Educator Spotlight: Mirren Hill

Mirren Hill is a nature educator at White Deer Park in Garner. She also works as an educator at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and the North Carolina Zoo. In her personal time, she enjoys to reading, hiking new trails and trying new restaurants.

Mirren says her favorite part of the program was the opportunity to travel to different areas of North Carolina and to visit different parks and education centers. “I grew up in the Triangle and there's so many places I still needed to explore! So, it was super fun for me to be able to try places that I'd been wanting to go to or even places I hadn't heard of before. For my certification, some of the places I really enjoyed were the NC Arboretum in Asheville, the Greensboro Science Center, Blue Jay County Park, Forest Ridge Park and Agape Center for Environmental Education. I also really enjoyed meeting people at the different workshops and programs I attended.”

When asked about an experience that stood out to her, Mirren says there were two – the Don’t Waste It! workshop at Blue Jay County Park and the Snakes 101 program at Annie Louise Wilkerson Nature Preserve. “I learned a lot of new information about landfills, waste and compost I found to be super interesting and engaging. I also have used activities I learned in that workshop for my community partnership project and for programs at work. I was pretty indifferent towards snakes before my career in environmental education but since handling snakes at my jobs and learning more about them in programs like the Snakes 101, I have grown a newfound appreciation and passion for them which has been a lot of fun for me.”

For her community partnership project, Mirren partnered with Hillandale Elementary School in Durham and created a "Every Day is Earth Day" program for their Science Day. “I presented the program to around 80 second graders and created a ‘10 Ways to be Kind to the Earth’ pamphlet for the students to take home. I think my project affected the community by showcasing our changing climate in a positive light by educating the students about fun, everyday things they can do in their daily lives to care for the environment.”

Mirren says the program changed her approach to teaching by encouraging her to incorporate a sense of curiosity and discovery. “In my work, I like to ask a lot of questions and create an environment where the younger generation can discover the natural beauty of our environment on their own with me there to guide them with a sense of wonder.”

Mirren says the program also changed how she views environmental issues. “I think my approach to environmental issues before participating in the certification program was more geared towards policy change, but now I think about environmental issues with an education lens. I think there is so much power and value in education and there can be so much positive change made when people learn about and appreciate the environment around them.”

Educator Spotlight: Jennifer Wiggen

Jennifer Wiggen, the Director of Education and Engagement at the Bald Head Island Conservancy, recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. In her role at the conservancy, Jennifer creates opportunities for people to have meaningful nature-based experiences on Bald Head Island. These experiences can include taking the Turtle Walk program to observe a nesting sea turtle, exploring oyster reefs on a guided kayak or creating art with nature during a summer camp.

Jennifer’s work has a significant impact on students in the area. “We bring over a thousand 6th grade students from Title 1 schools in Brunswick County every year for a free outdoor field trip where they learn about the ecosystems found on Barrier Islands. I love the outdoors - my family and I call them nature adventures – and we want to share it with others because I believe if we can connect people to the natural world, the more we all feel connected and can become better environmental stewards.”

In her personal time Jennifer is a NC Certified Watercraft Instructor and Outdoor Instructor for the Girls Scouts. She spends a lot of time volunteering with the girls so they will have the opportunity to experience being on the water and enjoying the outdoors. She also volunteers to monitor sea turtle nests in the summer with the Oak Island Sea Turtle Program. “When I’m not outside, you can probably find me spending time with family, at CrossFit or reading.”

When asked about her favorite part of the program, Jennifer says she enjoyed all the classes she took, all the new things she learned and exploring different education centers and outdoor spaces. “It made me feel like a kid again to go discover different museums, nature centers and do different outdoor excursions and learn from other educators. I just really enjoyed the opportunity to prioritize learning again. This was especially true after taking the classes because you just look at things differently and see all the things you can incorporate and do to make your programming and space better and more accessible.”

