Educator Spotlight - Chelsea Sloggy

Chelsea Sloggy, a conservation education specialist with Union County Soil and Water Conservation District, recently completed the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program.

Chelsea provides educational programming and information centered around natural resources conservation topics to the public in Union County. She notes that her job "looks different every day, but includes presentations at schools and libraries, information for landowners, professional development for students and adults alike, and so much more.” She is currently working to grow their N.C. Envirothon program and conservation contests for students as well as the environmental education opportunities they offer educators. 

Chelsea’s favorite part of earning her certification was networking with other educators and the opportunity to visit new places. “My favorite part of earning my certification has been meeting amazing people from across the state and being inspired by the work of people who share my passions. The EE certification program has taken me to places I may have never gotten the chance to see and introduced me to people who I now call good friends. I have met people who I now work closely on exciting projects with and get to share ideas and gain new knowledge alongside. I am extremely grateful for the new people and partnerships it has brought into my life!”

When asked what experience in the program stood out, Chelsea says it was participating in the Children and Nature Network’s Natural Leaders Legacy Camp. “This workshop opened my eyes to the importance of introducing our youth to the outdoors and the value of not only being an educator but a mentor. It was during this workshop that I realized that the knowledge and experiences that I had weren't worth much if I didn't share them with others. This experience opened my eyes to the possibilities that environmental education and nature hold for people from all walks of life, and made me realize that EE wasn't just an interest of mine but a passion.

For her community partnership project, Chelsea created environmental education resource boxes that can be checked out by educators. The boxes are aligned with the N.C. Envirothon curriculum and include a box for each of the Envirothon subjects including wildlife, aquatics, soils and forestry. “These resource boxes have everything an educator needs to help their students study natural resource topics through hands-on activities. I hope that these boxes will allow educators to more easily integrate environmental education into their lesson plans and programs and expose more children to the wonders of the natural world.”

Chelsea says participating in the program helped her become a more understanding, prepared and creative educator. “Throughout the program, I learned that environmental education can impact everyone, regardless of the walk of life they are coming from. But for a presentation or activity to make the greatest impact possible, you need to be the best educator that you possibly can. This means being prepared to give any participant the best program you can, whether they be young or old, from a rural area or an urban area, or they spend every day outside or rarely get to experience nature.”

She also says the way she thinks about environmental issues has been shaped through the certification program. “I now see issues from a much fuller perspective than I did before. When thinking about or discussing environmental issues, I consider more heavily how someone from a different background than my own might feel about or be impacted by those issues. The program has definitely broadened my horizons in this way, reminding me to bring people from all walks of life into the conversation about environmental issues. We all have something to learn from one another, and being mindful of this has helped to shape my programming, as well.”

Educator Spotlight - Creeden Kowal

Creeden Kowal recently completed the N.C. Environmental Education Certification program. Creeden is the Education Coordinator for Swain Soil and Water Conservation District and works closely with teachers, other Soil & and Water Conservation Districts and agricultural/environmental agencies in Western North Carolina to deliver environmental education through hands-on activities.

Creeden says her favorite part of earning her certification was all the time she spent outdoors exploring new places and the networking with fellow educators. “The certification experience that stands out for me would be camping overnight at Purchase Knob during the Air Quality workshop. The sunset and sunrise were unforgettable.

For her community partnership project, Creeden converted a trailer to a mobile soil exhibit. The exhibit is a hands-on experience for children to learn about the importance of soil as a natural resource highlighting soil as an ecosystem, causes of soil erosion, best management practices and agricultural commodities in Western North Carolina.

Creeden feels the certification program provided her with valuable skills for teaching. “I had zero experience with teaching or leading groups and had never taken any education classes. The program gave me tons of ideas to incorporate into my programs and helped me feel more comfortable teaching all ages.”

