Educator Spotlight: Ariel Lowery

Ariel Lowery, an Environmental Educator at McDowell Nature Center, recently completed the N.C. Environmental Educator Certification. Through her job at McDowell, Ariel leads environmental education programs for people of all ages through field trips, summer camps, workshops, and other activities.

Ariel said her favorite part of the certification program was becoming a facilitator for Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), Project Learning Tree, and the Leopold Education Project. All three of these programs provide workshops to help educators incorporate environmental education into their curriculum. As a facilitator, Ariel helps adult educators learn how best to present material and involve students in hands-on learning experiences. Ariel appreciates that her unique position as an environmental educator and workshop facilitator allows her to work with both children and adults. "While I love educating children (they have the best quotes), I also enjoy adult education. I feel as though when I'm teaching adults I'm creating more connections and more opportunities to share our natural world."

Ariel also enjoyed the networking aspect of the certification program. "Through this whole 200 hour certification I have met so many people who are like minded and enjoy educating and sharing their experiences. Our network of environmental educators are incredibly passionate people who I often rely on for ideas and feedback!"

For her community partnership project, Ariel partnered with Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation and a local Girl Scout Troop to enhance a pollinator habitat at McDowell Nature Center. The Girl Scouts had received a grant from Disney and were looking for potential locations to build a pollinator garden. Ariel realized that there was an existing pollinator habitat on the grounds of McDowell, and that the area could benefit from some new plantings and upkeep.

Over a series of workdays, Ariel and the Girl Scouts created a pollinator habitat that included native flowers and bushes, a walkway, a bench and picnic tables, an interpretive sign, and a fence around the garden. Just in time for spring, the project was finished and the area was opened to the public. When asked how the garden will impact visitors to McDowell, Ariel replied, "The community will benefit from their new pollinator habitat by learning what to plant in their gardens to attract all of the wonderful pollinators they have observed while visiting."

The butterfly habitat before the community partnership project (bottom photo) and after (top photo)

Reflecting on her experiences in the certification program, Ariel found that what she learned changed the way she thinks about environmental issues. "I have learned to educate without bias so that my participants are able to form their own opinions. If someone is inclined to know my opinion, I will share it, but I will not force it on the whole group."

To learn more about the N.C. Environmental Education Certification, visit the N.C. Office of Environmental Education website.

Educator Spotlight: Jessica Janc

Congratulations to Jessica Janc for completing the North Carolina Environmental Education Certification! Jessica is the High Country Watershed Coordinator for Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development, a non-profit organization that works with local communities to improve the quality of life and standard of living in western North Carolina. Jessica works in Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany Counties developing environmental education and outreach programs and assisting area partners with current projects in the New River and Watauga River watersheds. She also serves on the board of Two Rivers Community School, a K-8 school in Boone founded on the design principles of expeditionary learning.

Jessica said the certification program had a strong impact on the way she views her role as an educator. "I think this program helped show me how important it is to listen and connect with those you're teaching. Understanding their background and presenting information in a way that makes them comfortable is almost as important as the content itself."

For her community partnership project, Jessica partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and several schools in Alleghany, Ashe, and Watauga Counties to create watershed education materials for fifth and eighth grade teachers. Jessica compiled a variety of educational materials for the Watauga River and New River watersheds, including watershed maps provided by the USFWS, map usage guides, and lesson plans relevant to each grade level. Jessica is also developing a website for the watershed resources that can be used by teachers to support their curriculum. When asked about her goals for the project, Jessica replied, "I hope the information presented will motivate students to be more invested in their watershed and inspire them to participate in local conservation efforts."

While completing her certification, Jessica spent a summer assisting a teacher with a summer class for high school students in Boone. One day she accompanied the students and their teacher on a trip searching for macroinvertebrates and salamanders in a local stream. Jessica remembers one moment from the trip very clearly: "There was one student who was unable to find and catch a salamander. I spotted one and encouraged him to pick it up. I could tell it took every amount of courage he had and he did it. He looked at me and said, 'This is the proudest moment of my life.' He was genuinely happy and that moment reaffirmed my love of environmental education."

