Honoring Geoffrey Wyatt: A Legacy of Outdoor Learning and Connection

Longtime Juneau School District Educator Receives the 2026 Discovery Award 

Inspiring Generations of Juneau Students Through Nature Education

For over 35 years, Discovery Southeast naturalists and Juneau educators have partnered to bring nature into classrooms and students outside. At a time when children spend increasing hours indoors and on screens, outdoor learning offers something essential: hands-on exploration, movement, curiosity, and connection. Beyond that, time spent in nature supports physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. 

The Discovery Award honors a local K–12 teacher who goes the extra mile to bring learning outdoors and deepen students’ connection with nature.

Discovery Southeast is proud to recognize Geoffrey Wyatt, a longtime Juneau School District educator and third-grade teacher at Sít’ Eetí Shaanáx – Glacier Valley Elementary School with the 2026 Discovery Award. 

For decades, Geoffrey has inspired students, colleagues, and Discovery Southeast naturalists alike through his deep commitment to outdoor learning, play, curiosity, and place-based education. His teaching has transformed how students experience the forests, glaciers, and landscapes surrounding Juneau – not as distant scenery, but as places to explore, understand, and belong. Thanks to his innovative thinking and leadership, dozens of local classrooms each year now spend more meaningful time outdoors, learning and exploring in natural areas within walking distance of their schools.

An Ambitious Proposal: A Walk to the Glacier

Discovery Southeast naturalists first began working with Geoffrey in 1998 when he was teaching fifth grade at Mendenhall River Community School. That spring, Geoffrey proposed something ambitious: an all-day field trip to the Mendenhall Glacier. At the time, it represented a major shift in how outdoor education experiences were approached. Geoffrey organized families and volunteers to help students travel from their school to the West Glacier trailhead, walking together into newly exposed terrain revealed by the retreating glacier.

Along the journey, students crossed challenging rocky areas before finally arriving at the towering glacier ice itself. For many students, the glacier had always been something viewed from afar. Suddenly, it was close enough to touch. The experience became unforgettable, a powerful moment of wonder, connection, and discovery.

That field trip soon evolved into a rite of passage for fifth graders across the Valley’s elementary schools. For more than a decade, students made the journey to the glacier ice before the glacier eventually receded too far up the valley. Today, that tradition continues in new forms through hikes to Nugget Falls and explorations along the East Glacier Trail.

“Friday in the Forest”

Later, after Geoffrey began teaching third grade at Glacier Valley, he helped create another lasting tradition: “Friday in the Forest.” Alongside colleagues, Geoffrey envisioned regular outdoor experiences where students could spend extended time exploring and playing in the woods near Thunder Mountain. What began as a classroom practice grew into a school-wide movement that continues today, with students throughout the building regularly learning outdoors.

Rain or shine, Geoffrey brings students outside to build forts, create snow sculptures, engineer stick structures, divert streams, search for “rock shops,” and simply play in nature. While some outings include formal lessons, Geoffrey understands that unstructured exploration is equally important. Through these experiences, students develop creativity, collaboration, observation skills, resilience, and a lifelong comfort in the outdoors.

Honoring Culture and Place

Geoffrey also weaves local history, culture, and art into his teaching. His classroom brings Juneau to life through storytelling, observational drawing, natural objects, and hands-on investigations. Students learn not only about the natural world around them, but also about the cultural significance of local plants and places, including Lingít names and traditional uses shared through collaboration with the cultural specialist. 

Colleagues describe Geoffrey as an educator whose enthusiasm and curiosity are contagious. His willingness to try new ideas and prioritize direct experience has influenced generations of students and educators alike. Many credit Geoffrey with changing how outdoor education is understood in Juneau schools, shifting the focus from simply teaching information about nature to helping students build meaningful relationships with the places they live.

