Sarah-Mae Nelson

UC Climate Stewards Initiative Academic Coordinator
UC Elkus Ranch Environmental Education Center
1500 Purisima Creek Rd.
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
(408) 482-4633
smanelson@ucanr.edu Create VCard

Biography

Sarah-Mae is an educator, science communicator, and climate change communication specialist who draws on her background and interest in interpretation in informal science education centers. She has a Master's in Climate Science and Policy from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego and a B.S. in Marine Biology from UC Santa Cruz. She is a member of the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation, the National Association for Interpretation, and the UN Education, Communication, and Outreach Stakeholders (ECOS) Community. She was recognized by President Obama in 2015 as a Champion of Change in Climate Education and Literacy and was recently awarded the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award by the California Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education for her work.

Education

M.A.S. Climate Science and Policy, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. 2018
B.S. Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz. 2002

Awards

Specialty

Climate Change Interpretation, Communication, and Education

Areas of Expertise (click to see all ANR academics with this expertise)

Bibliography

Peer Reviewed

Non-Peer Reviewed

  • Nelson, Sarah-Mae (2024). Introduction to Climate Stewardship.S. Nelson and K. Utsumi. Virtual, Canvas Online Learning Management System, UCOP.
  • Nelson, Sarah-Mae; Ira, Greg (2024). Multi-state Climate Stewards Course FY24-25.A. Merenlender and K. Meadows. Virtual, Canvas Online Learning Management System, UCOP.
  • Nelson, Sarah-Mae; Ira, Greg (2024). UC Climate Stewards Course FY24-25.A. Merenlender and K. Meadows. Virtual, Canvas Online Learning Management System, UCOP.
  • Nelson, Sarah-Mae.; Utsumi, Karyn, et al. (2024). UC Environmental Stewards Instructor Manual.S. Nelson, K. Utsumi and P. Byrnes. Virtual, Canvas Online Learning Management System, UCOP.
  • Nelson, Sarah-Mae (2024). Unnatural Disasters. UC ANR. 10/11/2024. https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=60785
  • Nelson, Sarah-Mae.; Utsumi, Karyn, et al. (2023). UC Environmental Stewards Instructor Training Canvas Blueprint.S. Nelson, K. Utsumi and P. Byrnes. Virtual, Canvas Online Learning Management System, UCOP.
  • Nelson, Sarah-Mae (2021). Learning Involves the Whole Person: Building Social-Emotional Resilience for Climate Communication. [White Paper].
  • Drill, Sabrina; Merenlender, Adina; Nelson, Sarah-Mae, et al. (2020). UC Climate Stewards Instructor Training Manual. July 7, 2020. 

  • Nelson, S. (2018). Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Climate Change Studies Minor for the Unviersity of California San Diego. UC San Diego: Climate Science and Policy. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/93c132j0

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