To learn more about the N.C. Environmental Education Certification, visit the Office of Environmental Education website.

DEQ Secretary Recognizes North Carolina’s Certified Environmental Educators

On March 30, DEQ Secretary Michael Regan joined several partnering agencies and organizations to recognize more than 220 educators who have completed the state’s Environmental Education Certification Program.

The certified environmental educators included nature center and museum educators, naturalists, teachers, park rangers, academics, and many other professionals in the private and public sectors. Educators completed 200 hours of professional development in environmental education, including teaching and a community-based partnership project, to earn the designation.

Several of the attendees had already met Regan at their work places. Secretary Regan often visits educators in their classrooms or education centers while traveling the state. His remarks at the recognition event ended with a quote from Thomas Berry, a famous eco-theologian from North Carolina: “Without the soaring birds, the great forests, the free-flowing streams…the sight of the clouds by day and the stars by night, we become impoverished in all that makes us human.” Regan told the crowd, “As educators you are there to provide that experience so that one day we’ll become faithful stewards of North Carolina’s shared environment. And for that we thank you.”

The event, held in Cary, included dinner for honorees and their guests, a slideshow featuring photographs and quotes from certified educators, and the premier of a new environmental education certification film which spotlighted several educators who had completed the program. The film includes footage of educators from around the state and explores the experiences of four recently certified individuals:  a teacher at Central Park School for Children, a teacher outreach specialist with the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, a NCSU PhD student and ORISE Fellow at EPA, and an operations and administrative coordinator with SEEDS in Durham.

Dale Threatt-Taylor, district director for the Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District, delivered the keynote and encouraged participants to keeping reaching forward to serve and backwards to help mentor. Threatt-Taylor, also known as the “conservation evangelist,” is recognized for her passion for the environment and she did not disappoint. One participant said it was the most inspiring keynote she had ever heard and was especially inspired by Threatt-Taylor’s advice to have courage, focus, to be able to “bounce” when challenged or criticized, and most importantly, to serve others and the community.

Keynote speaker Dale Threatt-Taylor and DEQ Secretary Michael Regan

The certification program is administered by the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs in DEQ and is a partnership between DEQ, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Environmental Educators of North Carolina, the N.C. Association of Environmental Education Centers, the Wildlife Resources Commission, the Division of Soil and Water Conservation, and the N.C. Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

The slide presentation featuring quotes from more than 60 honorees that was  shown during the ceremony and can be viewed on the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs website.

Other special guests included Division of Parks and Recreation Director Dwayne Patterson, N.C. Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts Executive Director Bryan Evans, N.C. Department of Public Instruction Section Chief of K-12 Mathematics and Science Beverly Vance, Wildlife Resources Commission Deputy Director of Constituent Support and Engagement Lisa Hocutt, Environmental Educators of North Carolina Past President Shannon Culpepper, North Carolina Association of Environmental Education Centers President Kellie Lewis, and the Division of Soil and Water Conservation Director Vernon Cox.

The North Carolina Environmental Education program was the first of its kind in the nation and has served as a model for other states. The North Carolina Environmental Education Program establishes standards for professional excellence in environmental education while recognizing educators committed to increasing environmental literacy. Individuals must complete 200 hours of professional development to be certified, which includes 70 hours of instructional workshops, 50 hours of outdoor environmental education experiences, 30 hours of experiences that promote awareness of the state’s environmental education resources, and 30 hours of teaching experiences. 

The required community-based partnership project addresses a need in each educator’s community. These projects have had far-reaching impacts on communities throughout the state, providing projects such as interpretive trails, recycling programs, school and community gardens, outdoor classrooms and even small ecological restorations. Examples of these projects can be viewed on the office’s Teachable Moments Blog.

