Educator Spotlight: Dr. Joel McCormick

 

Dr. Joel McCormick, Associate Professor of Recreation at Chowan University in Murfreesboro recently completed his NC Environmental Education Certification. When Dr. McCormick isn’t teaching, he and his family enjoy being in nature. “We enjoy visiting National Parks, State Parks, and other natural areas to camp, explore, and spend time on the water boating, fishing and snorkeling.”

When asked about his favorite part of the certification experience, Dr. McCormick says he enjoyed many of the experiences, especially the ones that got him out in nature. “I enjoyed visiting the different regions of the state and taking in the diversity of North Carolina's natural areas. My son went with me to the training at Grandfather Mountain three years ago and he is still talking about the great time he had there. We also camped out at The Great Smoky Mountains National Park while attending the NC Division of Air Quality's Ground Level Ozone workshop. This training was great! I took my family with me, and the wildlife was amazing - especially the elk who visited our camp site.”

For his community partnership project, he worked with the planners of the Bertie County Government on their “Tall Glass of Water” (TGOW) Project. “I was able to help with the planning of future recreational and environmental educational programming with a 147-acre site at the mouth of the Chowan River. The TGOW Project will promote sustainable ecotourism, outdoor recreation, and environmental education for many in Eastern North Carolina.”

Dr. McCormick says the program changed his approach to teaching. “The Environmental Education Certification program has expanded my network of natural resource professionals and professional organizations. I have been able to use some of the programming I learned in my classes, and I have been able to have some of my new contacts conduct educational programs at Chowan University. It has been a great benefit for myself, my students, and my community.”

The Year in Review: NCDEQ's Division of Water Resources: Water Education in 2021

 

Author: Lauren Daniel, Water Education Coordinator, NC Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Water Resources 

Water Education found a new stride in 2021 as it adapted programs and partnerships to reach communities throughout North Carolina.  We are celebrating all the great achievements from the year as we plan for bigger and better water education opportunities in 2022.  

Full newsletter article can be found here.

Project WET: 

In 2021, about 110 educators completed Project WET workshops offered throughout the year.  We even trained 8 new facilitators to offer the trainings in their host institutions.  The highlight of the year was bringing Rebecca Coppa (NC DEMLR) on board as a co-coordinator for PWET.  With Rebecca's help, we can expand this program to offer more resources and support. To learn more about Project WET North Carolina, visit our website.

NC Stream Watch:

NC Stream Watch has seen more activity this year than ever before.  Community members are able to use this tool to go out and explore the quality and health of their stream by following a simple survey that walks through the stream monitoring process.  Strictly for educational purposes, NC Stream Watch offers teachers and students a tool to learn as well as share their observations.  If you have a chance to explore the statewide NC Stream Watch Map, be sure to check out the areas near you as well as far away. Remember, you can view the latest dashboard and observation surveys by visiting the NC Stream Watch website.

It's Our Water:

It's Our Water continues to be offered as a 10 hour Criteria I EE Credit course for educators throughout North Carolina.  If you're interested in participating in this online, self-guided module please email Lauren.daniel@ncdenr.gov to gain log in credentials.  This online module is ideal for 8th grade science teachers as well as anyone interested in learning North Carolina specific water resource management issues and teaching students about these topics.

NC Climate Education Network:

Through virtual "Open Houses", the NC Climate Education Network provided participants a chance to connect with climate experts right here in our state.  Each live virtual event had anywhere from 25-60 participants, and the recordings were watched over 100 times. The Open House format offered an informal space for teachers and other educational leaders to learn more about various topics, ask questions, and connect with additional resources to support student learning.  You can learn more about this network on our NCCEN website. The four open house topics in 2021 included:

• January 2021: Climate Education Resources in NC
• March 2021: The Atmosphere
• June 2021: Climate Reports 
• September 2021: Hurricane Trends and their Impacts on Water Resources
  
  

NC Climate Education Data Art Contest:

I believe one of the best ways to engage students in science education is through creative expression, art, and design. The NC Climate Education Network has given me the opportunity to do just that through our 2021 Climate Data Art Contest.  We had so many amazing entries from students from elementary through high school!  Take a moment to look through our map to explore the various designs, drawings, and even paintings.  Many thanks to the students and educators who took time to create submissions. There was so much interest in this contest that we decided to let this map and submission form stay open throughout 2022. While you can't enter the contest after December 17, 2021, you can still upload your art to be viewed by the public.  

Link to the Online Map of Climate Data Art

Link to the Online Submission Form

Water Education Coffee Talks:

One of my favorite projects that came out of this year were the Water Education Coffee Talks.  These virtual Teams meetings were offered every other Thursday at 9:00 a.m.  The objective of these Coffee Talks were to connect water educators with personalized support and customized resources.  These Coffee Talks did not feature presentations or guest speakers- just real people connecting with others and sharing ideas to inspire lessons and projects. Want to get updates for an upcoming Coffee Talk? Sign up here. 

Watershed Wisdom: 

Another great partnership resulted in national recognition this year. Working with NC Sea Grant and PBS-NC, we were awarded an Apex Award for Publication Excellence in the area of "Campaigns, Programs and Plans". The Watershed Wisdom Lesson Plan Unit is as much fun to teach as it was to create!  To view the award-winning unit, click here.

A look ahead in 2022:

Water Education Pen Pals: Offering a pen pal program to connect students with their peers in other watersheds and maybe even other portions of the country. What better way to learn about the value of your own watershed by comparing and contrasting observations with someone in a different corner of the Earth? 

NC Stream Watch Leadership Program: We will be inviting water educators from throughout North Carolina to take a leadership role in training and engaging with their local water resources through visual observations and stream side litter pick-ups.  

