KAEE 50th Annual Conference

Cost: $30 | Ticket purchase required during conference registration.

Participants will go through LASC's guided field trip tour titled "Who Polluted the Kentucky River?Join the fun as participants travel through four 30-minute rotations including a planetarium show, hands-on activities in the new discovery exhibit, and a Kentucky animal meet-and-greet where they will build and explore waterways while learning how water supports Kentucky animals, habitats and ecosystems. And lastly, participants will be involved in a hands-on watershed activity exploring how pollution travels through water.

Logistics:

Cost: Free | Must be 16+ years old | Add a ticket to your order during conference registration.

Join us on Wednesday November 11, 2026 from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM. We will be meeting at the Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary parking lot at 9am (1305 Germany Rd, Frankfort, KY). Whether you have experience with invasive plant removal or want to learn, we'd love to have you join us.

A Bluegrass Greensource staff and/or Volunteer leader will be present to instruct and lead appropriate invasive plant removal techniques and safety. The goal, pending weather, will be to remove a large section of invasive bush honeysuckle along the driveway entrance.

Bring your own water/water bottle and snacks. No snacks are provided.

Bluegrass Greensource will provide tools, gloves, eye protection, and materials. Feel free to bring your own tools/gloves if you have them. Herbicide for licensed applicators is also provided. Licensed Herbicide Applicators are needed!!!

Please dress for the weather and environment. We will be in brushy, wooded areas where there are ticks and poison ivy. Wear LONG pants tucked into socks, long sleeves tucked into pants, sturdy closed shoes, and a hat. Permethrin-treated clothing is also recommended.

In the event of inclement weather (heavy winds or rain), we will shift our volunteer focus to indoor projects. Cancellation will be in the event of snow/bad roads.

Please Contact Amy Sohner for questions [email protected]

Tracking is simply reading and interpreting the movements of animals as they live their busy and secretive lives. Anybody who has spent any time in the outdoors knows that wildlife cannot be commanded to appear. However, if you know how to look, their unfiltered stories are written everywhere. Tracking is the world’s oldest scientific practice but has fallen out of practice. However, tracking is in the beginning of a resurgence as educators, conservationists, scientists, and land managers are discovering how this simple, old practice of tracking can be used to monitor the reintroduction of species, how animal behaviors change based on climate and human impact, how to best utilize technology such as camera traps, and where to route high impact human activity away from sensitive habitats, . This workshop will start with a discussion of how tracking is being used in the world of conservation, science, land management, and education. Most of our time will be devoted to looking for and interpreting the track and sign that we find as well as discussing how we can incorporate tracking into our own environmental education programs. This session will be all outdoors and we may do some off-trail walking.

Discover the history and significance of broom-making in Kentucky culture. In this workshop, we will be returning to the folk-art tradition of broom making; we will be making our own hand-tied brooms without special machinery or equipment. Our "turkey wing" brooms will be made with hemp cord and natural broomcorn, they are as decorative as they are useful.

Limited to 15 participants

Cost: $75 | Ticket purchase required during conference registration. Boxed lunches will be provided.

Disclaimer: This will be a strenuous, full day of hiking and paddling. Participants will be required to remain with the group throughout the experience. After registration, participants will be required to sign multiple waivers and complete an additional form to collect paddling preferences and emergency contact details.

Join a team of educators, land managers, and adventure program leaders on an all-day hike and paddle to explore the stunning views and geological beauty of the Kentucky River Palisades region. The morning will begin with a 2-hour guided hike at Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, touring the land and hiking to Elk Lick Falls. After a quick trip down to Kelley's Landing River Park, the group will eat lunch and then depart on an interpretive paddle through the Palisades. Along the way, the team will provide interpretive education on land management and land use along the KY River, geology, the river as our source of drinking water, and much more! This experience makes for a long day packed with plenty of exercise and activity. Be sure to bring your water bottle, check the weather, wear comfortable clothing and shoes for hiking, and consider bringing a change of clothes just in case!

Logistics
Meeting Location: Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, 8000 Elk Lick Falls Rd, Lexington, KY 40515
Meet on-site at 8:45 AM for a welcome and overview of the day.

