Environmental Education

Adults get most of the credit for structuring and managing the world, but researchers are finding that children play a much bigger role in society than we often imagine.

Fairfield-based philanthropic group, Near & Far Aid, has awarded a $10,000 grant to SoundWaters in support of its STEM Academy. SoundWaters’ STEM Academy provides hands-on, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programming for underserved and low-performing students. “Studies have shown that by the end of 5th grade, low-income children lose two months in reading achievement while student peers from wealthier backgrounds improve and can be as much as three grade levels ahead by middle school,” said SoundWaters President, Leigh Shemitz.

Edited by Hal Mooney of Stanford University and Erika Zavaleta of UC Santa Cruz, "Ecosystems of California" has been 10 years in the making. According to Zavaleta, the original plan was for a 20-chapter volume. "In the end, the book doubled in scope with 149 contributors in total, and I think it's a better product for it," she said.

In a work rich in maritime lore and brimming with original historical detail, Eric Jay Dolin, the best-selling author of Leviathan, presents the most comprehensive history of American lighthouses ever written, telling the story of America through the prism of its beloved coastal sentinels. Set against the backdrop of an expanding nation, Brilliant Beacons traces the evolution of America’s lighthouse system, highlighting the political, military, and technological battles fought to illuminate the nation’s hardscrabble coastlines.

Bartholomew Quill is a young crow trying to figure out who and what he is. He asks the other creatures he encounters on his journey, from puffins to eagles to ravens, but learns in the end that the answer lies within. Rather than just a creation myth, it’s a legend about biodiversity and the clever and loveable crow. Tour the animal kingdom from a crow’s point of view in this whimsical mix of science and poetry. The rhyming story and beautiful illustrations of Pacific Northwest wildlife make this a fun read-aloud for the whole family.​