For more information about N.C.’s Environmental Education Certification Program, or to enroll, visit www.eenorthcaroina.org.

Governor Cooper proclaims April 22nd through April 26th National Environmental Education Week

Governor Cooper has proclaimed April 22nd through April 26th as National Environmental Education Week. With this proclamation, North Carolina joins the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) and other states in the nation's largest celebration of environmental education. The theme this year is “Greening STEM” which encourages educators to use the natural environment and real-world challenges to engage learners and deliver high-quality STEM education. In support of these efforts, NEEF has released the “Greening STEM” toolkit for educators in advance of the week’s events. Visit the National Environmental Education Foundation’s website for this and other Environmental Education Week toolkits. 

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) kicked off environmental education celebrations early with the release of the new North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program Video on March 30th in conjunction with a recognition event honoring more than 200 educators for completing the department’s Environmental Education Certification Program. The nearly 1,000 certified environmental educators and the programs they provide make North Carolina a national leader in environmental education. 

Trail hikes, stream clean-ups, nature tours and storytelling are just a few ways you can explore and learn about North Carolina’s diverse environment. To help you find events in your area on Earth Day (April 22nd), during Environmental Education Week and through the month of April, the DEQ Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs provides an online calendar on their website, eenorthcarolina.org. Events can be searched by city and zip code. 

Follow and share your events, photos, video, environmental education news and cool nature stories on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtags #EEWeekNC and #NCEarthDay. Many of these events are also part of the North Carolina Science Festival which runs through April 30th. To find “green” STEM events and other science activities going on near you, connect with the Science Festival at ncsciencefestival.org or follow along with #NCSciFest.

Educator Spotlight: Rachel Woods

Rachel Woods recently completed the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program. Rachel owns a company that teaches North Carolina ecology to young learners ages two to 12.

Woods says that although she had many years of teaching experience when she started the program, the hands-on, outdoor classes were especially helpful in gaining knowledge specific to the state’s flora and fauna. “This program made me fall in love with North Carolina. It feels more like home to me now than before I traveled all around, learning about its rich resources. Now I get to share that first-hand knowledge and love with my students!”

She was recently selected by her town to chair a tree committee to promote Arbor Day celebrations and to qualify her town as a Tree City USA through the Arbor Day Foundation and she credits the certification with opening those opportunities for her.

Her favorite park of earning her certification was the outdoor trips. “We have so many wonderful places to visit and so many knowledgeable and talented park staff, rangers, museum staff, and teachers. I've learned so much from so many and I have now visited so many new places in North Carolina and know of so many more to visit! I definitely feel more connected to my state now.”

Woods says the birding trips to Halyburton Park in Wilmington was an experience that stood out to her in addition to exploring a wetland with the staff from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. “One night I went with the museum in Raleigh to find frogs in some wetland off the side of the road that I never knew was there, although it was four miles from my house. I go there now to see the salamanders and frogs regularly.”

For her community partnership project, Rachel installed an outdoor classroom at Holly Ridge Elementary School in Holly Springs. It began as a pollinator garden registered as a N.C. Wildlife Federation Butterfly Highway Garden, and she expanded it to include trees and shrubs for birds and enough outdoor seating to hold two classes at once. The school now has a garden club and families volunteer over the summer to care for the garden. Their network includes more than 200 people, teachers and community members who share teaching and gardening information. This April, they are using grant money to bring staff from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences to conduct professional development for the staff and other teachers from neighboring schools on how to use a school's campus for teaching and learning through the museum’s UTOTES (Using the Outdoors to Teach Experiential Science) program.

Rachel says that the program changed the way she thinks about environmental issues. “My business also stays strictly within North Carolina in terms of what I choose to teach about. Kids love tigers and polar bears and the rainforest, but they won't go out and see those things after my lesson. But since I keep things seasonal and local, they do immediately see what I was talking about. I hear from teachers all the time how kids go outside to look for what I was sharing with them after my lessons. I hear that from parents too."