Educator Spotlight: Jessica Ireland

Jessica Ireland, director of education programs for the NC Forestry Association, recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification.

Jessica oversees the education and workforce development program for the association and their more than 4,000 members. “Our programs include the Sustainable Forestry Teachers Experience, a week-long professional development program that provides teachers with first-hand experiences learning about North Carolina forests, sustainable forest management, and the forest products industry. In addition, we oversee the AN53 course in North Carolina, a semester-long Career and Technical Education forestry course for high school students that includes a certification. We also work closely with Project Learning Tree in North Carolina, teach forestry-based environmental education programming to all age levels, and develop forestry educational materials.”

Jessica said that her favorite part of the program was networking with professionals in the field. “I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to engage with environmental education and natural resource professionals across the state working in all facets of both fields. I learned so much from interacting with these individuals, including learning about flora and fauna and gaining ideas for new ways of thinking and teaching about natural resources. I thrive on collaboration and engaging with other professionals, so the opportunity to do this throughout the certification was extremely beneficial to me.”

For her community partnership project, Jessica teamed up with fellow educator Abigail Ridge on a pollinator garden project at Follow the Child Montessori School in Raleigh. “I received a notification from my neighborhood about my community being established as a Monarch Waystation, so I did some research into this initiative. I learned that, in 2017, the City of Raleigh was established as a Bee City USA, which means the city is committed to creating sustainable habitats for pollinators, working with community partners and providing support for pollinator projects around the city.”

Jessica said the Montessori school’s campus was the perfect place for a pollinator garden. “The campus has a wonderful outdoor learning environment that consists of a variety of play and learning areas that foster imagination and development for the children, including climbing areas, bars, sand play areas, a learning greenhouse, and gardens. The gardens on the campus are annual gardens, so I really liked the idea of establishing a perennial garden with native, pollinator-friendly plant species to provide opportunities for ongoing learning and to nurture conservation values related to the importance of native plant species, pollinators, and the role that humans can play in supporting healthy pollinator populations.”

Jessica says the program changed her approach to teaching. “My participation in the certification program really brought home for me the importance of taking into consideration the experiences and backgrounds of the individuals I am teaching. I've always known that 'knowing your audience' is important, but I think I mostly thought about this in terms of the age level, what subject they wanted to learn about, etc. I believe that getting an understanding of the knowledge as well as the values and interests that each individual brings to the program is important. Providing a space for participants to share this with others is an opportunity for everyone to learn and practice the skill of truly listening to understand. This is something I have been working to better incorporate into all of my teaching and programming.  

Jessica says her experience changed the way she views environmental issues; she said it helped strengthen some of her beliefs. “I have always been someone who values collaboration, so I wouldn't say that the program changed me in this way, but it further solidified my belief that it is critically important for all stakeholders to be engaged in exploring ways to address environmental issues. I get frustrated when I see one group blaming or bad-mouthing another group. We need to respect multiple perspectives and positions on the issues and understand that these are based on the underlying interests. When we can find common interests, we can work together. We may not agree with everything another person or group believes, but we need to be open to listening and taking into consideration their perspectives. I think my experience, throughout my participation in the certification program, of interacting with environmental educators and natural resource professionals across the state and listening to the way they present a topic really brought home for me the importance of collaboration when it comes to environmental issues.”

In AWE of DEQ Educators

Last week, four educators from the NC Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) led a “State of AWE Workshop” for K-12 classroom teachers and nonformal educators at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Lab in Beaufort.

The “State of AWE (Air, Water, and Earth)” workshop highlighted some of the incredible education programs offered by several NCDEQ divisions. This professional development opportunity gave educators content and lessons on topics such as soil, sediment, geology, and air and water quality.  Educators participated in fun activities that they can use to meet the required K-12 standards, in both the formal classroom or in nonformal settings such as museums, parks, and science and nature centers.

Janina Millis, Community Engagement, Education and Outreach Specialist with the Division of Air Quality shared her “Whirling Swirling Air Pollution” activity that looks at the various sources of air pollution, but also explores the ways that individuals can make daily changes to improve air quality. Educators also got the chance to explore the outdoors and look for lichen through a Lichen Citizen Science Survey, emphasizing the role of lichen as bioindicators for air quality.  

Amy Pitts, Senior Geologist for Education and Outreach with the NC Geological Survey provided educators with hands-on activities for plate tectonics, rock identification, soil analysis, and even beta tested her latest activity, an earth science escape room, to great reviews.

Rebecca Coppa, State Sedimentation and Education Engineer with the Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources shared two activities from the Project WET (Water Education Today) curriculum and challenged the educators to complete a stormwater bingo hunt developed by the Clean Water Education Partnership.

Lori Davis, Education Coordinator for the Division of Coastal Management took educators on a field trip to the Rachel Carson Reserve to learn first-hand about coastal ecology.

When asked about their favorite part of the workshop, one educator said, “Visiting the Rachel Carson Reserve and discovering new plants and animals. Also learning new lessons about geology, water quality, and air quality that I can use!”

Other educators said the workshop was “wonderfully done” with “awesome presenters” and commented on the geology activity. “I loved learning about the ingredients that make up rocks. That was such a unique and understandable way to present that idea.”

This program provided teachers with credits for Professional Educator’s License renewal in addition to credit for the North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program.

