Joseph Baust

Background

About Joseph Baust

Have worked in the field of environmental education for greater than 35 years. In that capacity I have been president of the North American Association for Environmental Education, been feted with the Walter E. Jeske Award, the highest award in the field, have raised more than 4.8 million dollars in grants and contracts since 1993, created a sustainability program housed in Bregenz Austria for 16 years for government, industry, business, education, university faculty. Have built programs at one institution that also spread throughout a consortium of public universities in one Commonwealth. I have a belief that we learn in many ways that require us to consider the importance of experiential opportunities and nurturing the diverse learning styles of others. The arts are as big a part of making sense of the world as science. As the web of life is interconnected, the way we make sense of that web and our earth is through many eyes - therefore school subjects should be holistically taught - with the arts having as great a place as any other subject. We learn to look and see through various lens. The arts are one of those ways that bring people together and often overcome the stalemates that persist with a science or language arts lens alone. I have had the chance to work with Peter Yarrow of Peter Paul and Mary, Josh White, Jr, Elmer Mobley - a great videographer, and talented photographers, and musicians have provided me with such opportunities and has brought me a sense of joyfulness. The opportunity to learn from Joseph Cornell, Dick Usher, Terry Wilson, Lynn Hodges, Bora Simmons, Trudy Volk, Harold Hungerford and many others have richened my life and skill set. My work with Bregenz Austria and a panoply of persons have expanded my understanding of sustainability and the importance of international experience: Bertram Meusberger, Karl Hagspiel, and Thomas Feurstein are a few of the many persons who have assisted in that regard.