DEQ Secretary Recognizes Dr. Erika Young, Marine Education Specialist for NC Sea Grant with Environmental Education Certificate

Dr. Erika Young receiving her NC Environmental Education Certificate from NCDEQ Secretary Reid Wilson

Secretary Reid Wilson was at the NC Sea Grant offices on Centennial Campus today to present Erika Young with a certificate for completing the NC Environmental Education Certification Program. Dr. Erika Young is the Coastal and Marine Education Specialist for NC Sea Grant. Prior to joining Sea Grant in 2022, Erika served on the faculty at UNC Pembroke for 13 years teaching biology and zoology and serving as a research mentor for undergraduates. She especially enjoys working with students in underserved communities, as she grew up in Robeson County and is a member of the Lumbee Tribe.

“I am honored to join the staff at North Carolina Sea Grant to recognize Erika’s commitment to providing environmental education and professional development to North Carolina's students and educators. Her accomplishments in marine education and her dedication to increasing environmental literacy exemplify what it means to be a Certified Environmental Educator,” noted Wilson.

Frank López, Dr. Erika Young, NCDEQ Secretary Reid Wilson, Anna Martin, Dr. Susan White 

In her role at NC Sea Grant, Erika provides education that increases ocean literacy through programming for students, teachers and the public. Erika says the certification program advanced her career. “The program enhanced my overall knowledge of the broader aspects of environmental education and allowed me to build relationships with fellow educators throughout the state.”

Erika says her favorite part of earning her certification was the collaboration. “The sheer amount of networking and collaborating with fellow environmental educators was very rewarding and further prompted my interest in creating and facilitating my own workshops.” Erika recently developed an instructional workshop for educators called Aquaculture and Marine Science and piloted it during a week of professional development programming at the Eastern 4-H Center in Columbia. The workshop will be included as professional development for the NC Environmental Education Certification program, meeting a need for more marine content for classroom teachers and nonformal educators.  

When asked what certification experience stood out to her, Erika says it was the site visits. “I thoroughly enjoyed visiting all of the hidden gems of our state's environmental education centers. This process has opened so many doors for new places to visit in North Carolina!”

For her community partnership project, Erika provided a once-in-a-lifetime professional development experience for educators. “I was the fortunate recipient of a small special topics grant offered by NOAA in 2024. I designed an educator "returnship" called Teachers on the Tower in which science educators could have a "rejuvenation" of the scientific research experience! Five educators spent six days atop Frying Pan Tower, once a fully functioning light station for the US Coast Guard in the 60's to warn ships of a particularly dangerous part of the ocean, known as The Graveyard of the Atlantic. The educators collected data for biological, physical and chemical oceanographic processes. The tower was retired in 2004 and has since become a nonprofit, focused on oceanic research, coastal resilience and public outreach.”

Erika says the program was beneficial for her career and noted the program’s reputation as a model for other states. “I am proud to be a part of this program, as North Carolina has an excellent history of environmental education.”

Educator Spotlight: Luke Halton

Photo by Colonel Matthew Halton

Luke Halton, founder and director of the nonprofit, THE OBX WAY, recently completed his NC Environmental Education Certification. Luke creates Outer Banks trail maps to encourage outdoor safety, health, and education. He also coordinated a high school photography internship, established the Outer Banks Trail Center in Manteo, and has adopted the Hatteras National Seashore beach from ORV Ramp 4 to the Oregon Inlet.

"TrailHead" by Benjamin Lashley

Luke says what he enjoyed most about the program was the opportunity to collaborate with other educators while working towards certification. “Many meaningful moments in the journey occurred while sharing best practices with a mix of traditional North Carolina instructors. The online group classes, in-person workshops, and site visits helped me understand how to improve my existing resources and better connect with audiences.”

"BikeRack" by Benjamin Lashley

When asked about a certification experience that stands out to him, Luke said it was the teaching. “I am most proud of our HONORS internship program.  Our student-partner, Benjamin Lashley, captured the idyllic images for our Outer Banks Visitors Bureau essays, was published online by Our State Magazine, and won the NC Wildlife Youth Photographer Competition.  Ben’s effort is irreplaceable, and his photos are timeless.”

"BaySide" by Benjamin Lashley

For his community partnership project, THE OBX WAY activated a grant from the Outer Banks Community Foundation to research, document, and promote local day-hikes.  The project produced an online interactive map, a printable booklet, and an information event hosted by outdoor enthusiasts.  The momentum from this project led to bicycle and paddle route designs, with the new interpretive maps reaching over 100,000 views.

