Amalia Explores, The Traveling Environmental Educator of Nature Explorers International
About Me
Hello, my name is Amalia Fernand. I am an environmental educator, a writer, and a photographer. I have been to every continent except Antarctica, and I always bring art supplies, binoculars, and magnifying glasses with me. I teach local children as a way to give back to the community, establish local connections, and become immersed in the culture. I began Nature Explorers International (NEI) at Boyd Hill Nature Park in Florida in 2000, and since then have worked with children in 16 countries. This has led to developing a unique interactive environmental curriculum that has proved to be effective and successful anywhere in the world.
I recently spent a year volunteering in Southeast Asia, on the island of Borneo. I taught local children, photographed wildlife for educational publications, and volunteered for organizations that are active in conservation and community based initiatives. For more information about these projects, you can read these updates.
I am currently living in Australia, and just got back from New Zealand. To find out more, check out Where I've Been.
Join Me
I will share my stories here, both past and present. For those of you with an interest in learning about unique ecosystems and the problems that they face, I will feature informative articles. For educators that want to find out more about my universal environmental education methods and the children that I meet, I will highlight various programs. For the adventurous traveler that craves the experience of living and working in developing nations, I will offer the trials and rewards that I face as a solo female traveler. Weekly lesson plans and species features will be posted. Curriculum PDF's and templates will be free with website subscription.
Check out this video that I made for a successful Kickstarter project in 2012. Nature Explorers Central America spanned four countries and involved over 500 children in ten weeks. The video is a great comprehensive explanation of my educational philosophy. The updates from the project include photography and stories.
Press
Benzonia to Borneo: Local explorer to help orphaned orangutans Traverse City Record Eagle
Special Tampolo Program Lemur Conservation Foundation
International Environmental Educator and Volunteer Being Where You Are
What Age Do Your Parents Force You to Marry? On The Ground