As far as an experience that stood out to her, Jennifer says it was the opportunity to include her family in her certification journey. “I really got to spend some amazing quality time with my family visiting some truly beautiful places in North Carolina. I visited Grandfather Mountain with my husband and daughter and saw the synchronous fireflies, I kayaked out to the Three Sisters Swamp with them and saw the fifth oldest tree species in the world, I took my Mom and went on a waterfowl birding tour with the NC Maritime Museum to the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge to see the Tundra Swan, my sister and I took all our kids to Sylvan Heights Bird Park which was amazing. The experiences that stand out to me are the ones that brought me closer to the people I love while appreciating nature and what NC has to offer.”

For her community partnership project, she created the “Bald Head Island Youth Sustainability Symposium” which brought together high school students from different parts of the state. The BHIC Youth Sustainability Symposium focused on engaging youth in thought-provoking, real-world conversations which promote the conservation and preservation of coastal resources for future generations in response to climate and other anthropogenic change in a manner that effectively balances environmental, economic, and social factors. Overall, it created an opportunity for students to come together and talk to each other from different backgrounds. This event will continue and will happen again this spring.”

Jennifer says the program changed her approach to teaching. “Participating in the EE certification really changed how I viewed what I means to be accessible. I now look at my programs entirely differently than I did before in terms of thinking about how they can be experienced by a variety of people with different needs. I'm so thankful for information that programs like groups like Birdability and Universal Design for Learning taught me.

The program also changed the way Jennifer views environmental issues. “I think that the certification really engrained in me how multi-faceted environmental issues are and that there isn't ever an absolute "right" answer when thinking about people and the environment. We all come with our own lived experiences which will shape how we approach environmental issues, and I think that keeping that in mind is the key to having meaningful dialogue about the environmental issues that we face today.”

Educator Spotlight: Adam Smith

Adam Smith, an eighth-grade science teacher at South Stanly Middle School, recently completed his NC Environmental Education Certification. In addition to teaching, Adam enjoys photography and incorporates his photos into his lessons. He also enjoys birding and has been contributing bird observations to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s citizen science program, eBird, after noticing a lack of observations in his local parks.   

Adam says his favorite part of earning his certification was the people he met especially during multi-day workshops. “Being able to connect with other people with a similar goal as you is uplifting and informative. Being able to talk through problems and share stories with other educators as we learn things to take back to the classroom has been something that I would not trade, and it is why I encourage educators to join the program.”

Adam says the experience that stood out for him was the  the Educators of Excellence trip with the Museum of Natural Sciences to Yellowstone National Park. “There were so many parts about this trip that encompasses what environmental education means to me. The shared experiences, personal connections, a connection with nature, a time of personal growth; these are just a few of the things that happened on this trip, with this wild and beautiful landscape in the background.”

For his community partnership project, Adam made a digital scavenger hunt for a local park that allows visitors to do a nature walk at the park. Adam noticed that the park did not have any signage explaining the trees, wildlife or the benefits of removing dams to let the park’s creek flow freely. “The scavenger hunt provides a reason for locals to slow down and observe what is around them and discover all the diversity in the park. There are also facts provided for those who want to learn more and then links that take you to outside sites to give even more information for those that are curious.”

Adam says that the program changed his approach to teaching because he learned what a powerful impact storytelling and personal experiences can have as a part of teaching. “I try to have students make the personal connections with the environment in ways that they have not thought of before. Students often do not realize how connected they are to the environment, and in my lessons, providing that connection helps them realize that their actions are important, and they are not disconnected from the environment.”

Adam also says the program changed the way he views environmental issues. “I have come to realize how fragile the policies we have in place are. Working with professionals in field during workshops I see how little they have to work with and how important it is to inform others about environmental issues. I thought myself well informed before getting my certification, but I have found that there are far fewer people involved with environmental issues. I am becoming more involved by letting my voice be heard because we need more people to inform others. I also have found there is a lack of information in our rural communities such as the one I live in. It is up to me to be the change that educate those around me.”