A Lasting Legacy

As Geoffrey retires at the end of this school year, his impact will continue far beyond the classroom. His legacy lives on in “Friday in the Forest,” in the traditions he helped establish, and in the thousands of students who learned to see the outdoors as a place of exploration, belonging, and joy.

We are honored to celebrate Geoffrey Wyatt and his decades of place-based, experiential teaching.

We would also like to express our deep gratitude for all the 2026 Discovery Award nominees. Juneau is fortunate to have these committed teachers who inspire their students every day to explore and learn outdoors.

Ellen Canapary
Sít’ Eetí Shaanáx̱ – Glacier Valley Elementary School

For 21 years, Ellen Canapary has brought learning to life through “Friday in the Forest,” guiding students in exploring the ecosystems of Jordan Creek. She consistently steps beyond the traditional classroom to foster curiosity, stewardship, and a lasting love of learning rooted in the natural world.

Lindsay Baranovic
Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen Elementary School

Lindsay Baranovic has transformed the outdoor space at Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen into an engaging classroom where preschoolers explore, build, and learn through nature daily. Through hands-on, place-based projects like beaver dams and bear dens, she nurtures curiosity, creativity, independence, and a strong connection to the natural world.

Breea Mearig
Auke Bay Elementary School

Breea Mearig demonstrates unwavering commitment to ensuring her ECC (Emerging Complex Communicators) students experience outdoor learning every day, regardless of conditions. She thoughtfully navigates complex logistics to bring students to trails, beaches, and playgrounds, creating meaningful access to nature for learners with high needs and diverse abilities.

Monika Haygood
Sayéik: Gastineau Community School

Monika Haygood is a driving force behind the school’s outdoor learning and garden programs. Through her Ocean Guardians Club and expansive school garden, she guides students in growing, harvesting, and celebrating food at a community Harvest Meal, fostering stewardship and connection to Lingít Aaní.

Tiara Clark
Harborview Elementary School

Tiara Clark is an outstanding resource teacher who works tirelessly to individualize learning and help students successfully participate in classroom and schoolwide activities. She consistently goes above and beyond for her students and paraeducators, ensuring every child feels supported, valued, and seen each day.

Elizabeth Brennell
Sayéik: Gastineau Community School

Elizabeth Brennell leads a weekly afterschool science program that engages students in hands-on, inquiry-based learning throughout the year. She creates rich, place-based experiences in collaboration with local partners, inspiring curiosity and supporting young scientists beyond her own classroom through a deep connection to the natural world.

Maryann Love
Mendenhall River Community School

Maryann Love consistently inspires her first-grade students through year-round “Forest Fridays,” taking them to Dredge Lakes in all weather for place-based learning. She deepens students’ connection to nature through waterproof journals, family participation, ski trips at Eaglecrest, and hands-on classroom activities using natural materials.

Jess Stanley
Thunder Mountain Middle School

Jess Stanley is a passionate science and math teacher who regularly brings learning outdoors in all kinds of weather. She helps students connect classroom concepts to the natural world, including an interdisciplinary unit on glacier outburst floods, while integrating art and writing to deepen understanding and engagement.

Janette Gagnon
Johnson Youth Center – Girls Unit

Janette Gagnon creates transformative outdoor and cultural learning experiences for students, including kayaking on Mendenhall Lake, skiing, snowshoeing, and biking through community partnerships. She also integrates cultural learning with elders and local artists while fostering deep personal connections that help students feel supported, valued, and connected to the natural world.

Cheyenne Cuellar
Thunder Mountain Middle School

Cheyenne Cuellar consistently gets students outdoors to engage with the natural world. She leads initiatives such as Ocean Guardians, campus composting, and long-term plot monitoring lessons, while also advocating for Discovery Southeast programming and developing shared outdoor curriculum resources for staff.

Dave Kovach
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé

Dave Kovach brings science to life through engaging, hands-on projects that connect traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern science. Beyond his teaching, he leads a large student group focused on recycling and environmental stewardship.