Interested? If you want to learn more about these programs or ask questions, don't hesitate to reach out: Lauren.Daniel@ncdenr.gov. 

11th Annual Meeting Brings Formal and Informal Educators Together

The NC Department of Environmental Quality and the NC Department of Public Instruction’s Science Section will co-host the 11th Annual Nonformal Educators’ Meeting on December 9. Last year, the virtual meeting attracted more than 140 educators in all regions of the state and this year’s meeting promises to reach even more educators.

Each year in December, the two departments bring the nonformal education community together to talk about ways they can partner with classroom teachers in North Carolina. This unique collaboration supports nonformal educators who provide environmental science to school-age children and encourages collaboration between schools, school districts, NCDPI, and the nonformal education community to support science learning and environmental literacy.

The meeting also provides an opportunity for educators to get updates on curriculum standards from NCDPI and resources to help align their educational programs and field trips with the state’s essential standards for science. 

Most of this year’s discussion will focus on how nonformal educators can partner with schools to create outdoor classrooms and other learning spaces on schoolgrounds. Several teachers will highlight ways they have partnered with nonformal educators and organizations to develop creative outdoor learning opportunities for their students. In addition to these models, there will be a session featuring programs that come to the school to help develop wildlife habitats, encourage students to participate in citizen science, and provide resources on how to use the outdoors to teach the required standards in not only science but across disciplines. 

The meeting will feature a panel discussion with teachers and a principal to learn on how nonformal programs can best meet the current needs of classroom teachers while increasing environmental literacy and knowledge of North Carolina’s diverse ecology and natural resources. 

This partnership between the state’s education agency and the state’s environmental agency is unique to North Carolina. It was highlighted in the National Science Teachers Association’s online journal, Connected Science Learning in the May-July 2017 edition (Volume 1, Issue 3). You can read the article entitled Collaboration + Good Coffee = Connected Science Learning Success: State Agencies Partner to Unite Formal and Informal Educators in North Carolina online at this link. 

Educator Spotlight: Yanina Salerno

Yanina Salerno, a nonformal educator from Buncombe County recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. 

Yanina is a forest guide and offers nature walks that give participants an opportunity to learn about their natural environment and how to be in relationship with Mother Earth according to indigenous teachings and knowledge.

When asked about her favorite part of the program, Yanina said it was the plethora of information, resources, and teachings she received from so many amazing and passionate teachers through the years. She says her trip to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont for a long weekend to participate in their Naturalist program was a unique experience and one that really stood out for her. "Living, learning and sharing meals alongside so many other nature-loving students of all ages was an experience I will cherish forever."

For her community partnership project Yanina created a trans-cultural medicine wheel Bee City USA certified pollinator garden on a local greenway. “The project brought community members and local organizations together during workdays and it will be a continued source of environmental and cultural education for the community as well as a continued benefit to the ecosystem.”

When asked if the program changed her approach to teaching or her views of environmental issues, Yanina said the certification helped her look at her own program from more than one perspective and that helped her to further enrich the program. “Now I look at things like learning styles, curriculum, evaluation, qualitative and quantitative data and how I can use these tools to enrich my program. The certification program has developed and deepened my understanding of environmental issues and has also given me resources to be a better steward of our natural environment.”

Educator Spotlight: Katherine Baxter

Katherine Baxter, a horticulturist at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Gaston County recently earned her NC Environmental Education Certification. Before joining the botanical garden, Katherine worked as an environmental educator at Haw River State Park for five years. As an environmental educator, Katherine is enthusiastic about cultivating an appreciation for nature in every audience. In her personal time, Katherine enjoys spending time growing vegetables and flowers in her garden, walking in the woods, and watching wildlife.

Katherine says her favorite part of the certification program was the opportunity to constantly learn, grow, and improve. “Whether I was in a creek identifying aquatic organisms during a workshop or attending a virtual lecture on environmental justice, I was always learning and growing as an educator during this program. Of course, I also enjoyed meeting teachers, homeschoolers, and non-formal educators from all over North Carolina who are also passionate about the environment and education.”

When asked what part of the program stood out to Katherine, she said it was the “Playing Out” or Playful Pedagogy workshop series by Linda Kinney at the NC Zoo. “I found those workshops unique, fascinating, and engaging. This workshop series is enthralling to me because I am interested in the relationship between childhood play outdoors and developing a connection with nature. Through this experience, I gained an appreciation for freely chosen play and I learned practices to support my student’s play.”

For her community partnership project, Katherine identified a need for an educational garden in her community and established a pollinator garden that provides park guests of all ages the opportunity to appreciate and learn about the importance of pollinators and native plant species. “The pollinator garden is a beautiful, interactive space to increase environmental awareness for the community while providing essential food sources and habitat for pollinator populations!”

Katherine says the certification program changed her approach to teaching. “The program has equipped me with a beneficial set of teaching strategies. I've learned about inquiry-based approaches and have increased the quality of my programs by applying the 5E Teaching Model. I've learned classroom management methods, tips for motivating learning, and the value of embracing teachable moments.”

Katherine said the certification program changed the way she views environmental issues. “While I studied Environmental and Sustainability Studies in college, every day I was learning about environmental destruction caused by human activity. Consistently learning about devastating environmental issues was overwhelming, so when I began the EE Certification Program it was refreshing to change my focus to something constructive: facilitating positive outdoor experiences and promoting environmental literacy. Instead of focusing on environmental degradation, I find it more helpful to emphasis the beauty and wonder of the natural world and feasible solutions to protect the environment. As an environmental educator I can make a positive difference in my community by supporting student's questions, investigations, understanding, knowledge, skills, and decisions.”