In 1970, I was lucky enough to take part in one of the very first Earth Day celebrations and immersed myself in talks by Barry Commoner, Ralph Nader and Sen. Edward Muskie. For the first time, I was exposed to the work of environmental authors Rachel Carson and Aldo Leopold. With other participants, I went on walks by the river and saw firsthand how the city's effluent was impacting the water quality. I had always been vaguely aware of the sickening smell of rivers near cities and the mounds of trash along highways everywhere, but it had never really occurred to me that we humans might be fouling our lovely home planet in irreversible ways. I had always enjoyed the outdoors and spent every free moment trying to get as far away from civilization as possible. But during those powerful days in April 1970, I completely fell in love with the beauty and symmetry of the natural world—its systems and inner workings, its inhabitants and their interwoven relationships—and it turned out to be a love that has lasted my entire life. At the same time, I discovered the field of environmental education. What a delight. Here was a chance to combine my love of the natural world with the joy of sharing this understanding with others. And to top this all off, there was the hope that teaching others to understand and love the environment was the best way to protect it .

So I embarked upon a course of study that eventually resulted in a bachelor's degree in environmental education. My life has taken me in some fascinating directions; I've taught inner-city residents how to control cockroaches and head lice without poisoning themselves, city kids how to build rockets and solar collectors, seniors how to inexpensively weatherize their homes, city residents how to take their neighbors on interpretive “nature walks” through nearby woodlots, business people how to streamline their production processes, and teenage parents how to protect their children from sexual abuse. But environmental education has always been my first love, and I am thrilled to be working with you to “provide increased public and private access to quality environmental education through service, education, and research.”

It's a new day at the Pennsylvania Center for Environmental Education. We honor and thank those who formed this organization and carefully guided it to this point, as we invite old and new partners to share their visions and their needs with us. It's clear to me that environmental education has many friends in Pennsylvania and the PCEE has no interest in competing with or duplicating any of the fine work that is already under way. We see ourselves as bridge builders—supporting the work of others by providing linkages and encouraging partnerships to ensure the broadest possible dissemination of the very best work being done in the field. We would like to expand our scope to provide educational support to some under-served audiences, such as businesses, local units of government and non-profit organizations.

As I begin my new duties, I am very aware of a sense of urgency. Global warming has begun to melt ice caps that have been frozen for thousands of years. Dependence on foreign oil is likely to continue to trigger even more conflicts in the Mid-East. And, closer to home, Pennsylvania businesses are competing with companies in China and India for our very livelihood. Environmental education can provide our citizenry with tools to help them understand and better respond to all of these issues. On behalf of the staff of the Pennsylvania Center for Environmental Education, I would like to offer our skills and resources to help make these tools available to the people of this commonwealth. I can't imagine any job that is more worthy of my dedication and my time.