on board?” Saturday morning was dedicated to workshops but the afternoon was devoted to an open forum to delve right into the heart of the conflict. In Dean’s own words, “Saturday afternoon was insane. There were incriminations and recriminations, insinuations and accusations. There were arguments and tears and new members sitting in disbelief, wondering what they had gotten into. When I look back on it, it was like lancing an infected boil. All the toxins came rushing out, allowing the healing to begin. People were able to see what some members deeply cared about, what others could care less about, and what most members wanted from the organization. Committees were formed to allow those that wanted to pursue advocacy or activism to have an organized voice and some members pursued that for a while and still do. All in all, everyone gained perspective and the organization seemed to take off from there, rapidly gaining in membership and conference attendance.”In the years that followed Dean remained on as the Chair and helped organize statewide conferences and then, as his young children demanded more attention, stepped away from the board. But he remained active at conferences by offering workshops, telling stories, and providing mentorship. When I think of someone who has dedicated his life to this naturalist profession as Howard Bell did, I think of Dean and how many tens of thousands of lives he’s touched over the years in his unique and generous style.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 14:46:23 +0000
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