Educator Spotlight: Leigh Ann Emery

Leigh Ann Emery, an Interpretive Park Guide for Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. In this role, she assists with daily educational programming and roving the mountain to engage with guests. Leigh Ann says she has been in her position for four years and has taken on new responsibilities. “As I’ve progressed in my position, I also assist with planning special events, mentoring new staff members and developing content for long-term exhibits and interpretive signage. When guests ask me about my job while I’m stationed on Linville Peak, I often tell them I have “the best office in the world,” says Leigh Ann.

When asked about her favorite part of the certification program, Leigh Ann says it was the flexibility. “It felt a lot like a choose your own adventure! Planning out site visits and selecting workshops that sounded interesting was so enjoyable – it gave me plenty of things to look forward to on the calendar! Every time I went to another facility around the state for a site visit, I came back to work full of inspiration for building up our own exhibits and programs.”

Leigh Ann says the experience in the program that stood out for her was attending the 75^th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “I spent four days exploring the park on guided excursions looking at nature of all kinds. I attended programs focused on lichen, mosses, salamanders, geology, fungi, and so much more! It was so incredible to meet such a wonderful group of passionate people with a mix of backgrounds - educators, biologists, lifelong learners, etc. One of my favorite parts was getting a behind-the-scenes tour of the specimens stored at the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center. Seeing plant specimens that were pressed in the late 1800s was awe-inspiring!”

For her community partnership project, Leigh Ann facilitated nature journaling outings for Avery County High School’s Environmental Club. “I met with the students every other week at a location within Avery County, including the school campus, local hiking trails, and Grandfather Mountain. During meetings I guided the students on the basics of nature journaling and the specifics of each meeting’s prompt. Once students began working on their prompts, I joined them with my own journal and facilitated conversations about nature, journaling, and other topics. While nature journaling is the primary activity for this project, my hope is that this will become a long-term outreach program to not only better connect the students to nature, but also to offer a professional connection for students to lean on as they begin preparing for college and their own career paths.”

Leigh Ann says she started working on her certification at the beginning of her journey as a nonformal educator and that the program had an impact on her teaching. “The more steps I took towards completing my certification, the more my teaching style was shaped by all the workshops and professional development opportunities. I would not be the educator I am today without the certification program. I am so grateful for all the incredible resources I have gained through this process and for all the incredible educators I have met along the way.”

When asked if the program changed her views about environmental issues, Leigh Ann says it made her realize the importance of environmental educators. “We help make the connections needed in order to inspire care and stewardship of the environment. I look forward to continuing to help current and future generations build those closer connections to the environment around them.”