Staff from the DEQ Office of Environmental Education and
Public Affairs recently had the opportunity to try out a new interactive GIS
map developed for educators during a workshop hosted by UNC Institute for the
Environment’s Environmental Resource Program.
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| Interactive GIS Map developed by the DEQ Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs |
Tracy Weidert, program coordinator with the office
participated in the EGRET (Exploring the
Geographical Region and Ecosystems of the Tar-Pamlico Watershed) Workshop which was designed to help educators
explore the natural and cultural history of the Tar-Pamlico region, learn more about the EGRET curriculum and to explore ways the lessons could be
integrated into their existing programs.
Weidert sees lot of potential for the interactive map
because it allows users to explore the geographical and ecological features of
their region with students and program participants. “With the map you can
identify which river basin you live in, what type of soil is beneath your feet,
examine the topography of your area, and more. The map also displays the
state’s Environmental Education Centers of which there are over 200 in North
Carolina,” said Weidert.
The workshop was offered to educators from state parks,
science museums, nature centers and colleges and universities. The workshop is an extension
of the EGRET Program, a year-long fellowship program to engage 5th grade
teachers from the Tar-Pamlico river basin in hands-on, inquiry-based activities
integrated across content areas and with the outdoors.
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| Laura McCoy, Erica Connery, Toni Abernathy examining samples created during a live tar kiln demonstration |
“We hope to make the program more sustainable by offering training to environmental educators in the field who can then support classroom teachers in their areas,” said Sarah Yelton, EGRET Program Manager, with UNC Institute for the Environment.
The professional development training included sessions on
how to lead nature journaling programs that build observation skills and how to
do citizen science in the schoolyard. Participants learned these skills and
more at the two-day workshop, which was held at Goose Creek State Park. Park
rangers and staff were essential to
helping facilitate the workshop sessions which also included: exploring swamp
and marsh ecosystems; investigating Goose Creek by kayak; tar kilns +
turpentine: how NC’s ecosystems built the state (with demonstration of a
working tar kiln); and exploring ecosystem response to human activity.
More information about the EGRET program can be found at http://ie.unc.edu/egret/
To explore your ecological address using our new map, visit http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/resources-discover-ecoaddress.html
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