You can find out more about the department’s educational programs at https://www.deq.nc.gov/outreach-and-education

Educator Spotlight - Marie Noel

Marie Noel, a volunteer docent from Guilford County, recently completed the NC Environmental Education Certification Program. Marie is a retired registered nurse but has always been interested in the environment. She volunteers for Haw River Assembly, the City of Greensboro’s water resource department, the All Souls Natural Burial ground and the NC Native Plant Society. “I give presentations and do outdoor education regarding the importance of native flora and fauna to the ecosystem, the impact of animal agriculture on the environment and local water quality issues. I am hoping to do more public education as a naturalist in the future.”

When asked about her favorite part of the program, Marie says it was all the learning opportunities. “I loved the opportunities for learning that I would have never been exposed to if I hadn't decided to earn my certification. I have learned so much about North Carolina wildlife and ecosystems. I have met so many like-minded, wonderful people.”

Marie says the experience that stood out for her was the Growing Up WILD program because it fostered a love for working with children. “The program was fun, and I have shared the book, activities and program information with many elementary teachers. It also introduced me to the idea of involving parents to continue nature education at home. Most of my past teaching history is with adults and this program helped me be comfortable with including younger children.”

For her community partnership program, Marie created a native plant pollinator garden at All Souls Burial Ground. “The garden is open to the public and can be used for education workshops and as an example of a native pollinator garden. The garden is heavily populated with pollinators and is a good example of the biodiversity of insects and birds when native plants are used. The garden is between the burial ground and a church parking lot so it can be enjoyed by many. Its presence has led to an increased awareness of the importance of native plants to the biodiversity of an ecosystem, and of the importance of identifying and controlling invasive plants and staying open minded to a less formal style of landscaping. It was also an excellent learning project for me in understanding how to organize various groups to work together and how to encourage volunteers.”

Marie says the program changed her approach to teaching. “  As a non-formal volunteer educator, I had a lot to learn! Since participating in the certification program my teaching has become more interactive and hopefully, more interesting. I use less lecture style teaching and more hands on and interactive teaching. I have learned how effective it can be to let people work through problems and reach solutions on their own. I also gained a much deeper understanding of the difference between educating and advocating. Sometimes education can be spontaneous and happen in the moment, and I feel the focus on flexibility during the program has helped me be more effective in those moments. I was pleasantly surprised to realize through the program that what applies to children often applies to adults too! Adults love games, play and hands-on activity as much as the children and the knowledge gained is more likely to be retained.”

The program also changed the way Marie views environmental issues. “I have always been very serious about environmental issues which can lead to someone being "preachy". I realized that promoting the fun, beauty and enjoyment of nature is a vital first step. Once people appreciate nature and all it offers, they begin to care, and environmental issues become more of a priority. It is vital that children are exposed to the outdoors early if we want new generations of environmentalists and stewards. I still am very concerned about the state of the environment but have learned a new approach to facing the issues. The En-Roads Climate Interactive program also made me aware that no single solution is going to solve issues, it takes multiple approaches and a lot of cooperation to make significant changes.”

 

Educator Spotlight: Anna Scotton

Anna Scotton, an educator at Lake Johnson Park in Raleigh, recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. Before beginning a new position with Lake Johnson Park and with the Girl Scouts, Anna worked as a high school biology and earth science teacher at Durham School of the Arts. “I really loved getting to know my students and teach about my favorite topics in science every single day. However, I am taking a break from teaching in the classroom to get back outside and into the field of environmental education.” In her personal time, Anna likes to dance, garden, needle felt, read and write, sing karaoke, and pet her two cats - Pickle and Pangea!

Anna says her favorite part of earning her certification was doing the outdoor environmental education experiences and the site visits. “It was great to have an incentive to visit some of the environmental education centers across North Carolina that I have wanted to see. North Carolina has so much to offer!"

When asked about the experience that stood out for her, Anna says it was the Advanced Air Quality instructional workshop. “I visited The Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center at Purchase Knob near Maggie Valley, and it was such an immersive experience. I experienced gorgeous mountain views, met fellow educators, and learned through hands-on activities that I took back to my students.”

For her community partnership project, Anna co-directed the Fall Arts Festival: Dia De Los Muertos as the lead for community engagement and education. “I helped the Fall Arts Festival student ambassadors develop educational materials, prepare for the day of the festival, and facilitate education stations. Our education stations connected festival attendees with the cultural significance of monarch butterflies to the holiday, as their annual migration to Mexico symbolizes the spirits of ancestors returning home. With this, we taught about the life history of this special butterfly in hopes to engage community members to plant milkweed and other flowering natives to support monarchs. Following the festival, the school Garden Club planted a pollinator garden, which continues to grow today!”

Anna says the program helped her build the confidence needed to develop and teach age-appropriate lessons. “I have learned that the same curriculum and topics can be adapted in vastly different ways to engage and impact a specific audience. After taking the workshop “Trees and Me” which adapts Project Learning Tree to an early childhood curriculum, and then taking a Project Learning Tree workshop developed for high schoolers that focuses on climate and climate change, I feel equipped to understand the developmental needs of different age groups and how to serve them best.”

Anna says the program changed the way she views environmental issues. She realized that individuals also have a role and responsibility for environmental issues in addition to corporate and governmental systems. “These roles must be considered when teaching the public about environmental issues and civic duty. I have learned how important it is to instill a connection with nature before focusing on environmental issues, but I have also learned that real change can come about when individuals are empowered and equipped with knowledge and skills through environmental education. It is important to me as an educator to ensure that learners feel neither defeated by placing all the blame on systemic issues, or shame by placing all the blame on individuals, regarding environmental issues, but to help learners see the full picture and their role within it.”