Howard bell award

The Howard Bell award – named after of one of AEOE's founding members and an influential leader in the advancement of outdoor education in California – was created to recognize outstanding lifetime achievements and contributions in the area of environmental and outdoor education. Any member of AEOE may submit a nomination form to the Board of Directors for this annual award. Nominees do not necessarily have to be an AEOE member. Past honorees can be viewed below. 

Nominations are kept on file for three years for future consideration. The award is presented at the annual spring conference and the awardee must be able to attend the conference.

Deadline to submit a nomination for consideration in 2022 is April 1st, 2022.

Howard Bell Award Nomination Form - Click Here

2021 Howard Bell Award Winner

Miho Aida

Please join us in celebrating Miho Aida, accomplished educator and environmental justice champion. Miho is an environmental science educator and the Equity & Inclusion Manager for NatureBridge, which operates multi-day programs in national parks. Miho is based at their campus in the Marin Headlands, north of San Francisco in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Miho is also involved in the leadership teams of People of the Global Majority in the Outdoors, Nature, and Environment (PGM ONE) and The Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge. She is also an accomplished filmmaker, and regularly rides throughout the west coast advocating for Indigenous rights and environmental action through her documentary The Sacred Place Where Life Begins: Gwich'in Women Speak. Everything Miho touches has helped people to connect with the natural world, champion the voices of members of marginalized communities, and pushed to hold leaders accountable for building a more just and inclusive movement. Click here to read more of Miho's inspiring story and her vision of a field driven by purpose. 

Past Howard Bell Award Winners

2020 - Kevin Beals 

AEOE was proud to present Kevin Beals with our 2020 Howard Bell Award. The Howard Bell Award acknowledges lifetime achievement and contributions towards advancing the field of environmental and outdoor education. Kevin has been involved in environmental, outdoor, and classroom education since 1985. He is now the Director of the BEETLES program at the Lawrence Hall of Science, which he co-founded in order to bring quality resources to outdoor science school instructors. Outdoor and environmental education programs in California, across the country, and even internationally have made use of the BEETLES project's free resources, and BEETLES has inspired countless educators to change the way they think about outdoor education.

Kevin has also contributed to environmental and outdoor education through his continued and consistent engagement with educators and program leaders. At conferences and other gatherings,  Kevin makes a point to reach out to current educators and program leaders, listening to their struggles and successes while meeting them with openness and enthusiasm. Kevin has conducted more than 250 professional learning workshops, institutes and keynote addresses locally, nationally, and internationally, and he has authored more than 90 published curriculum guides, children’s books, and professional learning videos. Finally, Kevin is a founding member of the Bungee Jumpin' Cows, a science rock band, and has penned some campfire classics, such as Banana Slug and Gusano, that are shared weekly in outdoor programs across California.

2019 - Celeste Royer
AEOE was proud to present Celeste Royer with the Howard Bell Award beneath the beautiful redwoods of Westminster Woods. The Howard Bell award acknowledges lifetime achievement and contributions towards advancing the field of environmental and outdoor education. Celeste is the Director of Environmental Education at Rancho El Charro and has been with San Luis Obispo County Office of Education for more than 30 years. Additionally, Celeste provides leadership to the California Outdoor School Association (COSA) and California Environmental Education Foundation (CEEF), and teaches Wilderness & Environmental Education at Cal Poly SLO. She served on the California Blueprint for Environmental Literacy Steering Committee, has worked with CREEC (California Regional Environmental Education Community), BEETLES, NAAEE, and many other amazing institutions. Celeste earned degrees from UCLA, San Francisco State University, and Cal Poly SLO. Married with two adult children, Celeste enjoys nature, family and pet time, traveling, and reading. Celeste's contributions have strengthened the field of environmental education and touched the lives of thousands of children. Congratulations, Celeste!

2017 - Steve Van Zandt

Beneath the beautiful redwoods of Camp Jones Gulch, with an audience of outdoor educators and banana slugs, AEOE presented the Howard Bell Award for achievements in environmental and outdoor education to Steve Van Zandt, Program Manager/Principal of San Mateo County Outdoor Education.

Jymn Meier, who nominated Van Zandt for the award, recalls, “I remember the first time I met Steve Van Zandt. It was at my first AEOE Conference in the early 90's. I was amazed at how many wonderful people I met and interacted with, but left inspired and empowered by Steve's "Keeping the magic alive workshop". He honored the current teaching trends while reminding us that, at its core, our mission is to connect children to nature. I revisited his workshop some 20 years later and he has literally kept the magic alive both within himself and sharing his passion with us all.

Steve has trained hundreds of Naturalists during his time at SMOE. Many have gone on to have long inspired tenures in environmental education. I have personally worked with many of Steve's former interns and all have been incredible. While I believe outdoor educators are amazing in general, it's easy to see the impact of Steve's mentorship.”

Steve's contributions to AEOE are monumental. He has led workshops at conferences, directed incredible skits and performed on stage as member of the Banana Slug String Band. The Slugs were awarded The Howard Bell Award as a group in 1997, and 20 years later Steve is honored again for his individual contributions to Outdoor and Environmental Education.

Steve is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara in Environmental Studies/Geography. He received a multiple subject teaching credential from San Francisco State and an Administrative Credential from San Jose State. He worked as a Naturalist at SMOE, Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools, Youth Science Institute and as a Co-Director/Intern Coordinator at Hidden Villa. He also was a Co-Manager for the Pigeon Point Youth Hostel. He was a kindergarten, 3rd and 4th grade classroom teacher and a K-7th grade Life Lab/ESL teacher. He is a founding and active member of the Banana Slug String Band. He is returning to SMOE for a 24th year.

Previous Award Winners

2016 - Kim Laizer

2015 - Bill Andrews

2014 - Randy Widera

2013 - Tom Preston

2012 - Dean Thompson

2011 - Helen de la Maza

2010 - Lisa Curnett

2009 - Pete Devine

2008 - Zayanne Thompson

2007 - Pam Ivie & Kathe Hendrickson

2006 - Rick Mitchell

2005 - Jenny & Marty Rigby

2004 - Stephen "Hoppy" Hopkins

2002 - Carol Schloo Wright & Dan Allison

2001 - George Stratman

2000 - Bruce Daub

1999 - Joseph Cornell

1998 - Bernie Lemm

1997 - Banana Slug String Band

1996 - Greg Schuett

1995 - John Hendrickson

1994 - Elna Bakker

1993 - Jim Hastings

1992 - Ben Bird

1991 - Ruth Crew

1990 - Norris Beakes

1989 - Rudy Schafer

1988 - Dan Baker

1987 - Don Bielefield

1986 - Pat Crocker

1985 - Marty Marcus

1984 - George & Louise Donaldson

1983 - Shirley Mason

1982 - Dean Orahood & Fred Partridge

1981 - Leonard Beeman

1980 - Oscar Clark

1979 - Josephine Duveneck

1978 - Michael Johnson

1977 - Esther Railton

1976 - Richard Brians

1975 - Elizabeth Sears

1974 - Nanette Sullivan

1973 - Charlene McDonald

1972 - John Kirk

1971 - Ernie McDonald

1970 - Bill Hammerman

1969 - Ed Pulma

1968 - Jane Westenberger

1967 - Ken Pike

1966 - Don Hammerman

1965 - Jack Davidson

1964 - L.B. Sharp

1963 - Elwood Mitchell

1962 - J. Holley Ashcraft

1961 - Howard Bell