FROSTBURG, Md. – Frostburg State University’s College of Education and Health and Natural Sciences will host a program titled “Pathways to Conservation Education: Cultivating Partnerships, Careers and Environmental Education” on Tuesday, Sept. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. in room 208A of FSU’s Education and Health Sciences Center. This event is free and open to the public.
The program goal is to convene students, faculty and conservation professionals for an engaging evening focused on conservation, environmental education, partnerships, funding opportunities and emerging careers in the field.
Mamie Parker, the former head of Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Board, will provide the opening remarks.
Joel Dunn, the president and CEO of Chesapeake Conservancy, will give the keynote address, “The Role of Partnerships in Conservation and the Path to Achieving the 30×30 Goal.” Dunn will highlight the importance of partnerships in conservation and share his experiences working toward that 30×30 goal.
This will be followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Parker, which will explore critical aspects of conservation careers, discussing the importance of environmental education to conservation, offering practical advice and sharing unique experiences. Panelists will include Dunn and a representative from the National Conservation Training Center; Charisa Morris, wildlife biologist, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and Joceyln Tuttle, Maryland student leadership coordinator, Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Dunn leads Chesapeake Conservancy’s efforts to increase public access for everyone and strengthen the connection between people and the Chesapeake Bay watershed to promote a greater appreciation for the need to conserve the Chesapeake’s landscapes and special places. Under Dunn’s leadership, Chesapeake Conservancy has focused on using technology to practice precision conservation and build successful partnerships with federal, state and local agencies; private foundations; corporations; and nonprofits to advance conservation.
Prior to joining Chesapeake Conservancy, Dunn spearheaded government relations and project management in the Chesapeake region for The Conservation Fund. His work helped establish protection for national parks, national wildlife refuges and national trails, including the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. Dunn has also worked on Capitol Hill and in conservation science.
In 2023, The Rappahannock Tribe Chief Anne Richardson presented Dunn with the “Rising Star Award,” and bestowed on him the name “Red Warrior.” He is described as a dedicated partner and advocate for tribes and has devoted his time, energy and resources to generating historic change in equity work that will benefit marginalized communities for generations.
In 2021, he was named an “Outdoor Recreation Ambassador” for the state of Maryland by state Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz and Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan named Dunn “Chesapeake Bay Ambassador” in 2020. In 2010, Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment gave him their Rising Star Award for his work in conservation.
Dunn is a former member of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Advisory Council and co-chair of the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership; he also serves on the Maryland Joint Study Committee for Program Open Space. In 2018, Dunn was appointed to then-Gov. Larry Hogan’s Maryland Outdoor Recreation Economic Commission and the Maryland Department of Transportation Attainment Report Advisory Committee. Dunn is currently serving as vice chair of Partners for Open Space and served as chairman for two years (2012, 2013). He was a climate leader with The Climate Change Reality Project.
Dunn served on the Severn River Commission and as a member of the Annapolis Conservancy Board (2008-2011). Additionally, he was a member of the Greenhouse Gas and Carbon Mitigation Working Group for Maryland’s Commission on Climate Change (2007) and served on the Technical Advisory Committee for the Virginia Outdoors Plan (2006).
In 2009, Dunn received proclamations from the state of Maryland for his work as a member of the Maryland Climate Commission and the city of Annapolis for his work as a member of the IDEA Team to establish a more effective, efficient and transparent city government. He has also served as an election judge in Anne Arundel County.
Dunn was co-editor of “A Sustainable Chesapeake: Better Models for Conservation.” In addition, he has written numerous opinion editorials for newspapers in the Chesapeake region and served as a panelist for Maryland Public Television’s Chesapeake Bay Summit and Capitol Hill Ocean Week OceansLIVE.
For more information, people may contact Jennifer Bishoff at jlbishoff@frostburg.edu.
