Welcome to Switzer Network News, a regular series of news reports produced by Jerry Kay of Media Interchange and Switzer Fellows. These reports profile the environmental accomplishments and innovations of Switzer Fellows as leaders in their respective fields.  We encourage you to subscribe to our reports which are available via iTunes, Google, and Yahoo, as well as email.

Switzer Network News: Environmental Education Posts

Go Botany! Engaging Budding Botanists Using Technology
Sunday, April 1 2012

Botanists and other scientists are using technology to reach wider audiences. One example is the website Go Botany! developed by 1990 Switzer Fellow Elizabeth Farnsworth.  Learn about how the site was designed to engage people in identifying plants and foster social networking. 

Uncovering the Ecological Past
Thursday, October 27 2011

Switzer Fellow Chuck Striplen (2003) talks about the important role played by historical ecologists in uncovering the pre-colonization landscapes of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Children and Nature Network
Monday, October 18 2010

The Children and Nature Network was created to encourage and support the people and organizations working nationally and internationally to reconnect children with nature. The network provides a critical link between researchers and individuals, educators and organizations dedicated to children's health and well-being. Our guest is Sara St. Antoine, Switzer Fellow and C&NN Senior Writer.

Creating Sustainable Communities
Friday, July 2 2010

In 1997, Oakland, California, began to face the challenge of sustainability on a community level. Today, Oakland enjoys cleaner air, improved recycling, more bike lanes – and a consistent ranking in the Top Ten U.S. Green Cities. Garrett Fitzgerald, Oakland’s Sustainability Coordinator and a Switzer Fellow, shares key steps. 

California Invasive Plant Council
Thursday, June 17 2010

When is a pretty plant a problem? When it displaces native vegetation and disrupts the food chain. Doug Johnson, Executive Director of the California Invasive Plant Council, is a Switzer Fellow working with private and government agencies to identify invading plants, arrest their spread and educate the public to healthy alternatives.