29th Annual Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Roundtable 2026

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 – Earth Day!

Each year, teachers, environmental educators and nature enthusiasts from around the Barnegat Bay watershed (and around the state!) look forward to the Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Roundtable, OCSCD’s annual professional development event. The Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Roundtable is held each year on the third Wednesday in April. Our 29th Annual Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Roundtable will take place on April 22, 2026 – on Earth Day itself, offering a timely opportunity to reflect on the origins and evolution of the environmental movement.

Earth Day: Past, Present and Future

This year’s theme, “Earth Day: Past, Present and Future” invites educators, conservation professionals and nature enthusiasts to explore how Earth Day has shaped our collective understanding of environmental stewardship from its grassroots beginnings in 1970 to today’s global call to action.

Together, through workshops, exhibitors and our panel of keynote speakers, we’ll revisit the history of Earth Day, recognizing the passionate local individuals and movements that helped spark environmental awareness and change. We’ll examine the current challenges and innovations shaping the present – climate resilience, habitat restoration, environmental justice and environmental education in an increasingly interconnected world. Most importantly, we will look ahead to the future of conservation, education, and community engagement, asking: What role will we play in empowering the next generation of environmental stewards?

Agenda:

3:00-4:30pm Open House: Dozens of local environmental organizations exhibit in the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education, offering guests an opportunity to peruse their tables and speak to professionals about the educational resources and services they offer to teachers.
3:00-4:15pm Dinner: Enjoy a delicious catered dinner, provided by the Ocean County Soil Conservation District.
4:15-4:30pm Welcome Remarks: OCSCD will welcome and address attendees prior to workshops.
4:30-5:30pm Workshops: Session One Workshops (*2-hour Field Excursions run from 4:30-6:30pm)
5:40-6:40pm Workshops: Session Two Workshops
6:45-7:00pm Dessert: Sweet snacks, goodies, coffee and tea are served in the Locandro Lodge.
7:00-7:45pm Keynote Presentation: TBD
7:45-8:00pm Door Prizes: Registered guests receive a ticket at the door for a chance to win a Door Prize as our Thank You! for attending this year’s Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Roundtable.

Workshops: 1 Hour Sessions

Session 1 (4:30pm – 5:30pm)

Plastic, Plastic, Everywhere!

Presented by Shari Kondrup, Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority

This indoor, interactive session explores the global issue of plastic pollution and its impacts on the environment. Participants examine how our use of plastics has evolved from past innovations to present challenges and future concerns. The workshop follows plastics through the Barnegat Bay Watershed as nonpoint source pollution and includes a hands-on classroom activity connecting everyday choices to environmental stewardship actions and solutions.

Sand, Silt and Clay

Presented by staff from Ocean County Soil Conservation District

This indoor, hands-on workshop introduces the foundations of soil science. Since the earliest Earth Day, soil has played a quiet but essential role in supporting clean water, food systems, and healthy ecosystems. Participants use soil sieves to explore the mineral building blocks of soil – sand, silt, and clay, and learn how texture influences water movement, nutrient retention, and ecosystem resilience—key concepts for long-term soil stewardship.

Bringing Back the Bluebirds

Presented by Taylor Khune, Jakes Branch County Park, Ocean County Parks & Recreation

Explore bird conservation through the story of the Eastern Bluebird’s decline and recovery – a success rooted in decades of environmental stewardship. In this interactive indoor/outdoor workshop, participants learn how nest boxes installed on school grounds can be used for student-led monitoring projects. The session emphasizes data collection, observation, and analysis, giving educators practical tools to support STEM learning and conservation action.

Session 2 (5:40pm – 6:40pm)

Using Escape Rooms to Enhance Your Science Lessons

Presented by Mindy Voss, Sam Maxwell-Kowal and Jody Sackett, New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium

Escape Rooms are a popular way to educate and entertain using intriguing scavenger hunt-type puzzles. With this immersive, engaging, and effective process, you can use Escape Rooms to educate children on almost any topic and build cognitive skills and teamwork. Presenters will teach participants how to create a physical Escape Room suitable for the classroom or any large group. Participants will also take part in an Escape Room named “The Eco-Pirate Expedition: Solving the Secrets of the Sea!”. Join us for this fun indoor program.

