WESTHAMPTON — A longtime science teacher at Hampshire Regional High School for 25 years before she retired last spring has been named a Mass Audubon Conservation Teacher of the Year.
Tara O’Brien, who taught environmental science, is among three educators in the state to receive the award. The educators were recognized Wednesday at Mass Audubon’s annual meeting, which was held at the Museum of Science in Boston.
“I am honored and grateful to be getting this award. I have had a great deal of support in my 25 years at Hampshire Regional,” O’Brien said.
The 2022 honorees like O’Brien “have demonstrated teaching excellence in science and civics; a deep appreciation for connecting to community; and are emblematic of educators across the commonwealth who understand that science can help students better understand the world as the climate changes — and take action to make a difference for our future,” said Kris Scopinich, Mass Audubon’s senior director of education and engagement.
Reflecting on her tenure at the regional school district, O’Brien spoke of her collaborations with Brittany Gutermuth, climate change education program manager at Mass Audubon, as well as Kate Messmer, director of curriculum and instruction at Hampshire Regional.
Gutermuth said that it was O’Brien who was an early adopter in prioritizing climate change education and served as an advisor to five Western Mass. Youth Climate Summits.
O’Brien utilized Hampshire Regional’s location in the Connecticut River Valley as a way to engage her students in outdoor classroom opportunities in the surrounding woods, streams and field of Westhampton. One year, she led students in raising and releasing fish for a state-run “head start” program and another year, she engaged students on a resilience study on forest trees that included participation from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
In addition to the award, O’Brien received a $1,000 gift that will be used to incorporate wildlife species tracking technology into school programming at Mass Audubon’s Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary to further conservation and climate change education with learners from Hampshire Regional and beyond.
“Tara was teaching climate change education early on. She was definitely on the cutting edge,” said Gutermuth. “She brought science to life for her students. She really is amazing.”
Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.