Everything Is Connected
Explore Ecology is the largest environmental education nonprofit in Santa Barbara County. Every year over 12,000 students are educated about their connection to the environment in our Waste Reduction, Healthy Watersheds, Composting and Gardening classes. At Explore Ecology we believe that everything is connected and we love teaching kids about the impact that their choices and actions have on the environment. We take our mission very seriously because children need to know that they have the power to make the world a better place.
We hope you enjoy the following presentation by our Director of Development Stephen MacIntosh. If you like what you see or want to know more, Stephen is available to come to your meeting or group to give the presentation and to answer any questions you might have about Explore Ecology and the impact that we’ve had in Santa Barbara County.
Josh was born and raised in Santa Barbara, where his passion and curiosity for the environment began and has continued to grow. During his undergraduate studies, Josh pursued this interest at the University of California at Santa Cruz, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies.
Melissa Dodos developed her passion for creative reuse as a mother of four and elementary educator over the past 25 years. She loves to inspire creativity by connecting people with resources and ideas.
Veronica grew up in San Diego and spent four years in San Luis Obispo studying Animal Science at Cal Poly. As an undergrad she learned lots about livestock, agriculture, and wildlife.
Stephanie began her journey as an educator over twenty years ago working as a preschool teacher in Washington state for a cooperative preschool program affiliated with Whatcom Community College. She loved observing the wonder and curiosity of the children and bringing them out into nature to explore the natural world. She continued her love for learning and got her teaching license and then her Montessori certification and worked as an elementary teacher in Tribal, Public, and Montessori schools. She collaborated to create a school garden and her students loved it so much that it became a special place where they could garden, read, explore, play, and it provided a safe sanctuary for students to calm down and reset when they were having difficult moments.
Morgan’s mermaid soul is always seeking adventure—swimming a relay across the Santa Barbara Channel and taking the first photo of a newborn orca off Anacapa Island being standout experiences close to home.
Lindsay Johnson