Requirements and Needs:
- Bring a water bottle
- Check the weather
- Wear comfortable clothing and hiking shoes
- Bring a change of clothes

Limited to 20 participants. Must be 21+ to attend.

Cost: $30 | Ticket purchase required during conference registration.
{Optional lunch at Goodfella’s Pizza at Noon (not included in the cost)}

Explore the rich history of Lexington’s popular Distillery District. Once home to Lexington’s first bourbon distilleries, the complex fell into disrepair and sat vacant for decades before being revitalized through state brownfield funding. Brownfields expert Kiersten O’Leary will guide us on an easy, outdoor walking tour of the area, explaining how this historic property has changed over the years. We’ll finish with a 90-minute tour of the James E. Pepper Distillery. Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. This experience is wheelchair accessible; please let us know if you’ll need wheelchair access to the distillery so they can be prepared. Optional: Meet at noon at Goodfella’s for lunch before the tour!

Schedule
1:00 PM - Tour begins outside the entrance of Goodfella’s Pizza
2:15 PM - Check-in at James E. Pepper Distillery
2:30 PM - James E. Pepper Distillery Tour and Tasting 
3:30 PM - Tour ends | Shop and explore the Distillery District

Logistics
Meeting Location: Goodfella's Pizza, 228 Manchester St, Lexington, KY 40504
Parking: Main lot at the Distillery District
Notes: Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. This experience is wheelchair accessible; please let us know if you’ll need wheelchair access to the distillery so they can be prepared.

Cost: $25 | Ticket purchase required during conference registration.

The Kentucky Geological Survey is hosting a geologic data workshop for educators to learn more about incorporating geo-environmental monitoring data into their classrooms. We will end the workshop with a tour of the archives and lab spaces at the Earth Analysis Research Library.

Geo-environmental monitoring networks are important research infrastructure for many state geological surveys. Large datasets produced by in-situ sensors are amenable for modern earth science instruction at several levels but are sometimes underutilized as educational tools owing to accessibility issues, lack of awareness, or the absence of facilitator networks. This workshop will include an overview of the services and datasets available through the Kentucky Geological Survey’s website and examples of harnessing geo-environmental monitoring data (Groundwater and Landslide) from the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) for instruction at the undergraduate level.
Groundwater monitoring wells provide water level elevation logs over time that illustrate water availability in aquifers relative to prevailing weather patterns and human usage (e.g., for agricultural, industrial, or municipal purposes). Landslide monitoring stations convolve elements of hillslope hydrology, geomorphology, and weather patterns to detect slope stability and mass wasting. Harnessing time series data from these geo-environmental monitoring networks provides opportunities for students to develop quantitative reasoning and problem-solving skills in groundwater hydrogeology and environmental and engineering geology. Further, these datasets can help establish a sense of place for students, particularly when the data are used to illustrate the societal relevance and impact of geology.

Cost: Free | Add a ticket to your order during conference registration.

Higher education professionals are invited to attend the Fall eeHEN Summit! The eeHEN is a network of professionals in higher education offering or supporting environmental education in their courses or programs. This network includes educators across many disciplines; from environmental science, engineering, aquatics, biology, chemistry, forestry, early childhood, formal education, recreation, natural resources, and beyond.

eeHEN connects you with educators and professionals across the state, offering opportunities to collaborate on projects, research, and initiatives. You'll gain access to valuable resources to help grow your program and provide students with hands-on experience, credentials, and career development in environmental education.

Cost: Free | Add a ticket to your order during conference registration.

Description coming soon

Cost: Free | Exclusive to eeFACILITATORS | Add a ticket to your order during conference registration.

If you're an eeFACILITATOR, join us for an hour of networking, games, and beverages of your choice! Free for eeFACILITATORS to attend. One drink ticket provided.

Cost: $45 | Ticket purchase required during conference registration.

Consistently one of the highlights of the conference, the pre-conference social and dinner unofficially kicks off our time together with an outstanding time of networking and connecting. This year, we're hosted by the wonderful Wise Bird Cider Company for dinner and drinks. Ticket includes dinner and one drink ticket.