Anthropology instructor named Conservation Teacher of the Year

“Students need an opportunity for high quality, meaningful hands-on educational experiences in the outdoors." — Dr. Thomas Murphy

Dr. Thomas Murphy, 2011 Conservation Teacher
of the Year
Photo: Kerrie Murphy

Dr. Thomas W. Murphy Chair of the Anthropology Department at Edmonds Community College was selected for the Washington Association of Conservation Districts’ Conservation Teacher of the Year Award. The award recognizes a K-12, college, technical, or trade school educator in Washington State. He will now be considered for the National Association of Conservation Districts award.

Murphy founded the Learn and Serve Environmental Anthropology Field (LEAF) School in 2006 and the Center for Service-Learning in 2007 and has helped produce an annual powwow at Edmonds Community College for the last 12 years. He serves as the faculty liaison for the Center for Service-Learning, which leads the college’s nationally recognized service-learning program. In 2008, he received the Excellence in Education Award from the college’s trustees.

The LEAF School partners with tribes, governments, non-profits, businesses and educational institutions to get students involved hands-on in service-learning projects that help to make communities more sustainable. Participating students are able to earn an AmeriCorps education award while taking a series of college courses in human ecology. Over the past six years, more than 300 students have contributed over 6,000 hours of service with dozens of community partner organizations.

Murphy’s students have played key roles in a wide variety of service-learning projects, including many habitat restoration projects with both the King and Snohomish Conservation Districts. His students have designed and installed an ethnobotanical garden at the City of Lynnwood's Gold Park, made an assessment of possible sources of PBDE contamination at Bracket's Landing in Edmonds, investigated pre-spawn mortality of Coho salmon in Lund's Gulch, and monitored the return of fishers on the Olympic Peninsula.