Anne Stires, MEd, is the Founder and Education Director of the Juniper Hill School for Place-Based Education in Alna, Maine. She has worked at local marine and environmental stewardship programs, including the Darling Marine Center, the Chewonki Foundation, and the Tanglewood Learning Center. She directed a Place-Based Education program for 25 schools in the mid-coast region of Maine for the Quebec-Labrador Foundation Marine Program. As a classroom teacher, she taught at the Bank Street School for Children in New York City and the Sheepscot Valley Children’s House in Wiscasset and Boothbay Region Elementary School. Stires opened Juniper Hill in 2011 and has written a chapter for David Sobel’s recent book, Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens: The Handbook for Outdoor Learning (2015), that features the Juniper Hill School. Anne also teaches Risk Management in Nature-Based Early Childhood Programs and Natural History: Teaching in Winter for Antioch University in Keene, NH as an adjunct faculty member in the Nature-based Early Childhood Certificate Program. She is regularly a featured speaker at many regional and national nature-based education conferences and director of teacher training onsite at Juniper Hill School.
Anne Stires, MEd
Antioch University New England
Educational History
- MEd, Elementary and Early Childhood Certification in ME and NH
Antioch New England Graduate School; Keene, NH - BA, Biology and English, Diploma Cum Laude, Dean’s List 1997, 1998
Hamilton College; Clinton, NY - East/West Marine Research Program, junior year abroad
Northeastern University; Boston, MA (NW, Caribbean, NE) - Diploma Magna Cum Laude, distinctions in English and History
St. Paul’s School; Concord, NH
- Natural Start Alliance/North American Association of Environmental Education (with ten professionals,
of which I was one). Best Practices for Nature-Based Early Childhood Education, Washington, D.C 2018. - Sobel, David (contributing authors: Patti Baile, Ken Finch, Erin Kenny, Anne Stires). Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens: The Handbook for Outdoor Learning. Redleaf Press: St. Paul, MN, 2015.
- Stires, Anne M. “Forget-Me-Nots: A Focus on the Importance of Childhood Friendships.” Growing
Teachers. Antioch New England’s Education Magazine. Fall 2004. - Stires, Anne. “Vernal Pools: Stepping Stones in a Sea of Forests.” Summer 2002. Green Teacher Magazine 68: 24-28.
- Stires, Anne. “Rehabilitation and West Nile Virus. 2002. ReMaine Wild Newsletter. pp1-4.
- Yund, P.O. and A. Stires. 2002. Spatial variation in population dynamics in a colonial ascidian. (Botryllus schlosseri). Mar. Biol. 141: 955-963.
- Stewart-Savage, J., Stires, A., and P.O. Yund. 2001. Environmental effect on the reproductive output of
Botryllus schlosseri. Pp 311-314 in Biology of Ascidians (H. Sawada, H. Yokosama, and C.C. Lambert eds). Springer-Verlag, Tokyo. - Stewart-Savage, John, Stires, Anne, and Philip Yund. “Environmental effect on gamete reproduction.”
Ascidian News. December 2001. - Stires, Anne M. “Taxonomic Classification of the Scaphopoda using Molecular and Morphological
Techniques.” Senior Thesis, Biology Dept., Hamilton College, May 1998.
