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.