Dear MEEA Members and Friends,

It’s hard to believe that MEEA just held its 30th Annual Conference! According to MEEA’s first Executive Director, Jan Weaver, the organization has held a conference every year—“even if it was around a kitchen table when things were tough.” From that first gathering to this year’s milestone event, one thing has remained constant: the conference meets a vital need for Missouri’s environmental education community to come together in person. To cultivate relationships. To seed the ground for future collaborations. And to cross-pollinate new ideas and insights. Time together as a statewide community is a rare and precious gift, and I’m deeply grateful to everyone who attended, presented, and sponsored this very special 2025 event.

As I reflected on the conference last week, one thing became clear: we are making meaningful progress toward a more inclusive and representative community. This year, one in six attendees participated through the Pay-What-You-Can option, ensuring that cost wasn’t a barrier to connection. Eighteen percent of participants were from Gen Z, bringing fresh perspectives and new energy to the field. And one in four attendees self-identified as non-white—a remarkable shift from where we stood just a decade ago. These numbers tell a story of growth, care, and commitment. Let’s celebrate how far we’ve come, and let’s keep nurturing the relationships and practices that will make our shared table even broader and more welcoming in the years ahead.

If you weren’t able to join us this year, I encourage you to take a look at the session offerings. You’ll find people and organizations leading inspiring initiatives—each contributing their unique skills and perspectives to our shared mission. Reach out to them, collaborate, and keep the conversation going. Our Missouri EE community is full of passionate, generous, and hard-working individuals who are eager to connect and make a difference.

And whether you attended the conference or not, please take a moment to recognize and thank our wonderful 2025 sponsors. Each one is playing an active role in advancing environmental stewardship and education across Missouri. Their partnership helps sustain this growing movement—and together, we’re building the foundation for a healthier, more hopeful future for all who call Missouri home.

Lesli Moylan, MEEA Co-Director