AEEA Conference
SAVE THE DATE: March 6 & 7, 2026
Fairfield Bay Conference Center
Fairfield Bay, AR
About the Conference
Legacy of the Land: 30 Years of Learning, Leading, and Preserving Arkansas
AEEA’s Environmental and Outdoor Education Conference is a gathering that brings together classroom teachers, non-formal educators, higher education students, Master Naturalists, and conservation professionals from around Arkansas. This professional learning event consists of hands-on workshops, field tours, concurrent presentations, exhibitors, and networking opportunities.
In addition to hands-on learning, exhibitors feature available resources and programs, and the silent auction showcases Arkansas-made goods, education resources, and sustainability-focused products. The silent auction funds the AEEA mini-grant program. The conference brings together diverse attendees in some of the most beautiful locations that Arkansas has to offer.
In 2026 we will be celebrating AEEA’s 30th anniversary, and we hope you will join us!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ~ FELLOWSHIP ~ FUN
Submit a Session Proposal
We are excited to announce the Call for Proposals is open! We are looking for engaging sessions that align with the key conference strands. We welcome a variety of topics and ideas, and especially those that support the main strands and tie into our conference theme: Legacy of the Land: 30 Years of Learning, Leading, and Preserving Arkansas.
Conference Strands
- Education in Practice – planning and implementing successful environmental education programs, K-12 education, STEM, green and healthy schools, climate education, reports on new and relevant research, etc
- Naturalists in Action – exploring the wonders of Arkansas eco-regions, citizen science programs in Arkansas, etc
- Outdoors and EE Programs – outdoor recreation and environmental education, health and the outdoors, teaching in outdoor settings, access to the outdoors, etc
- Community Engagement – cultivating community partnerships, advocacy, networking, policy, exploring green careers in Arkansas, working with local government, etc
- Capacity Building – sustaining people & organizations; self-care and wellness; non-profit and EE provider capacity building; cultivating partnerships for increased capacity; program administration; successful boards; grant writing; fundraising, etc
Additional Conference Information
Conference Details - Check the sections below often as more details will be added in the coming weeks.
Lodging
Cobblestone Inn & Suites in Fairfield Bay is holding a block of rooms for AEEA conference attendees for Thursday, March 5 – Saturday, March 7, 2026. The rate is $120/night. Conference attendees are responsible for booking their own rooms.
1. Call Cobblesone Inn & Suites at (501) 825-3046.
2. Alert the front desk agent that your reservation is part of the Arkansas Environmental Education Association block of rooms.
Issues with booking a room should be directed to Emily Dunn, General Manager, at (501) 825-3046. See details here ffbconference.com/lodging/.
Conference Attire
Curious what to wear to an environmental and outdoor education conference? This is a professional, yet casual event. Wear what is appropriate for your organization in the early spring. The main thing is to be comfortable. We will have little, if any, control over the indoor temperature and no control over the outdoor temperature. We hope to have some sessions outdoors, so wear weather appropriate clothing, and if you plan on participating in a field tour, wear close-toed shoes and bring a hat.
Sched - app for program schedule, details, and communication
Sched is an event management app for mobile devices and computers. Attendees can see session descriptions, presenter bios, and event sponors. They can also plan out their own schedule in advance of the event and easily share contact information with other participants.
Once you have registered for the conference, you will receive a link for the AEEA conference. This app is free to use. It facilitates communication between our planning team and attendees and as well as between attendees.
New to Sched? Check out the Sched Quick Reference Guide
Share Table
We all end up with extra resources, posters, books, and materials we no longer need, but they are still in good condition. We have an answer – bring these items to the conference and add them to the Share Table! This could be office supplies, reference books, posters, etc. Organizational branded materials go on your exhibit table (if you have one). This is for other materials and resources you no longer want. This is an opportunity to reduce and reuse – take what you need and use what you take.
Registration Cancellation
All participant cancellations require notice submitted in writing at least one day prior to the event. Submit notice via email to director@arkansasee.org. Registration funds will be refunded according to the following schedule. Cancellations due to emergencies will be evaluated case by case.
- Refund of 75% of registration fee if notice is given by February 19.
- After February 19 registration can be transferred to another person. Please give as much notice as possible.
- No refunds are given for no-shows.
Refunds will be processed after the conference.