People

I am a lifelong advocate for the natural world and focus on building relationships between nature and humans to develop inclusive engagement, appreciation, understanding and respect.  As the Education Lead at the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, I work toward collaborative, inclusive engagement that catalyzes knowledge sharing, environmental awareness and love of nature. Our team is dedicated to  environmental education, nature play, experiential learning, UM student engagement and research and wonder.  

My name is Lisa Martinez Sammeta, and I am former school teacher, garden educator and founder of Garden Play Project. I work in and around urban gardens and outdoor spaces throughout the San Jose area, aiming to cultivate meaningful connection to the land and to eachother. The idea for Garden Play Project began to take root during the six years I worked at Santa Clara University, in the Center for Sustainability. Over the course of that time, my Bronco Urban Gardens food justice program was recongized with SCU Operations Staff Award and Spirit of Ignatius Award. Additionally my six years in K-8 education, as San Jose Diocesen teacher, informed my beliefs in the importance of community engagement and unique potential of experiential learning.

I am a former AP Environmental education teacher and currently a Ph.D. student in STEM education at NC State. My research and research interests include environmental education in formal and informal settings, and advancing community level environmental literacy thru school-community-business partnerships. On a personal level I am a state certified wildlife rehabilitator and apiarist. Additionally I am passionate about gardening with native species and have shared my knowledge of beekeeping and gardening with non-profit groups, schools and my community.

I am a retired STEM Teacher who focuses on advancing education for sustainability in K-12 schools.   I create curriculum and deliver presentations and workshops on sustainability and environmental issues such as climate change, pollution, and water scarcity. I am an En-ROADS Ambassador and trained with Climate Reality Project.  I am also on the Boards of two local conservation organizations.

With a BSc in Earth Science and a master's in Conservation Biology, I have authored 80+ environmental blog posts, news stories, media releases, presentations and articles. I am also a Co-Founder of Terra Incognita (www.terra-incognita.travel), promoting ethical ecotourism via storytelling.

I am a teacher working outside the conventional classroom striving to reimagine the spaces we learn in.
I believe that connection is what our world needs most: with the physical world, with each other, and with ourselves.
I build and co-create learning communities and design experiences, unconstrained with the walls of classrooms and boardrooms, to help people explore these connections, uncover passions, and explore what it means to be human.

I am currently a research associate at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance and am interested in studying and supporting equitable access to environmental education across our state and effective partnerships between schools and nonformal organizations.

I am a 20 year veteran educator specializing in Environmental Education.  In my last years as a 9-12 teacher, I primarily covered AP Environmental Science and Cambridge (AICE) Environmental Management.  Now, I am an adjunct professor at the community college level for Environmental and Earth sciences, and working towards my PhD in Geosciences.

I am the University of Florida IFAS, Monroe County Extension Director. I have an M.A. Degree in Public Administration with a focus on Sustainable Development. I am a Certified Family and Consumer Science Educator. I work with local governments on climate, energy and sustainability.