Director, National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education, Bora Simmons (left), and NAAEE's Senior Manager of Early Childhood Programs, Emily Van Laan (right), following their presentation.
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From March 23–26, 2026, NAAEE's Emily Van Laan traveled to the beautiful Lied Lodge at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska to attend Project Learning Tree's annual conference. The gathering brought together state coordinators, formal and informal educators, and environmental education champions from across the country to celebrate PLT's 50th anniversary and the launch of their 50 Years Forward campaign.
NAAEE had a strong presence at the conference. Judy Braus, NAAEE's Executive Director, joined representatives from PLT and the U.S. Forest Service on a fundraising panel. Emily and Bora Simmons also co-presented on two signature NAAEE programs: Emily highlighted the redesigned Discover the Forest website and its resources supporting early childhood educators and caregivers in connecting young children to nearby nature, while Bora presented on NAAEE's Guidelines for Excellence series.
Conference highlights included workshops on PLT activities for multilingual learners, an engaging interactive session led by PLT's Chile team on delivering accessible and impactful EE workshops, and a display exploring 50 years of PLT resources and publications, including a fun blast from the past: a 2012 collaboration between Discover the Forest and PLT tied to The Lorax movie.
The NAAEE–PLT partnership continues beyond the conference! The two organizations are teaming up again to deliver a live online workshop, "Inspiration and Practical Ideas to Explore Nearby Nature," during the upcoming Nature-Based Early Learning Conference. The 90-minute interactive session will explore how practitioner- and parent-tested resources can support a daily practice of playing and learning outside, strengthen professional development, and advocate for every child's right to nature-based education. Learn more here.