Happy Earth Week from the EPE TIG! My name is Lydia Lange. I am the Co-Chair of the EPE TIG and an independent researcher/evaluator specializing in natural resource management and sustainability education. In honor of Earth Week, I want to share a bit about environmental evaluation and the privilege we have as a TIG to support this growing field.
I have been volunteering with the EPE TIG Leadership Team for the past three years and am thrilled to be a part of the excitement surrounding environmental evaluation. The EPE TIG has over 300 members who specialize in environmental arenas including conservation, environmental policy, environmental education, energy, international and global environmental issues and work for government (state and local), academic, consulting and non-profit organizations. Still, many more bring with them experience from different disciplines and content areas. However, what we share is a personal and professional passion for the environment, and for promoting a stronger community of practice in environmental evaluation. I’ve have met an inspiring, resourceful, and dynamic community of evaluators – many of whom are leaders in their field. New practitioners learn from the experience of long time evaluators, and more established practitioners learn from the diverse perspectives of an ever-growing member base.
A long standing interest in the environment drove 2014 AEA President Beverly Parsons to join the EPE TIG seven years ago. When I interviewed Beverly last February, she noted the upturn in environmental awareness and discussion generally and talked about her excitement in the potential for the EPE TIG to help shape dialogue.
The success of the Environmental Evaluators Network forum is further proof of the interest in the burgeoning field. Who knew that what started as a small meeting of 90 individuals in 2006 would evolve into the international network it is today. A network the TIG has supported each year.
This is an exciting time for AEA, the TIG, and the field of environmental evaluation. The coming year has never been a better time for the field. The TIG looks forward to supporting a vision of evaluation that involves a sustainable AEA, and practice.
Rad Resources: To learn more about the EPE TIG and Environmental Program evaluation check out the resources below.
- EPE TIG Website
- Environmental Evaluators Network
- Journal Article: Environmental Program and Policy Evaluation: New Directions for Evaluation, Summer 2009
- Video: What is Environmental Program Evaluation by Kim Damm
The American Evaluation Association is celebrating Environmental Program Evaluation TIG Week with our colleagues in the Environmental Program Evaluation Topical Interest Group. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from our EPE TIG members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org. aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.