- Opt-In Conference, sponsored by the ME Association of Non-Profits
and the Quimby Family Foundation October 2019
“Spark Talk” speaker, one of four presentations at a communications conference on perfecting your story. Portland, ME. - Natural Start Conference (NAAEE) July 2019
Workshop presenter (2 workshops on developing and implementing integrated nature-based curriculum and the benefits of risk-based activities in nature-based programming). Manchester, NH. - Bank Street College April 2019
Keynote speaker at Bank Street College’s Kindergarten Conference. New York City, NY. - Antioch University “In Bloom: Nature-Based, Early Childhood Conference” April 2019
Workshop presenter as well as conducting the opening and closing activities. Kittery, ME. - Antioch University “In Bloom: Nature-Based, Early Childhood Conference” March 2019
Keynote speaker and workshop presenter as well as conducting the opening and closing activities. Brattleboro, VT. - Midcoast PechaKucha November 2018
One of nine speakers at a creative arts presentation evening for the community - World of Wonder International Nature Pedagogy Conference August 2018
Keynote speaker, conducted an education and policy expert panel. Chicago, IL - Antioch University “In Bloom: Nature-Based, Early Childhood Conference” April 2018
Keynote speaker and workshop presenter as well as conducting the opening and closing activities. New Haven, CT - University of ME Farmington’s Nature-Based, Early Childhood Conference” June 2018
Keynote speaker and workshop presenter as well as conducting the opening and closing activities. Farmington, ME - Committee Member, Nature Start Alliance, National Association of Environmental Education June 2017
Developed and team-authored an instructional guide called, The Best Practices of Nature-based Early Childhood Education, Baltimore, MD - Timbernook Educators and Providers Webinar May 2017
Workshop leader for Angela Hanscom, author of Barefoot and Balanced - Antioch University “In Bloom: Nature-Based, Early Childhood Conference” April 2017
Workshop presenter as well as opening and closing activities. Kittery, ME - Workshop leader for webinar series for Timbernook, May 2017
Angela Hanscom, author of Barefoot and Balanced - Antioch University “In Bloom: Nature-Based, Early Childhood Conference” March 2016
Keynote speaker and workshop presenter as well as conducting the opening and closing activities. Kittery, ME - Antioch University “In Bloom: Nature-Based, Early Childhood Conference” May 2012-present
Workshop presenter as well as opening and closing activities. Keene, NH - Antioch University “In Bloom: Nature-Based, Early Childhood Conference” April 2015
Workshop presenter as well as opening and closing activities. New Haven, CT - Maine Environmental Education Association March 2013
Speaker and discussion panelist, workshop leader - Panelist for Health and Wellness of Nature-Based Education November 2011
Was one of four panelists for community forum after viewing the film Mother Nature’s Child, Damariscotta, ME - Launching Event, The Botanical Gardens, Boothbay August 2011
Keynote speaker, launching Juniper Hill School, and for community forum after viewing the film Mother Nature’s Child, Boothbay, ME - Teens to Trails Conference 2007
Led a session for high school students and their teachers on nature journaling within the classroom setting, Gorham, ME - Attended Various Teacher Workshops 2005-2007
Vermont Peace Academy “Teaching Peace with Children”
Vivian Gussin Paley, “Play-Acting with Young Children”
Jane Healy, “Endangered Minds: Technology and Our Children”
“Special Education in the Regular Classroom”
“Maine Reading Association–Utilizing Non-Fiction Effectively”
Jonathan Kozol, “Savage Inequalities”
“Technology in the Classroom”
“Behavior Management: Help for the Classroom Teacher”
“Promise of Place, Place-Based Education Conferences”
“Image-Making Within the Writing Process” - Montessori Education Training 2004
A week-long intensive training and experience as a co-teacher for two years in a Montessori-inspired school - Pemaquid Watershed Association 2003
Led teacher workshops on wetlands/importance of using school grounds as tools for developing integrated, cross-grade units. - Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association 2002-2006
Board of Directors officer and leader of Spring 2003 teacher workshop on intertidal ecology on Monhegan Island. - ReMaine Wild, Board of Directors. 2001-2004
State wildlife rehabilitation organization - Big Brothers/Big Sisters 2003
Sister to a 6-year-old for the one-on-one school program. - Earth Charter Symposium at the Chewonki Foundation 2002
Led a field session on local human and natural history. - PS #1, Chinatown, New York, NY 2002
Taught natural history outreach programs on “Trees.” - National Environmental Education Association 2001
Led a vernal pool session at the annual conference. - MOFGA’s Common Ground Country Fair 2000
Presented workshops on Birds of Prey and Vernal Pools. - Northfield Regional Conference 2000
Led half-day sessions at a five-day conference for adults, explored our relationship with wilderness and our local environment.
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