An environmental educator and community activist, Elaine Giessel says with a smile that she's also been called "the Garbage Queen."

As a Texas teen, Giessel was inspired by the adventures of Jacques Cousteau. She spent weekends on the Gulf of Mexico and realized the importance of healthy oceans to the planet. Giessel's role model was her paternal grandmother, Dr. Lotta Giessel, who escaped with her family from Nazi Germany. As a pediatrician, "Dr. Lotta" provided medical services in low-income and minority neighborhoods in east Houston. Giessel worked summers in the clinic, leading to pre-med studies at Rice University.

During her junior year, Giessel realized that her passion lay instead in teaching and changed her major to biology. She has a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from Rice and did extensive graduate work in marine science at the University of Texas.

She explains, "I was never employed in marine biology, but found work in teaching and solid waste management."

As an unemployed and overeducated mother in Victoria, Texas, Giessel volunteered on a citizens' group advocating remediation of mercury contamination near the gulf. The group's facilitator was a board member of the League of Women Voters of the United States, and she recruited Giessel to join Victoria's league chapter. One of three officers for a group of 30 members, Giessel says, "It was eye-opening to see what a handful of people could do."

Giessel moved with her family from south Texas to Overland Park in 1999 and promptly joined the League of Women Voters of Johnson County, becoming natural resources chair.

"The league's greatest strength is its credibility," Giessel said, "especially with elected officials, who recognize the league's dedication to studying and advocating for issues that protect our communities."

Giessel's role with the league is to educate about environmental issues—and education is her mission. She taught biology at Kansas City Kansas Community College and worked six years for the Johnson County Park & Recreation District, presenting educational programs in natural and cultural history. For three summers she directed the Outdoor Discover Camp at Shawnee Mission Park, encouraging hundreds of children to explore the prairies, forests, and streams. She coordinated the Birding Fiesta, portrayed Mother Nature for Arbor Day, and represented author Rachel Carson in women's history programs.

During that time she developed a series of programs celebrating and honoring seniors. The series is named for "Grandmother Spider," the wise spinner of tales. Keeper of life's secrets, she weaves stories that stimulate memories and link the past to the future.

"These programs not only entertain and educate, but also encourage our elders to value and to share their own experiences," Giessel said.

Having served for years on a national advisory panel to the American Chemical Council, Giessel volunteered for the Bayer Company's Community Advisory Panel in Kansas City. The focus of the panel is risk management, including worker safety, environmental protection, and communication with neighboring communities.

Other volunteer commitments of this energetic 63-year-old include the Kansas Department of Transportation's Five-County Transportation Study; Mid-America Regional Council Air Quality Working Group; Overland Park Solid Waste Task Force; Johnson County Solid Waste Management Committee; Johnson County Environmental Task Force; Sunflower Restoration Advisory Board; League of Women Voters State Water Study; and Kansas/Kanza Group Sierra Club's executive committee. She also is a consultant for citizens opposed to the proposed Gardner Intermodal Facility.

"It's nice to leave a legacy, something that will have a tangible impact on the community," said the "garbage queen" about her six years representing the league on the Johnson County Solid Waste Management Committee. "Johnson County's new Solid Waste Management Plan, which the league supported, is now a model for the rest of Kansas."

About the future, she said, "My husband and I are on the cusp of the next chapter in our lives. With our three children grown, we are dreaming about living on a boat for a year. We would take the 7,000 mile 'great loop,' traveling from Texas to Florida, up the East Coast, through the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi River, and back to the gulf. We're ready to slow down, enjoy life, and do some bird watching."

Giessel's latest honor is being named a Woman of Worth by the local Older Women's League.

Call the Ernie Miller Nature Center, 913-764-7759, to arrange a program from the Grandmother Spider series; a descriptive brochure is available upon request.