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Kentucky Environmental Education Council

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Stories From the Field

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Team Kentucky MVP

Abigail Way, EELCorps Alum

KEEC was able to take advantage of the best benefit of our Environmental Education Leadership Corps (EELCorps) program this year by hosting our own member for the first time since the program’s inception in 2018. Abigail Way served with KEEC to aid fellow state agencies and organizations with outreach and environmental education.


As her service term came to an end, Abigail left us with a legacy including the Kentucky Nature Notebook and a Central Bluegrass Butterfly Count StoryMap.

Led by Carey Ruff with the Department of Parks, and in partnership with the Department of Libraries and Archives, and agencies within the Energy & Environment Cabinet, Abigail created the Kentucky Nature Notebook, an activity book that guides users of all ages to connect to Kentucky natural areas in fun and unique ways. Published with the support of the Kentucky Native Plant Society, the book will be offered for free in person at various locations and online as a downloadable file​.

Using the ArcGIS StoryMap platform, Abigail worked in collaboration with Lexington’s Floracliff Nature Sanctuary staff and volunteers to illustrate the Central Bluegrass Butterfly Count using current research and data. This valuable information is presented in the easy-to-navigate storytelling style with informative visuals and stunning photographs of some of the pollinators observed within the Central Bluegrass Butterfly Count Circle.

We recommend making your way through Abigail’s interactive narrative to understand more about butterfly population trends in central Kentucky and the hope that citizen scientists like you can offer. We also recommend you find a copy of the Kentucky Nature Notebook to fill with observations, so stay tuned in for our announcement of its release.

Abigail’s service furthered the KEEC mission by extension of those she worked with. We were lucky to have her as part of our team, and we look forward to what she will continue to accomplish as one of Kentucky’s newest certified professional environmental educators. She is one of so many AmeriCorps members making a big difference in environmental education across Kentucky.​


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​We Are All From Somewhere​

George Ella Lyon, Kentucky Poet Laureate  

Designed for K–12 educators, the 2025 Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) Outdoor Learning Symposium at Cowan Elementary School in Whitesburg featured keynote speaker, Kentucky Poet Laureate, and Harlan native, George Ella Lyon, who read from a selection of her picture books and poetry.  

She ended the session with an exercise based on her 1993 poem “Where I'm From" rooted in memorable images of her youth. She prompted attendees to explore the concept of personal identity in the same way by constructing and sharing their own one-line version of imagery drawn from their outdoor memories. As the microphone circulated the room, meaningful memories of connectedness to the natural world were shared. Collectively, the words conveyed complex imagery of the Kentucky landscape and illustrated an excellent example of how simply we can harness an intuitive connection to nature.   

This powerful writing prompt has made its way through the academic sphere and beyond, inspiring countless others to delve into their own experiences in the same way, through writing, visual arts and collective projects, including the Where I'm F​rom project maintained by the Kentucky Arts Council. 

George Ella Lyon has published in many genres, including picture books, poetry, juvenile novels, and articles. Her picture book All the Water in the World is a personal favorite of PEEC instructor and retired teacher, Vivian Bowles. You can find out more about George Ella Lyon through her website, including a list of her works and how they can be used for education in and out of the classroom. ​



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