Friday, September 23, 2022

Educator Spotlight: Katy Menne

Katy Menne recently completed her Environmental Education Certification. Katy, a Curator of Education with the NC Maritime Museum at Southport recently took a position as the Education Director at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon. 

Katy says her supervisor at the NC Maritime Museum encouraged her to pursue her environmental education certification. “When I started at the NC Maritime Museum at Southport, my supervisor was passionate about folding maritime culture and environment together as they help tell each other’s stories. That passion has rubbed off on me.”

The certification program helped Katy grow her comfort in nature. “Starting out I didn't wonder about the natural world around me - it was not something I grew up with, so getting to learn about it in my adult life has been wonderful.”

For her community partnership project, Katy worked with four organizations: Potters Seafood, NCDEQ’s Marine Patrol, Cape Fear River Watch, and the City of Southport to create a wayside educational sign on the Southport City Pier to help educate residents and visitors about maritime culture and the maritime environment. The sign includes a map highlighting the Cape Fear River, Intracoastal waterway and Atlantic Ocean in addition to information on how to measure a fish. A QR Code links to more information.  

Katy says the program also changed her approach to teaching. “I deliberately look at the natural world when discussing maritime topics. Plus, I have found I have more compassion and I'm more cognizant of the world around me than I ever have been before.”

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