Environmental Educators of N.C. Presents its 2009 Awards

The Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) recently recognized a number of individuals and organizations for their contributions to environmental education throughout the state. EENC is the state’s professional organization representing environmental educators including classroom teachers, state and national park rangers, museum educators and educators working in other non-formal settings. EENC is also the state's affiliate to the North American Association for Environmental Education.

The awards were handed out by North Carolina's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. June St. Clair Atkinson, at EENC's annual conference.

Two individuals were honored with EENC's Outstanding Service Awards.

Shelby Gull Laird has served as EENC’s policy chair and is currently the organization’s president-elect. She was instrumental in creating EENC’s successful bid to host the 2011 conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). This conference, calendared for October 11-16, 2011, will bring 1,200 of the world’s environmental educators to North Carolina for professional development highlighting the best of our state’s natural and cultural resources. Over the past eight years, Shelby has had the opportunity to promote environmental education in two related roles. For four years, she taught earth/environmental science at Garner Magnet High School. Subsequent to that, she developed the highly regarded “It’s Our Water” professional development program, working with the nonprofit North Carolina based Environmental Education Fund.

Renee Strnad is the state coordinator for Project Learning Tree and supports 4-H natural resource programs statewide. She is also a liaison between the College of Natural Resources at N.C. State University and environmental educators, sharing relevant information between the two groups. She is currently working with Wiley Elementary School in Raleigh, where students in grades 3-5 get their first glimpse of being a forester, through tree measurement classes facilitated by N.C. State forestry students.

EENC's Outstanding Educator Award was given to Wiley International Magnet School’s Sarah Palmer. While Palmer has been using environmental education in her lessons for the better part of two decades, she redoubled her efforts a few years ago when she was told that she and her colleagues were the last generation for whom an intimate connection to nature would be a common experience. “That concept horrified me, and at that moment I decided to do something about it,” says Sarah. Since then, she has created various curriculum activities and units, including a Project Bright Ideas unit on ecosystems. Palmer also built a native plant learning garden on school grounds, which features edible, herbal and medicinal plants as well as some to attract native pollinators.

Matt Besch, principal of Beaufort-based In Your Head Advertising, took home the organization’s 2009 Outstanding Partnership Award. “Matt contributed countless hours to our organization, above and beyond his modest retainer, to ensure that the EENC website would be competitive and comprehensive,” noted EENC Communications Chair Elizabeth Burke. “We were fortunate to find a partner who understands and supports the environmental and educational mission of EENC.”

Archdale-Trinity Middle School’s 7th grade science teacher, Sarah Fuller, was honored as EENC's Outstanding Newcomer. While Fuller has been an EENC member since 2005, she stepped up to the challenge of serving as EENC’s membership chair this year. And while this award recognizes her as a newcomer to EENC, she’s been involved in environmental education for the past decade. She earned her B.A. from SUNY-Potsdam in Elementary Education , with an emphasis in ecology, and earned an M.A. from UNC-Greensboro in Middle School Science.

Finally, EENC's 2009 Outstanding Environmental Organization award was given to the North Carolina Envirothon. For the past 18 years, the Envirothon has engaged thousands of middle and high school students in actively learning about ecology, natural resources management, and current environmental issues. The Envirothon encourages teachers and students to go outdoors to learn about the natural world around them. They are also challenged to think critically about how to balance the quality of life with the quality of the environment. The Envirothon also engages resource professionals to share their expertise and passion for their every day work in soils, land use planning, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and many other diverse environmental fields. North Carolina's Division of Soil andWater Conservation's Steve Bennett, brought the Envirothon to North Carolina, and was on hand to accept the award.

Congratulations everyone!

Thanks to EENC Communications Chair Elizabeth Burke for this submission.