About the new CLEARING
Many of you are familiar with CLEARING. It has been around practically forever, and it has long been an important part of the environmental education community — in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, providing connections, linkages, inspiration, and visibility to those working in the classroom and field to build an environmentally literate society.
Who we
This is a new beginning for CLEARING. After years of struggling to stay afloat as a one-man operation, we are revitalizing the brand, gathering a new group of advisors, devising a new publishing strategy, and utilizing technology to bring CLEARING back into production.
A new publishing strategy
The biggest change for CLEARING is in the way that it is being published.
For many people, including the editor, it has been hard to let go of the printed magazine. But it was obvious that the old paradigm was not working, and would continue to be a struggle because of the rising cost of paper, ink, and postage for mailing of the magazine. The only solution was, and is, to go digital, and make the magazine available on-line.
But that change opens up a whole new world of possibilities, and gives new energy to the magazine. By going online, CLEARING now has the ability to reach many more readers, not just locally, but across North America and around the world. By going online, CLEARING can become a more timely publication, providing updates on current events. And by going online, CLEARING also becomes a more accessible publication, allowing input and feedback from readers which will make the magazine more dynamic and interactive.
How it's going to work...
Bi-monthly publication online
CLEARING will now be distributed FREE online on a bi-monthly basis in the form of a downloadable .pdf. To make reading in this format easier, we have altered the design of the magazine to a horizontal, or landscape, format. This means that each page of the magazine will fit the dimensions of your computer screen, so that you will not have to scroll up and down or side to side in order to read the articles. On top of that, the font size of the articles has been increased, so the text is much more readable.Web-based archives and supplemental information
The CLEARING website will be the place where you can read current and past articles, link to additional information, connect or communicate with others, and find a wealth of information not available anywhere else. An exciting addition to the website will be a blog-style discussion forum on place-based education and environmental justice and equity issues, led by Greg Smith of Lewis & Clark College.Annual compendium issue
The print edition of CLEARING isn't completely dead! Our plan is to compile all the articles and features during the year and publish an annual compilation issue - sort of a mini-"Best of CLEARING." This publication will make all the material that appeared in the online editions available in hard copy for libraries and others who wish to have a more tangible and permanent copy of the issues.Most importantly...
The one thing that hasn't changed is the role that YOU need to play in making this magazine a success. We are launching this revival of CLEARING with the idea that it is a work in progress. Changes will be made when they are needed, as we listen to the needs of the EE community and respond to your comments and suggestions. This magazine is a reflection of your efforts and your needs, and as such you need to help us make it the best it can possibly be. So don't be afraid to contact us at any time and share your thoughts and ideas. We would love to hear from you, knowing that you care enough about the magazine to get in touch.
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