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From the President Dear SWMEA Members: I love the beginning of a new year. It is a great time to reorganize, go on a diet, quit bad habits, and make promises to make a difference. The beginning of a new year is a great recharge in energy, and optimism. These are excellent goals for SWMEA to make for 2005 – except maybe for the diet bit. As educators our role as mediators between science, government, and the public can be a daunting task to say the least. As environmental educators our stamina is tested with changing ideas, information, and seemingly endless differences of opinion. For our particular discipline, a network of people current in the activities that provide us with updated information is essential. SWMEA is our resource to help us through this process. The conservation issues that face aquatic and marine environments make our job rewarding, frustrating, inspiring, disappointing, and encouraging, usually all in one day. All stakeholders in conservation ride the same roller coaster. This year, SWMEA will attempt to address these important issues in marine and aquatic education. Our next SWMEA conference in Dana Point will help link the relationship between essential stakeholders in conservation, the educators and the scientists. The theme of SWMEA’s newsletter this year will be based off of the conservation issues that affect how we operate and educate. Our regional representatives will take an active role in keeping us informed of current local issues and report to the organization in newsletters. This will broaden our knowledge of the issues that face our members in the regions that represent SWMEA. The regional representatives will also keep us up to date as to what facilities and membership opportunities exist in their area. The board members are planning to meet this year to take an extensive look into the role SWMEA plays in marine and aquatic education. I routinely encourage input from our members as to how SWMEA can best serve its supporters. Please let the board, myself, or the regional representatives know how SWMEA can best serve you so we can incorporate it into our future plans. It will be excellent to hear from you and to step forward into the future with the support of SWMEA’s wonderful members. Yours truly, Michelle Gresham Mgresham@Simon.com |
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