"Happy Hikes" by Benjamin Lashley

"Down the Line" by Benjamin Lashley

Luke says participating in the program helped him develop fundamental environmental literacy. “As an informal educator exploring ocean, forest, and marsh ecosystems with unique plant and animal species, my curriculum is unlimited.  However, to improve awareness and affect attitudes for environmental appreciation, focusing on key subjects for diverse learners is required to advance outdoor stewardship, access, and inclusion.  So… how can I help people with varied ages and abilities enjoy nature on their terms?”

"Pocosin Paradox" by Benjamin Lashley

25 Years of Wonder: Sharing the Magic of Estuaries with Ms. Lori Davis

 Today, we are celebrating the incredible impact of Lori Davis as she reaches an amazing milestone of 25 years of service with the state of North Carolina.

“Ms. Lori,” as she is called by most, strives to live by this quote from Rachel Carson: “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” 

For the past 25 years, Ms. Lori has served as an Education Specialist (11 years) and as the Education Coordinator (14 years) for the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve. In this role, she manages K - college education initiatives, teacher and educator programs, and community outreach efforts. If you have ever been fortunate enough to learn from or work with her, then you know how she transforms the natural world into a place of discovery and excitement through her words, enthusiasm, and knowledge.

Read the entire story on DEQ's Environmentally Speaking Blog.

Educator Spotlight: Elizabeth Vickery-Lewis

Elizabeth Vickery-Lewis, the high school and virtual programs coordinator at the North Carolina Zoo School recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. She works primarily with high school students delivering hands-on and in-nature programming. Elizabeth loves spending time outdoors, traveling and she is currently working on a Master of Arts in teaching in the biological sciences.

Elizabeth says her favorite part of the certification program was being able to learn new things and to be outdoors. “Living in a world where there so often needs to be a "why" or even just an end goal feeling of advancement, this provided the space for me to prioritize what I already love to do and truly helped expand me as an educator.”

When asked about the certification experience that stood out for her, Elizabeth said it was the air quality workshop at Purchase Knob. “It’s a beautiful area with such applicable ways to teach otherwise hard to grasp concepts. I left feeling reinvigorated, equipped with strategies to teach air quality concepts effectively, and the sense of community was heightened with the overnight experiences. I have kept in contact with multiple participants despite it being a small class.”

For her community partnership project, Elizabeth facilitated a project based learning experience with middle and high school groups. “As part of my role as School and Library Programs Coordinator, and later High School and Virtual Programs Coordinator, I continued to hear the need for true project based learning facilitated by the North Carolina Zoo. Multiple teachers pointed out that in a world where students can access information extremely readily, even an interactive activity if fact based, is no longer enough to foster the love of learning and deep understanding of scientific processes – students need to actively engage in problem solving. Throughout this process I was able to advocate for a permanent summer teen conservation program, and I am now able to offer project based learning experiences to all my program applicants.”

Elizabeth said the program changed her approach to teaching. “The program promotes direct, hands-on experiences, and we were constantly learning. Often in the education field you can feel like you somehow know how to change anything into a lesson, but the program really shifts your methods overall. Just the Methods of Teaching Environmental Education training alone changed how I framed my goals and objectives in my lessons to ensure I was staying true to quality environmental education instead of merely environmental information.”

She says the program has also changed the way she views environmental issues. “It has broadened my understanding and has forced me to see new perspectives. In this political climate it can also be hard to bring up environmental issues and topics surrounding them without being incredibly uncomfortable and worrying that your peers may be in a completely different place than you. We were able to discuss our viewpoints and while everyone was relatively on the same page about concerns, it became a safe place to discuss other views or even just how to informally "teach" in our personal encounters with others even if we don't directly share our own views.”

 

Educator Spotlight: Sara Davarbakhsh

Sara Davarbakhsh, environmental education program coordinator for Wake County Solid Waste Management Division, recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. In her coordinator role, Sara organizes outreach activities focused on reducing waste for different audiences.

Sara says her favorite part of earning her environmental education certification was learning from instructors. “I enjoyed being able to learn directly from subject matter experts about the diverse ecosystems and wildlife that live in NC, including how to track and identify different species of flora and fauna.”

When asked about the certification experience that stood out to her, Sara says it was a workshop offered through Environmental Educators of North Carolina on universal design. “There were so many amazing experiences, one that really stood out for me and is already shaping how I develop educational programs, was Accessible by Nature: Designing EE to Support All Learners.”

