EES Departmental Seminar: Connecting the Community to Birds and Trees through Environmental Education
Dr. Lilly Briggs
Finca Cántaros Environmental Association
Abstract: Finca Cántaros Environmental Association (FCEA) is a Canadian-Costa Rican nonprofit organization based in San Vito, Costa Rica, founded and directed by Dalhousie University graduate Dr. Lilly Briggs. Environmental education is at the core of everything FCEA does, with birds and forest restoration the two main pillars used to drive transformative experiences for diverse audiences in the local community, including women and schoolchildren. This talk will describe how FCEA engages kids and adults alike in numerous handson environmental education programs, as well as creates habitat for birds and other wildlife through its “tree growing” rather than just “tree planting” initiatives. It also collaborates with partner organizations on natural and social science research projects, and aims to invite further research collaborations with Canadian and Costa Rican university students alike.
Biography: Lilly Briggs, Founder & Director of Finca Cántaros Environmental Association, did her undergraduate degree at Dalhousie University in environmental studies and international development studies, and later a PhD in the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell University focused on environmental education and the human dimensions of conservation. Throughout her Masters of Environmental Studies (from York University), PhD and postdoctoral years, she collaborated with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in developing BirdSleuth International— an environmental education curriculum focused on birds, conservation and citizen science—for audiences in Central and South America.
Lilly’s academic background in the social sciences, combined with extensive experience working at a variety of nonprofit organizations, set her up to become the founder and director of FCEA, leading her team’s work on a variety of projects in collaboration with local, national and international partners. She is from British Columbia, Canada, and has been passionate about nature, birds and environmental education her whole life.
Time
Contact
Tarah Wright
Email: Tarah.Wright@Dal.Ca
Phone: +1 902 497 1831