Educator Spotlight: Kati McArdle

Kati McArdle recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. Kati is a grants and donor communications manager for an environmental advocacy nonprofit. She also works as a conservation educator at Piedmont Wildlife Center, and volunteers with a several local organizations, including Chapel Hill Public Library.

When asked about her favorite part of the program, Kati says she really enjoyed the hands-on instructional workshops, like Project WET, Leopold Education Project, Project Learning Tree, It's Our Water, Flying Wild, and one of her favorites, “Don't Waste It” which was held at the Walnut Creek Wetland Center in Raleigh. “The workshops were an excellent way to observe experienced educators putting on great programs and participate in them myself. Trying out the different approaches gave me more confidence teaching in the field to different audiences and using the techniques from the workshops. It also helped me to build a great library of resources to refer to--educator guides, websites, YouTube videos, and more.”

When asked about an experience that stood out for her, Kati says it was the self-guided classes that could be used for the required outdoor experiences credit that the team at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences put together. “These experiences were amazing. I ended up completing almost all the virtual classes that were offered such as Under a Rotten Log, Using Your Senses, Parts of a Flower, Trees to Meet You, Project Squirrel, and Creating a Nature Journal, and I have wonderful pages in my notebook where I completed the self-paced activities during the pandemic shutdown and following months. That was a scary and stressful time for most of us and having those courses available--not only to be able to continue making progress toward certification in an uncertain time, but also to have the chance to connect with nature in positive and inspiring ways--was such a wonderful resource.”

For her community partnership project, Kati partnered with the DEQ’s Division of Water Resources and worked with Lauren Daniel, the division’s Water Education Program Coordinator, to help re-launch the Water Writers Pen Pal Program for classrooms to participate in a letter writing pen pal exchange with other students across the state. “I ended up creating several letter-writing templates for middle school students that included state educational standards content, an educator guide, and a quick-start video. It was so much fun to see the project come together and officially launch in 2022 with so much interest and participation.”

Kati says the program changed her approach to teaching. “I have much more confidence, comfort, and resources when it comes to teaching and being able to work with groups at different age levels. Through the certification program, I was introduced to NC Department of Public Instruction’s standards, and began to see more of how this content could be incorporated alongside outdoor/experiential learning. I've also continued to gain awareness about accessibility in teaching and programs, and implementing more ways to help learners of all backgrounds and abilities enjoy the wonderful natural resources we have here in North Carolina. Piedmont Wildlife Center and Chapel Hill Public Library, to name a few, provided me with excellent opportunities to work with people of all ages, and especially with youth.”

Kati says the program helped her appreciate the ways in which every person has the capacity to share nature-based and environmental experiences. “This certification has helped me see ways to appreciate everyone's level of experience that they bring, including my own, and to embrace the fact that while we don't have to accomplish everything in one visit or program, we can still invite participants to make a lasting impact on their own lives and on others."