Educator Spotlight: Cathleen Reas

Cathleen Reas recently completed her N.C. Environmental Education Certification while working on a Master of Science in Environmental Education (MSEE) Degree at Montreat College. Cathleen serves as a  4-H volunteer on the development team for the Clemson Extension Service’s 4-H Junior Naturalist Program and works as a part-time assistant naturalist at Table Rock State Park in South Carolina.

In addition to her education roles, she is involved with many conservation organizations including Foothills Trail Conservancy, S.C. Master Naturalists, S.C. Native Plant Society, Friends of Jocassee and Lake Hartwell Association. “I am a Leave No Trace Master Educator and love to hike and backpack especially with my family and friends.”

When asked about her favorite part of earning her certification, Cathleen has a difficult time choosing just one. “My favorite part was all of it! I loved learning the foundations of environmental education, the workshops and outdoor experiences, visiting environmental education centers, my community service project and my teaching hours. “This program provided the elements to help me learn, grow, and refine skills to be the best environmental educator I can be.”

Cathleen attributes a lot of her success in the certification program to the support of her professors at Montreat. “I gratefully acknowledge and appreciate the Montreat College MSEE professors for all the exemplary education, support, and guidance through this process. My path was made clearer with the goals to reach for this certification with rich and deep education thanks to MSEE.”

Cathleen says that the instructional workshops were an experience in the program that stood out for her. “I enjoyed learning from inspiring teachers alongside amazing educators taking the workshops with me; we were all learning together as colleagues in environmental education. The diversity and depth of the workshops helped me improve my knowledge and teaching methods throughout the certification experience.”

For her community partnership project, Cathleen developed a Water, Wildlife and Wildflower program to protect water quality and restore wildlife habitat in the Lake Keowee watershed and Keowee-Toxaway State Park located in the foothills of South Carolina. As part of the program, community members volunteered for multiple projects which included planting a native plant pollinator garden, installing a rain garden/bioswale, removing invasive plants, maintaining trails for erosion control and installing habitat homes. “This day brought community groups and individuals together to protect and restore watersheds and habitats. Friends of Jocassee, S.C. Native Plant Society, Upstate Master Naturalists, Friends of Lake Keowee Society, and Foothills Trail Conservancy came out to help with environmental projects at Keowee-Toxaway State Park, home to the Jocassee Gorges Visitor Center. These projects addressed erosion, pollution, habitat restoration, and providing for wildlife!”

Cathleen says the program changed her approach to teaching. “I now better understand not only what I am teaching, but why I am teaching and how to best connect students to the environment." She feels the program changed the way she thinks about environmental issues. “I think more evenly and impartially on issues. I also now work to understand the many pathways of why people think what they do about environmental challenges. This helps me to make personal connections about what I think and feel, which helps me as an educator.”