The hundreds of teachers and thousands of students who went out into their schoolyards to teach and learn ecology, and then shared their experiences with us. Without their insights, enthusiasm and inspiration, we wouldn't have gotten far. We're delighted to have been able to weave into this Handbook so many quotes from teachers, samples of teacher and student work, photographs of teachers and students in action, and stories and reflections. These real experiences with real schoolyards and kids make the rest so much more vital.

The entire SYEFEST family of project leaders, advisors, evaluators, lead teachers and lead ecologists.

Among this group of SYEFESTians, several deserve special recognition for their help in assembling the Handbook:

• Kass Hogan co-led the entire SYEFEST project and edited earlier versions of the Handbook.
  
• Catherine Corey was the first SYEFEST Project Coordinator and crafted the initial draft of the Handbook.
  
• Rachel Krusic was the second SYEFEST Project Coordinator and crafted the penultimate draft of the Handbook.
  
• Kathy Winnett-Murray, Hope College, provided an enormous amount of material based on her many years of work leading SYE Institutes.
  
• Rob Stevenson, University of Massachusetts, Boston.
  
• Frank Kuserk, Moravian College, for his outstanding contribution in Chapter 1 about making the Lead Teacher/Lead Ecologist team work.
  
• Participants in Schoolyard Ecology Leadership Workshop who shared their ideas about the Handbook and the needs of the various audiences for it.
• The agencies that provided essential funding for the SYEFEST project, and the program officers there who played a crucial role in shaping and supporting our work.

The National Science Foundation, Division of Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education. David Schindel, Don Jones, Lowell Bethel and Susan Snyder.

The Environmental Education and Training Project (EETAP) of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. Gus Medina et al

Each SYEFEST site benefited from significant support from local sources. Cash- and in-kind contributions were made by each Lead Ecologist's institution and from the schools of all Lead Teachers and teacher participants. Many sites also benefited from small grants from a host of local public and private sources.

The dynamic and wonderful team at Arrow Web Design who took the raw material we provided and created an attractive, living and functional Handbook. Sherry Svec, Candice Piaget, Kerry Clair and Don Bruce.