Julie Neumark, A recent graduate of UNC Asheville Completed Her NC Environmental Education Certification

Julie Neumark will be extra prepared as she begins work as a non-formal educator at the Hulbert Outdoor Center in Fairlee, Vermont this fall. Julie recently received a BS in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Environmental Education from UNC Asheville and completed her North Carolina Environmental Educator Certification, which she credits as helping her find her new job. In her new role, she will be leading team building activities, high and low-ropes course activities, outdoor sports, arts, crafts, drama, and environmental education lessons to groups of various sizes, ages, and backgrounds at the center.

When asked about her favorite part of earning her certification, Julie says it was the workshops. “The workshops were all absolutely awesome and so informative! I especially liked the in-person workshops.” Julie says some of her favorites include Project WILD and Growing Up Wild, which are programs of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission; Project Learning Tree, coordinated by NC State University – Extension Forestry and the NC Forest Service; Project OWL, a program of The North Carolina Arboretuml; and the Methods of Teaching Environmental Education course which is offered by a variety of organizations in NC. “I have a huge box of accumulated books and tools now from this certification, that I will bring with me everywhere and use in all my jobs!”

In addition to the workshops, Julie says the community partnership project was an experience that stood out for her. For her project, Julie partnered with Emma Childs, the sustainability director at Christmount Fellowship in Black Mountain. “Together we created an educational booklet about how to be more environmentally sustainable in your everyday life. I painted illustrations and Emma added simple text to each one. The booklet will be placed in each room at Christmount, to help provide an engaging, fun, easily comprehensible resource for residents and visitors. Emma wanted community members to understand the interconnectedness of people and the environment, and helping to provide the WHY of why we should be good environmental stewards and care about how our actions affect the planet.”

When asked if the program changed her approach to teaching, Julie said it taught her to be a better environmental educator and how to communicate environmental issues to others. “I have learned so much about how to be the best environmental educator I can be! From using the 5E's curriculum model, to awareness of diversity and inclusion, to asking open-ended questions, to leading with humility, kindness, compassion, humor, flexibility, open-mindedness, creativity, and curiosity.”

Educator Spotlight: Annette Steele

 

Annette at Grandfather Mountain

Annette Steele is a teacher at Lincoln Heights Environmental Connections Magnet Elementary School in Wake County. Lincoln Heights has received numerous distinctions including Wake County Watershed Stewardship School, NC Green School of Excellence and is a 2020 US Department of Education Green Ribbon School. Annette says the Environmental Education Certification has helped her develop lessons and prepared her to move into a coaching role within the school helping teachers develop environmental education lessons and activities.

In her current role as an elementary educator, Annette works with students in grades Kindergarten through fifth grade. “I spend my weekdays helping students to learn how to love the outdoors and nature and the weekends camping in nature. I am passionate about the environment and enjoy traveling. State Parks are my favorite place to visit.”

Annette says her favorite part of earning her certification was participating in a wide variety of workshops and working with so many new people. “Each different class offered another viewpoint and learning experience. There are so many talented people who work in the State who are willing to share their knowledge and help me become a better educator.”

When asked what experience stood out for her during the certification process, Annette says it was the access to a diversity of topics and educators. “I started working on my EE certification during the COVID lockdown and luckily for me, many of the classes were offered virtually. I remember one day when I went to a whaling class led by an instructor in the Outer Banks, and that same evening I participated in a class about bats led by an instructor in Asheville. These virtual classes opened my access to so many different experiences and classes that I might not have even participated in if it were not for the pandemic. My hat goes off to the instructors who adapted and pivoted to make these experiences possible.”

For her community partnership project, Annette created a nature trail, called Discovery Woods, right in the middle of the Moccasin Branch Campground at Raven Rock State Park. Discovery Woods is located within the wooded area at the center of the Campground which is primarily used by curious campers, and children exploring the woods. “Discovery Woods has fifteen interpretive signs starting at the high traffic bathhouse that invite people to learn more about the park's history, ecosystems and the flora and fauna found within Raven Rock State Park. Each sign has questions which give the visitors clues to information on the next sign and most of the signs contain QR codes and websites that link to additional information to further engage their explorations.”

Annette says the program changed her approach to teaching. “I try as hard as possible to make activities hands-on and outside. Exploring in nature and being able to physically create a nature journal, observe a butterfly, or help with citizen science projects are so rewarding for all learners. I know this has been a virtual year, but some of the best instructors managed to incorporate outside experiences into their virtual classes. If they can do that, so can I.”

She says the program changed her attitude towards environmental issues and how we teach the issues to young children. “As an elementary educator, I learned that creating a love of nature through hands-on outdoors activities is crucial to help students learn to love and appreciate the world they live in. I am now very cautious about creating environmental ecophobia in our young learners. I want them to love the natural world rather than fear it.”

Educator Spotlight: Audrey Dunn

Audrey Dunn, Outreach and Programs Officer at Cape Fear River Watch recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. Audrey manages Cape Fear River Watch’s citizen science water quality monitoring program, CreekWatchers and their Environmental Justice and Civic Engagement program in partnership with the New Hanover County chapter of the NAACP. She coordinates monthly watershed cleanups, teaches about stormwater runoff and pollution to middle schoolers, trains interns on field and lab work to monitor water quality, and gives outreach presentations to community groups. In her personal time, Audrey serves on the board of Keep New Hanover Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, and enjoys hiking, camping, paddling, reading, and practicing yoga.

Audrey says her favorite part about certification was meeting other educators. “I mostly just enjoyed meeting other environmental educators and learning about what sort of work they do and gaining inspiration from them. I also particularly immensely enjoyed reading Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv which spurred me on to finish my certification and to be the best environmental educator possible.”

When asked about an experience that stood out for her, Audrey says it was the two-day Methods of Teaching Environmental Education Workshop that she took. “I attended with quite a few of my Americorps cohort educators, and it was just really great to be surrounded by like-minded people, learn more about my friends, and spend time at Haw River State Park.”

For her community partnership project, Audrey developed the Environmental Justice and Civic Engagement program at Cape Fear River Watch. “I think the project has been helpful in amplifying the voices of people of color in front of our predominantly white membership-base, and in creating space for knowledge sharing and discussion about issues not typically acknowledged or realized by many older, environmentalists in our town. We hosted a seminar, film screening and panel discussion about environmental justice, I wrote an article for a local publication about EJ issues in our town, and we held a couple of events at a local park to facilitate discussions about environmental injustices experienced by community members here in Wilmington. I'm not sure how it's affected our community so far, and the project is still ongoing, but I hope it opened some people's eyes to the deeply entrenched connection between environmental issues and social justice issues.”

When asked if the program changed her approach to teaching, Audrey says it changed her entire approach. “I never taught environmental education prior to participating in this certification program, so my entire approach to it was really guided by the workshops I took and the educators I met while getting my certification. It definitely affected how I posed questions, how I structured activities, and it increased my own enjoyment of seeing kids playing out in nature.”

Audrey says it also changed the way she viewed environmental issues. “I definitely think about all of these issues as less so about 'environmentalism' and more so as about providing skills, knowledge, and tools to the people around me so that they can make informed decisions about how they are going to live their lives.”