She also describes ways participating in the program changed the way she thinks about environmental issues. “The certification program has a strong emphasis on understanding more so than calling people to action. I have definitely incorporated this into my teaching style allowing students to develop their own unique understanding of the environment and their role.”

Educator Spotlight - Martha Bizzell

Martha Bizzell, a graduate student at North Carolina State University, recently completed her N.C. Environmental Education Certification. Martha is working on her Master’s in Elementary Education and has taught math and science in elementary and middle school. She also provides science and engineering education programs to schools as a nonformal educator. In her free time, Martha loves to visit state and national parks and enjoys painting.

Martha says her favorite part of earning her certification was "hands-down" meeting amazing instructors and classmates. “The environmental education community is a wonderful group of passionate people concerned for the sustainability of our world and the education of our future leaders and decision-makers.”

Two of the experiences that stand out for Martha was the Project Food, Land and People workshop and the Methods of Teaching Environmental Education at Haw River State Park for the excellent teaching skills of the facilitators. “These were two outstanding classes which covered a wealth of material in a memorable, inquiry-based and reflective manner.”

For her community partnership project, Martha created a tree identification trail at Fox Road Elementary School with an accompanying guide. “On the second day of school, the students noticed the plaques and begged for a tour! It will be used by the afternoon science club and during classes when the teachers need/want to take their students on a nature hike.”

Martha noted that the Methods of Teaching Environmental Education workshop also included new pedagogy in teaching that are skills and techniques also taught in her graduate education classes. “It is nice to see both programs on the same page. A positive trend, I believe, in education. 

Celebrate Take A Child Outside Week September 24- September 30

The N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs invites you to take part in a nationwide effort to connect children to the natural world. “Take a Child Outside” is designed to help children develop an appreciation for the outdoors by giving parents, grandparents, caregivers and teachers information on nature activities and places to visit.

Take a Child Outside Week is coordinated by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences with participation by partner organizations throughout the U.S. and around the world. The program encourages all citizens to participate in outdoor activities and occurs annually from September 24 to September 30.

You can find ideas for outdoor activities to do with children of all ages on the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ Take a Child Outside website. The program is designed to help break down obstacles that keep children from discovering the natural world, and to provide resources and recreational activities for exploring local habitats.

Organizations and agencies across the state including parks, nature and science centers, museums, aquariums, botanical gardens, and other environmental education centers are hosting events during the week. There are many opportunities to take children, grandchildren or students outdoors. Events include nature hikes, story walks, bird calling, hawk watching, fishing, spider sniffing and pond explorations. You can visit the North Carolina Environmental Education Calendar to search for Take a Child Outside activities being offered across the state.

And don’t worry if you are new to exploring the outdoors with children. The Kids in Parks program has installed a network of hiking trails throughout North Carolina that are designed to get kids and families outdoors for both their health and the health of our parks and public lands. Each of their TRACK Trails has a series of self-guided brochures children kids can use to learn about and connect with the resources that make that place unique, converting an ordinary hike into a fun-filled, discovery-packed adventure. Kids that complete TRACK Trails can register their adventures through the program’s website and earn prizes designed to make their next outdoor adventure more meaningful and keep them engaged in the program. For a complete list of TRACK Trail locations, and for more information about the program, please visit their website kidsinparks.com.

Do you and your kids wish you had more opportunities to play outside when TACO week is over? Then consider signing them up to become a NC State Parks Junior Ranger! (Geared for kids ages 6-12). Earn unique park patches at each of the state parks by completing the self-led activity guide, attending park programs, and helping with a kid-friendly stewardship project. See if you can collect all 41 patches!  Or sign up for the quarterly Junior Ranger e-newsletter for fun activities and articles to stay on top of the latest with NC State Parks. Learn more about NC State Parks Junior Rangers on the website.

North Carolina has many environmental education centers and other public lands that are great places for children to explore September 24-30 (and year-round). So, whether it is at a national, state or local park; your neighborhood or your own backyard--Take a Child Outside!