For her community partnership project, Sara started a compost bin and equipment donation program for educational purposes. “I worked with many community partners, including schools, churches, non-profits, assisted living facilities, food bank gardens, community gardens, parks, museums, and municipalities in an effort to expand community composting, reduce waste sent to landfill, and provide an educational opportunity for community partners to learn the best practice of composting firsthand. Since 2021, the program has donated over 240 compost bins to over 100 community partners and the program is growing. Each composter has the potential to divert 500 lbs. of organic waste from disposal each year. This amounts to 120,000 lbs. per year of organic waste turned into an environmentally beneficial product instead of pollution in a landfill.”

Sara says the program directly engages members of the community. “It provides them with free access to compost equipment, technical assistance, and education on composting. Recipients learn hands on from staff, including the benefits of composting as well as how to compost and they share their learnings with their members. The health, environmental, and socio-economic rewards of composting are soon learned over time, as composting gets underway. Composting is a great way to teach environmental stewardship, through natural resource conservation and educate people about where their food comes from and the importance of healthy soils. It can help address food insecurity, prevent soil erosion and nutrient loss, and is recognized as a carbon sink when compost is applied to soil.”

Sara says the program changed the way she approaches teaching. “I have already made improvements to how I teach and deliver programs, incorporating new approaches I learned from the certification program through workshops such as the Accessible by Nature: Designing EE to Support All Learners. It provided me with the knowledge and resources I needed to develop learning opportunities that remove barriers to learning to create a learning environment that anyone and everyone can successfully learn in regardless of their different learning style/needs.”

Sara says the program did change the way she thinks about environmental issues. “I came into the certification program with a post-graduate degree in environmental science. The change I experienced the most after participating in the certification program was in developing teaching skills, and the confidence to teach environmental issues to others. I had no formal experience as an educator. After finishing my certification, I am much more confident at teaching environmental issues to others. I know how to engage my students better. I know how to serve their individual learning needs better. Overall, I am better at my job, as an environmental education program coordinator.”

 

Educator Spotlight: Jessica Blackburn

Jessica Blackburn, an educator with the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. In this role, Jessica provides environmental education and  outdoor programming for the youth in Jackson and Macon Counties. “The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust is a non-profit conservation organization that conserves land, educates people, and maintains public access to its properties so most of my programming is held on the properties we conserve. I am a full-time graduate student in biology at Western Carolina University where I am also a teaching assistant for biology labs. Some of my hobbies include hiking, baking, and reading.”

Jessica says her favorite part of the program was travelling around this state. “Although I grew up here, earning my certification allowed me to travel to places in North Carolina that I had never visited.” She says the experience in the program that really stood out for her was going to Cherokee and learning more about the NC Wildlife Resources Commission’s Project WILD workshop and about the Cherokee culture at the New Kituwah Academy. “I loved how we learned about some traditional Cherokee greetings through active participation. Furthermore, learning from people of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians made the experience genuine.”

For her community partnership, she organized and taught a mushroom inoculation workshop. “For this program I wanted to emphasize the power that growing your own food has and how simple it can be. On one of the land trust properties, Edward Baker Preserve, community members gathered, and I taught participants how to drill holes in the logs, inoculate with edible mushroom spawn and store at home for future harvesting. Community members were so excited and so engaged. They let me know they would be demonstrating this new skill to other community members.”

Jessica says the program changed her approach to teaching. “This program allowed me to grow as a public speaker and get more creative with my lessons. Prior to this, I was not the biggest fan of talking in front of people or instructing people on how to learn. Now I have the confidence and organization to teach anyone.

Educator Spotlight: Leeah Sutton

Leeah Sutton, a nonformal educator in Guilford County, has completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. She recently completed a seasonal environmental education position at Haw River State Park and is now open to opportunities to apply environmental education across the Piedmont, Triad and surrounding communities.

In her work with North Carolina State Parks and as an outdoor adventure education instructor, Leeah leads NC curriculum-aligned programs, facilitates outdoor skill-building experiences, and supports learners across a range of age groups. Outside of work, she enjoys whitewater kayaking, volleyball, and listening to audiobooks.

Leeah shared that her favorite part of the program was the community partnership project. “I appreciated the opportunity to make a tangible community impact by developing and delivering programming on an invasive species recently established in North Carolina and that is actively spreading.” For her project, Leeah created age-appropriate spotted lanternfly education materials for Haw River State Park in partnership with North Carolina Cooperative Extension - Rockingham County Center.

Leeah reflected that the certification program influenced her approach to teaching and program design. “I learned to prioritize curiosity, connection, and hands-on participation in environmental education before asking learners to take conservation action. The program also expanded my access to educational resources and allowed me to learn from observing other educators in practice. Overall, this process has reinforced the importance of meaningful outdoor experiences as a foundation for environmental stewardship. ” She noted that workshops focused on teaching methods and adaptable materials for different age groups were particularly valuable in strengthening her planning and facilitation skills."