Education Outreach

Bluegrass Greensource educators provide environmental education in 20 counties in central Kentucky, working with Pre-K through 12th Grade Programming.

Educators are available for classroom instruction, after school events, and community events. Bluegrass Greensource works in partnership with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and schools throughout Fayette County to teach about waste reduction, energy conservation, and water quality.

Energy Programs

Waste Reduction Programs

Water Programs

Resources for your classroom and school

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Starting a School Waste Reduction Program
Outdoor Play and Learning
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Resource Library

Water Quality Resources

These websites are perfect for non-traditional instruction when learning about the importance of stormwater quality.

What’s a Watershed?
Stormwater Runoff
Protecting our Watersheds

Meet our educators

Deb Larkin

Environmental Educator

Deborah Larkin joined Bluegrass Greensource in March, 2010, as an Environmental Educator. Deb holds a B.S. in Horticulture from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. Before coming to Greensource, she was the Horticulturist for the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, near Harrodsburg, KY. During her 27 year tenure there, she researched and re-established the 19th century apple orchard, herb garden and heirloom seed industry. Her current responsibilities at Bluegrass Greensource include serving as educator for the non-traditional schools in Fayette County, as liaison with Girl Scouts – Kentucky’s Wilderness Road Council, and as outreach educator for Clark, Boyle, Garrard and Lincoln counties.

Rachel Patton

Environmental Educator

Rachel is an Environmental Educator for Bluegrass Greensource. Rachel graduated from Transylvania University in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. In addition to her classes at Transylvania, Rachel coordinated litter cleanups of the surrounding area and spent many hours in local schools. She has worked at the Lexmark Center for Children and in Fayette County Public Schools with elementary school students. Rachel enjoys spending her free time kayaking and hiking with her husband and dog.

Kara Sayles

Environmental Educator/ Rain Garden Project Coordinator

Kara Sayles is an environmental educator and rain garden project coordinator. Her background is in Environmental Science and she holds a B.A. with a focus on Ecological Design and Sustainable Agriculture from The Evergreen State College. Kara chose to become an environmental educator because some of her fondest childhood memories are from observing tadpole ponds near her home: “Seeing a small tadpole transform into an adult frog was not only amazing but it sparked this lifelong desire to learn about nature.”

Pattie Stivender

Education Director

Pattie Stivender is the Education Director working with pre K – 12 schools and also coordinates community outreach activities and volunteer opportunities. Pattie attended Eastern Kentucky University where she majored in Occupational Therapy. Pattie developed a passion for nurturing the environment as a young child watching television! The Crying Indian PSA developed by Keep America Beautiful opened her eyes to the negative impact that humans can have on the earth. Litter cleanups are some of her favorite activities. Contact Pattie with questions about environmental education in area schools, or to schedule an event in Fayette County.

For more information:

Pattie Stivender 
pattie@bggreensource.org
859.266.1572, ext. 226.