"Saving the Eno River” Author Hopes to Encourage Current and Future Conservationists

 Thomson credits environmental education experiences
as inspiration to tell Margaret Nygard's Story

Julie Thomson, a North Carolina Certified Environmental Educator, naturalist and trail guide, has released her new book about the history of the Eno River and how Margaret Nygard and other community members became part of the legacy of Eno River State Park. “Saving the Eno River” highlights the legacy of Margaret Nygard and the work of others that formed the association to create what is now a treasured haven for anglers, birdwatchers, paddlers, photographers, and hikers along the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail.

Julie works as a field instructor for Muddy Sneakers, an environmental education program that works with 5th grade public school students to instill in students a lifelong love of nature and inquiry while enhancing academic achievement and meeting NC’s science standards. On weekends and in the summer, she works as a naturalist and trail guide at Chimney Rock State Park where she leads hikes and programs for school groups and Girl Scouts and teaches. She enjoys studying and sharing the natural and cultural history of North Carolina and currently resides in the Black Mountain area of the state.

Julie earned her NC Environmental Education Certification in 2022 and for her community partnership project, which is required for certification, she decided to write the book. “By writing the story of Saving the Eno as a children's book, I hope to preserve the history of how the Eno was saved and share it with the broader community. I’ve always been fascinated by the story of how the Eno River was preserved and I was always surprised that it wasn’t available as a book to read. I first learned about the Eno River Association through the annual calendar, working one summer at Schoolhouse of Wonder, and then also through the Association’s Winter and Spring hikes. I met many people who participated in the association and the saving of the Eno. They knew the history and happily shared it on hikes and answered questions, but I always wanted to know more. Ranger Lawson Osteen at the Eno River State Park researched and presents a program titled “The Fight for the Eno” which also added to my knowledge of this history. When I worked as a Naturalist at the Eno River State Park, he let me present my own version of his program too.”

Julie says she was inspired by all the efforts of the community to share the natural and cultural history of the river and to engage artists in the effort. “The saving of the Eno is an inspiring example of what can be achieved when community members work together and make their voices heard. And this work continues today. I hope that children who love the Eno will learn from this story, and in turn protect, preserve, and conserve the Eno in the future.”

Through donations to Julie’s “Give a Book, Get a Book Fundraiser,” she was able to give copies of her book to 40 elementary schools in Durham and Hillsborough, and a copy to each of the main branches of the public libraries in Durham, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough, as well as copies to the Eno River State Park and West Point on the Eno.

You can visit the Eno River Association’s website to purchase your own copy. A paperback edition of this book will also be available at the Festival for the Eno, the association’s largest annual outreach event is the Festival for the Eno which draws tens of thousands of people to the shaded banks of the Eno River each Independence Day weekend since 1980 with an eclectic and immersive offering of performances, demonstrations, activities, and workshops celebrating the people and places of the Eno River on July 1 and 4, 2023.

You can listen to a recent Lunchtime Discovery Series talk with Julie about the book which includes a reading of the book and a chat with Kim Livingston, director of conservation and stewardship with the Eno River Association about new land that is being added to Eno River State Park.

Educator Spotlight: Jessica Black

Jessica Black, an educator from Guilford County recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. Jessica credits the program with helping her start a new position as an environmental education instructor. “The certification program not only gave me the knowledge that I needed for the environmental educator instructor position that I will be soon taking, but also just made me aware that such a career existed, as well as helping open doors to it for me.”

Jessica develops and teaches environmental education programs and activities for the public. She uses public parks and similar locations to provide engaging activities that encourage people to become “backyard naturalists” and stewards of the environment.” For her community partnership project, Jessica established a nonprofit organization that utilized public parks to conduct environmental education programs for free for the public. In her personal time, she likes spending time with her children and taking road trip adventures. She is also a 4-H sport shooting instructor and enjoys church and line dancing.

When asked what certification experience stands out for her, Jessica said it was learning about the program. “I will never forget how my environmental educator journey began. I accidentally took the cornerstone Methods of Teaching Environmental Education course just to earn educator CEUs. I learned from the other participants what environmental education was all about and from there I was on board. I am grateful I stumbled across that course and for all the experiences that followed; even the time we were doing a Project Learning Tree beat-a- branch activity and the group almost hit a tree branch close to me that had a sleeping red bat hanging from it!”

Jessica says the program changed her approach to teaching. “The number of techniques, methods, approaches, and other teaching tools garnered through these experiences is so extensive that I will be able to constantly pull from to modify and improve my approach to teaching others.”

Jessica says the program encouraged her to visit new places and experience new things that increased her knowledge of environmental issues. “The program helped me to become aware of the many environmental issues that are taking place that I had not heard of before. I also became aware of issues close to me and realized that I can have a positive impact - we all can.”

Educator Spotlight: Kati McArdle

Kati McArdle recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. Kati is a grants and donor communications manager for an environmental advocacy nonprofit. She also works as a conservation educator at Piedmont Wildlife Center, and volunteers with a several local organizations, including Chapel Hill Public Library.

When asked about her favorite part of the program, Kati says she really enjoyed the hands-on instructional workshops, like Project WET, Leopold Education Project, Project Learning Tree, It's Our Water, Flying Wild, and one of her favorites, “Don't Waste It” which was held at the Walnut Creek Wetland Center in Raleigh. “The workshops were an excellent way to observe experienced educators putting on great programs and participate in them myself. Trying out the different approaches gave me more confidence teaching in the field to different audiences and using the techniques from the workshops. It also helped me to build a great library of resources to refer to--educator guides, websites, YouTube videos, and more.”

When asked about an experience that stood out for her, Kati says it was the self-guided classes that could be used for the required outdoor experiences credit that the team at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences put together. “These experiences were amazing. I ended up completing almost all the virtual classes that were offered such as Under a Rotten Log, Using Your Senses, Parts of a Flower, Trees to Meet You, Project Squirrel, and Creating a Nature Journal, and I have wonderful pages in my notebook where I completed the self-paced activities during the pandemic shutdown and following months. That was a scary and stressful time for most of us and having those courses available--not only to be able to continue making progress toward certification in an uncertain time, but also to have the chance to connect with nature in positive and inspiring ways--was such a wonderful resource.”

For her community partnership project, Kati partnered with the DEQ’s Division of Water Resources and worked with Lauren Daniel, the division’s Water Education Program Coordinator, to help re-launch the Water Writers Pen Pal Program for classrooms to participate in a letter writing pen pal exchange with other students across the state. “I ended up creating several letter-writing templates for middle school students that included state educational standards content, an educator guide, and a quick-start video. It was so much fun to see the project come together and officially launch in 2022 with so much interest and participation.”

Kati says the program changed her approach to teaching. “I have much more confidence, comfort, and resources when it comes to teaching and being able to work with groups at different age levels. Through the certification program, I was introduced to NC Department of Public Instruction’s standards, and began to see more of how this content could be incorporated alongside outdoor/experiential learning. I've also continued to gain awareness about accessibility in teaching and programs, and implementing more ways to help learners of all backgrounds and abilities enjoy the wonderful natural resources we have here in North Carolina. Piedmont Wildlife Center and Chapel Hill Public Library, to name a few, provided me with excellent opportunities to work with people of all ages, and especially with youth.”

Kati says the program helped her appreciate the ways in which every person has the capacity to share nature-based and environmental experiences. “This certification has helped me see ways to appreciate everyone's level of experience that they bring, including my own, and to embrace the fact that while we don't have to accomplish everything in one visit or program, we can still invite participants to make a lasting impact on their own lives and on others."