Environmental education strives to create an informed citizenry capable of tackling the planet’s environmental concerns. Ecosystem health and the health of communities and individuals are inextricably linked. It is often low-income and minority populations that carry the impacts of the weightiest environmental problems. Environmental education can provide an opportunity to connect people to nature and can help empower these communities to actively address environmental issues.

We all know that tackling environmental issues requires a human diversity that mirrors the biodiversity of any healthy ecosystem. However the goal of a fully inclusive environmental movement continues to be elusive to many. How can we bridge the gap? View this Colorado Alliance for EE 2019 annual conference video of Parker McMullen Bushman as she discusses Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) in environmental education in her March 15 keynote address, "Becoming an Eco-JEDI."

https://www.facebook.com/CAEEInfolink/videos/299513170725995/

Parker McMullen Bushman is the Vice President of Programs and Interpretation for Butterfly Pavilion. Parker’s background in the education, outdoor recreation and interpretive fields spans over 20 years. Parker’s interest in diversity, equity and inclusion issues developed from her personal experiences facing the drastic lack of diversity in environmental organizations and green spaces. Parker tackles these complex issues by addressing them through head on activism and education. She is a member of several committees that focus on diversity in environmental fields as well as a presenter and trainer on diversity issues