If the World Were an Apple: Exploring Earth Day Through Food Systems

Presented by Nicole Broadwater, New Jersey Department of Agriculture

This indoor workshop explores global food systems and Farm to School connections through How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman and the Earth as an Apple model by Population Education. Examine how food systems developed, how limited Earth’s agricultural resources are, and why sustainable choices matter for the future. Participants leave with strategies to help students understand their role in caring for the planet.

Calls of the Wild

Presented by Duffy Barrow, Naturalist

Discover Nature’s Voice! From bird songs to animal calls, the presenter uses whistles, instruments, and specimens to teach about wildlife, their habitats and natural history, how these species have fared over time, and why conservation is critical for their future. Designed for classroom outreach, this lively program lets students experience the diversity of animal sounds and the importance of protecting species for future generations.

On-Site Field Experiences: 2 Hour Sessions (4:30pm-6:30pm)

Nearby Nature: Teaching Environmental Science in the Schoolyard

Presented by Debra Sommers, Retired Science Teacher

Step beyond the classroom into your schoolyard’s living laboratory! Learn to set up outdoor learning stations right on school grounds to explore birds, wetlands, trees, and amphibians. From the roots of environmental education to today’s focus on stewardship, this indoor/outdoor workshop gives educators strategies to help students build lasting connections to nature and care for the Earth.

Branching Out: Bringing Forestry into Your Classroom and Schoolyard

Presented by Ian Goldberg, New Jersey Forest Service

Explore the vital role trees and forests play in sustaining life on our planet. This indoor/outdoor program demonstrates creative, hands-on, inquiry-based activities that introduce students to tree biology, forest ecology, and sustainable management—connecting classroom learning to the natural world, no forest required! Leave with practical ideas to help students understand why trees matter now and for the future.

Through engaging hands-on workshops, and shared dialogue, the 2026 BBEERT will honor the past, ground us in the present, and inspire forward-thinking action to protect and preserve Barnegat Bay – and the planet – for years to come. The 29th Annual Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Roundtable will be held at the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education, Waretown, NJ. Registration will open in January. Mark your calendars for April, 22, 2026. We hope you will join us!

Lighthouse Camp for Natural Resource Education — Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education

2026 Exhibitors:

History of the Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Roundtable:

The Ocean County Soil Conservation District has been effectively coordinating and implementing this professional development event since 1997. It is specifically designed for educators to enhance their knowledge of local natural resources, culture and history, and gain valuable tools that support environmental topics in the classroom, through participation in hands-on, experiential workshops and field trips. The Roundtable helps promote a commitment to environmental stewardship in educators and the students they teach.

This Professional Development program is Ocean County Soil Conservation District’s annual signature event. The Open House hosts nearly two dozen exhibitors, and dinner and desert are served to our hungry Educators. Each year offers a different theme that guides the focus of our workshops and field trips. Our Keynote Speaker concludes the evening with an inspirational presentation, followed by Door Prizes.

The Roundtable has a proven success rate with Ocean County educators. The educational programs and opportunities available from all participating agencies, organizations and groups allows a comprehensive approach to watershed education and provides educators with a “one-stop-shop” approach. It is well known that educators are more likely to present and teach topics with which they are familiar and comfortable. The main goal and objective of the annual Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Roundtable is to provide this opportunity for teachers and to spur action to improve and protect the health of the Barnegat Bay watershed.

We hope you will join us in 2026 for our 29th Annual Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Roundtable. For more information, contact Becky Laboy, Education Outreach Coordinator, education@soildistrict.org. In addition, please peruse our Lesson Plans & Resources for Educators webpage to find pertinent teaching and learning materials for your classroom or outdoor learning experiences.

Terry O’Leary and McDuffy Barrow, of the Forest Resource Education Center, teach a group of educators about bees at the 2010 Environmental Educators Roundtable.

“Excellent workshops! I will use the lessons in my own class and will share with other teachers in my school. Thank you!!” ~Anne B. Stafford Intermediate School