If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.
-Chinese proverb

Keith Etheridge, 55, is the Michigan Environmental Council's Education Specialist. In addition to planning and executing MEC's annual environmental education workshops for elementary and middle school teachers, Keith helps with our photo and essay contests, assists with fundraising and represents MEC within the state's education community. An award-winning former teacher and administrator-he is the recipient of the prestigious Gene Cartledge Award, two Ameritech Teacher Excellence Awards, the Lyle Thorburn Bellringer Award and was named Michigan's Science Teacher of the Year in 1996-Keith has enabled MEC to reach 150 Michigan educators with information on how to integrate a hands-on environmental science program into their existing curricula.

A lifelong Michigan resident, Keith spent 30 years in public school teaching and administration, first in Eaton Rapids, then in west Michigan, and most recently in Haslett. While at Murphy Elementary School in Haslett, he created a model for integrating environmental education into school subjects. "The Murphy Model is intended to expose kids to environmental issues by having them look at opposing viewpoints on the issues," he explained, "and doing scientific research to help them answer questions about how the ideas should be addressed."

Why is Keith so committed to environmental education? "Because a state that relies so much on its environment for its economy and quality of life should have some environmental education in the curriculums and this state doesn't have any," he answered.

Keith -- who lives in East Lansing with his wife, Lauri, a high school Spanish teacher, and their two children, Nikita, 14, and Dylan, 10-has always been interested in teaching about the environment. "I was in school in the 1960s when lots of people were interested in the environment," he told us. "I've been fortunate in that we've actually had outdoor education sites at every teaching post I've been at." He likes teaching, he explained, because "I've always loved being around kids. I find it rejuvenating. There are so many positive perks and feedback that you get from kids that you don't always get from adults."

One adult who is not hesitant to provide positive feedback about Keith is MEC President Lana Pollack. "Keith is an outstanding educator who has added a new dimension to MEC's outreach," she said. "Ultimately, Michigan's environmental future is dependent on educating our children on sound environmental principles. Keith's work is right on target for this need."