Annual Conference

The MAEOE Annual Conference, Maryland’s largest environmental education event, attracts over 500 educators each February for a dynamic mix of workshops, discussions, networking, exhibits, and resource sharing.

Registration Details

February 19-22, 2026 at the Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel in Towson, MD

Conference Information can be found by using the "SCHED APP" linked below.

Daily Conference Schedules
Exhibitors
Presenter Information
Silent Auction Preview
Sponsors
See which of your friends are attending

Be sure to create your Sched profile!

SCHED App

Rooted in Nature:

Using the Outdoors to Empower Action and Understanding

Join educators, environmental professionals, and community leaders for a weekend of learning, collaboration, and inspiration. The MAEOE Conference begins Friday evening and continues with a full day of workshops, presentations, and networking on Saturday, February 21. Sessions focus on environmental education, sustainability, and equity, and are designed for both formal and non-formal educators, with alignment to NGSS and environmental literacy standards. The weekend concludes with hands-on field experiences on Sunday, offering opportunities to explore outdoor learning in action. Celebrate, connect, and grow with Maryland’s environmental education community.

Attendees:

District-level professionals (including, administrators, principals, curriculum specialists, and environmental literacy liaisons, facilities directors, energy, sustainability, transportation, food management leaders)
Environmental, Educational and Sustainability, Service Providers
Maryland Middle and High School Students

Conference Schedule

Use the Sched App for all conference schedules and information:

Pre-Conference Workshops:

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Time: 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Join us for a day of learning, sharing, and collaboration as we move towards a more sustainable future for our schools and communities! Thursday will feature presentations on high-impact sustainability topics that can significantly reduce environmental footprints and improve ecological health. Be a part of driving large-scale environmental change and ensuring a sustainable future.

Friday, February 20, 2026

Time: 8:30 AM – 4:45 PM

Join us for Green School Friday, where we’ll look ahead to the next 25 years of sustainability in education. The day will feature inspiring sessions on climate action, green careers, youth leadership, stewardship, and high-quality professional development.

Conference Sessions

Saturday, February 21, 2026

Connect with fellow educators, professionals, students, higher education faculty dedicated to environmental education and sustainability. Engage in workshops and presentations from diverse environmental leaders across the state from varying disciplines.

Field Experiences

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Attendees will engage in an off-site excursion that highlights environmental education or sustainability in action. Sunday field experiences offer immersive, place-based learning that focuses on exploration and connection rather than formal instruction.

Support MAEOE's Annual Conference

Contribute Financially

Donations and sponsorships help us continue to provide this landmark event, year after year. Contact Laura Collard at director@maeoe.org. or go to our Donations page.

Donate to the Silent Auction

Your donated gifts or gift cards provide $$ for scholarships for first-time attendees. Last year, thanks to contributions like yours, we were able to award scholarships to 45 attendees! For questions or more information, contact us at conference@maeoe.org.

2026 Conference Fees

Conference Hotel

Hotel Information

SHERATON BALTIMORE NORTH HOTEL

903 Dulaney Valley Rd,

Towson, MD 21204

Reserve Your Room Early to Insure the MAEOE Conference Rate:

Book your reservation online using the link above.
Group dates are between February 18th - 23rd, 2026.
Make sure to use the MAEOE conference 2026 Bonvoy page.

Cutoff date for making reservations is January 19, 2026

Hotel Pricing:

Traditional Doubles are $119.00 plus taxes per night
Traditional King is $119.00 plus taxes per night

*Hotel room rates are subject to applicable state and local taxes (currently 15.5%) in effect at the time of check-out*

Volunteer Opportunities

Carpool & Room Share

Can I find a roommate through the conference? Yes! Here’s how it works:

Fill out this form by Feb. 15th
View the shared spreadsheet to see other participants
Reach out directly to coordinate arrangements

Please note: All carpool and room share arrangements are made directly between attendees. MAEOE is simply facilitating connections.

Robert Finton Outdoor Educator of the Year Award

The MAEOE Robert Finton Outdoor Educator of the Year Award is presented annually at the MAEOE Conference and recognizes an individual who demonstrates leadership and innovation in environmental and outdoor education. The award honors Bob Finton, an innovator who personified enthusiasm, innovation and excellence in the field of environmental education.

Criteria

Recognition should be given to an individual who is a non-formal practitioner of outdoor education and works “in the trenches” as Bob did.

The nominee can be a representative, either paid or unpaid, of a Maryland outdoor education center, non-profit organization, service organization, resource agency, education-related business, or other organization whose mission is environmental education. (Classroom teachers are not eligible for this award.)

The nominee should demonstrate innovation and excellence in environmental education programming. Examples could include:

Development of a program that reaches new audiences or underserved populations

Work in a program that promotes or increases conservation practices

Programming that develops and supports a positive stewardship ethic

The nominee may not be a sitting member of the MAEOE Board of Trustees

A highly successful ground-breaking environmental education effort

Innovation in developing new interpretive or instructional methods

Keynote Speaker Parker McMullen Bushman

We are so excited to welcome Parker McMullen Bushman to the 2026 MAEOE Conference!

Listed by Outside Magazine as one of the 20 Most Influential People in the Outdoor Industry, Parker is a dynamic speaker and facilitator who engages organizations in new thinking around what it means to be a diversity change agent and create dynamic organizational change.

More Information

Meet Parker McMullen Bushman, CEO and Founder of Ecoinclusive Strategies, and Co- founder of Inclusive Guide.

Parker’s background in the non-profit leadership, conservation, environmental education, and outdoor recreation fields spans over 24+ years. Parker has a passion for equity and inclusion in outdoor spaces. Parker tackles these complex issues by addressing them through head-on activism and education. Parker has a Master of Natural Resources from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, with a focus in Interpretation and Environmental Education. They lead several committees that focus on diversity in environmental fields as well as a presenter and trainer on diversity issues.

They also sit on the board of the National Association for Interpretation and The Next 100 Coalition and formerly served on the board for Environmental Learning for Kids.

Parker will be speaking on Saturday, February 21 as our lunchtime Keynote. She also will be facilitating our DEIJA Community Meeting. Look for timings on the Schedule-at-a-Glance.

Join the MAEOE Challenge: "Education Peeps"!

Your team is challenged with creating a diorama that shows off the amazing environmental and outdoor education work your school and organization does! You'll work in teams of three or more to build your diorama using Peeps (yes, we mean the sugary candy!) and display your masterpiece at the MAEOE 2026 Conference.

Click Here to Start the Challenge!