Science Teacher Chris Kline
is Education Coordinator

Last year an inspiring new education center was build at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. On Jan. 1 a new education coordinator was hired and began work with an equally ambitious goal: to expand botanical curricula taught by Arboretum Horticulturists and volunteer docents to help Arizona schools meet state science curriculum standards.
It marks a return to the Arboretum for Chris Kline, who spent a memorable summer here 18 years ago as a student intern.
"I have so many fond memories of that summer: I worked primarily with Education Coordinator Carol Crosswhite and Horticulturist Kent Newland and learned so much about plant propagation, especially working with cactus. I enjoyed the wildlife experiences including encounters with scorpions, rattlesnakes and gila monsters," recalls Kline.
"I found the beauty of the Arboretum breathtaking. Perhaps my most vivid memory is a monsoon storm south of Picketpost Mountain in which the lightning was pink...the dark outline of Picketpost against the pink backdrop was striking. That entire summer planted the seed that I wanted to work in public gardens as a career."Kline graduated from Marcos de Niza High in Tempe, then earned his
Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Northern Arizona University, followed by a Master of Science in Plant Systematics from Ohio University. Along the way he earned a teaching certificate in Elementary Education, completed internships at the Desert Botanical Garden and Phoenix Zoo, worked on a landscaping crew and at plant nurseries in Tucson and Flagstaff.
Kline began his teaching career on the Navajo Reservation and continued through positions in Athens, Ohio; Springerville, AZ and Muncie, Indiana. Most recently he taught middle school science, math, and Spanish at the Pine/Strawberry Elementary School, where he also coached basketball and coordinated the Hands Across the Border program.
"I'm equally passionate about education and plants. Sadly, our nation is taking a 'one-test-fixes-all' mentality towards education. My educational philosophy in the classroom was one of hands-on learning. Students, regardless of age, enjoy a hands-on approach more and I would argue they will better connect to what they're learning. What better place to be able to do hands-on education than in an outdoor museum setting?
"I jumped at the opportunity to join the Boyce Thompson Arboretum staff because the mission is a natural fit with my teaching style. It also affords me the opportunity to perfect my techniques so that I may convince my colleagues that those greatly coveted "high test scores" can be accomplished through hands-on and outdoor education.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum opened to the public in 1926 with a mission from its founder "to instill in people an appreciation for plants." Over the years this 320 acre collection of cultivated gardens and native Sonoran desert has become affiliated with the University of Arizona's College of Agriculture; since 1976 its also been an Arizona State Park. Pinal, Gila and Maricopa County teachers appreciate the Arboretum, a place where guided botanical education tours are available year-round at subsidized education rates of just $1 per pupil. Mr. Kline hopes to do link Arboretum education approaches to Arizona Academic Standards and convince teachers that hands-on, outdoor education can be an effective way to teach children and helping them meet those standards. Teachers who wish to contact Mr. Kline about education programs or guided tours at Boyce Thompson Arboretum may call 520-689-2723, or else email him at ckline@ag.arizona.edu.
"I would also like to reach out to the informal education groups like Boy and Girl Scouts, RV parks, and church groups. Another goal is to develop weekend and summer programming which will encourage kids and adults to visit the Arboretum regularly, fueling their interest in the natural world."
Students from the Apache Junction School District are shown during a tour; the Wing Memorial Learning Center is in the background.