Educator Spotlight: Shelley Moore

Shelley Moore, educator, and park attendant at Walnut Creek Wetland Park in Raleigh recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. Shelley has a master’s degree in natural resources, and an academic background in psychology and education. “I began working at Walnut Creek just under a year ago, and I am so appreciative of the opportunities I have been given there to engage with the community, teach programs, and complete my environmental education partnership project.” In her personal time, she enjoys camping and hiking with her family, trail running, reading, and gardening.

Shelley says that the certification program helped advance her career and enable her to explore the state and connect with other environmental educators. “I moved to North Carolina five years ago, and the certification program has given me a wide variety of opportunities to learn about, explore, and feel connected to our state’s incredible natural resources. I have had wonderful experiences visiting EE centers for workshops and site visits, that I might not have come across without this program. I have also enjoyed meeting other people that are part of the N.C. environmental education community.”

For her community partnership project, Shelley planned and installed a new pollinator garden at Walnut Creek Wetland Park. Partnering with a group of volunteers from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, the garden was planted last fall and provides habitat for pollinators and adds beauty to an area in front of the Norman and Betty Camp Education Center. Going forward, Shelley says the garden will also be used to provide community education and volunteer opportunities. “Working with others to install the pollinator garden was a rewarding experience. This spring, it has been exciting to see the plants thriving and starting to bloom, and to find monarch caterpillars on the milkweed. I’ve also enjoyed talking with park visitors and nature program participants about the garden.”

Shelley says the program helped her become more confident teaching environmental education programs. “When planning programs, I refer to the resources and knowledge I acquired throughout the certification program. I also focus on making programs as interactive, engaging, and hands-on as possible.” 

After participating in the program, Shelley says she changed the way she views environmental issues. “I have a greater appreciation of the many ways in which environmental education can help people connect to the environment and gain an understanding of it, so that they will feel encouraged to take action to address environmental issues in their communities. I feel that this program provided me with an excellent background in environmental education and helped me to become confident in my abilities to provide quality educational programs. I enjoyed the in-person workshops that allowed me to engage with other educators but was also very appreciative of the virtual options that made it possible for me to participate in programs I wouldn’t have been able to attend in person. I look forward to being a part of more workshops in the future!”