Educator Spotlight: Nora Skinner

Nora Skinner, the environmental programs coordinator for the Town of Apex, recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certificate.

Nora gets to wear a lot of different hats in her position. “The part of my role that I enjoy most is creating new environmental programs for community members to participate in. These programs have included both town-led initiatives and collaborations with local partner organizations, but I find the partnerships especially fulfilling. There’s something really rewarding about different groups coming together to work toward a shared environmental goal. The environmental education certification program has helped me tremendously in this aspect of my work, as I strive to design programs that are relevant, accessible and engaging for our community. Outside of work, you can still find me exploring nature. I’m a coastal girl at heart, so even though I grew up in Stokes County and love the mountains, my ideal day would be spent reading a book on the beach or stomping around in the marsh.”

Nora says her favorite part of the certification program was the teaching. “I was in a somewhat unique position, because I was able to count a portion of my teaching hours while I was out of state earning my Master’s in Conservation Education from Mississippi State University. From 2022 to early 2025, I lived in Biloxi, Mississippi, where I worked as an extension agent for Mississippi State University. During that time, I led a variety of STEM programs for local high school students. These included a summer camp focused on teaching green infrastructure technical skills, such as drone operation, using Real-Time Kinematic equipment and boating, as well as a program centered on marsh and dune restoration. Students grew native plants at their schools throughout the year, and at the end of the program, we took a field trip to a marsh or beach site to complete a hands-on restoration project. Working with those students and seeing their growth through these experiences has been some of the most rewarding teaching I’ve done so far.”

When asked which certification experience stood out for her, Nora says it was the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ Project RESTORE (Rescuing Endangered Species through Outreach, Restoration and Education) Educator Trek which connects teachers and students to imperiled and endangered species in eastern NC such as the Neuse River Waterdog salamander, one of the rarest species of salamander in the Southeast. “I participated in this event last December and was thoroughly impressed by how much educational content was packed into a single day while still keeping the program fun! It was really amazing to hear from North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission staff about this rare, endemic species that is right in our backyards and to learn about all of the conservation efforts focused on protecting them.”

For her community partnership project, Nora developed the Apex Natural Heritage Trail at Apex Nature Park which features a series of 10 interpretive signs focused on the ecology and natural history of Apex. The project allowed her to partner with several departments with the Town of Apex where she works. “I researched the topics, worked with the town’s parks and recreation staff to produce and install the signs, and collaborated with the town’s communications department to create a webpage to support the trail. The trail is designed to be a self-guided experience, but on the first day the signs were installed, I led a guided walk through the trails to kick off the program. I plan to continue offering guided walks periodically. This project filled a gap in environmental education programming at Apex Nature Park, since there was previously no educational information available in the park. My hope is that this project benefits the community by increasing environmental literacy in an accessible way. Visitors can explore the trail at their own pace while learning about local watersheds, wildlife and the history of the area.”

Nora says the program changed her approach to teaching others. “The program changed my approach to creating new programs and lessons. Now, when I begin planning, I take time to think more intentionally about the relevance of the topics I want to address and whether they matter and how they meet the needs of our community. I also think about how to make programs inclusive for everyone, whether it means addressing physical accessibility or using different teaching methods. I also try to bring as many voices to the table as possible so that multiple perspectives are represented. My goal is to reduce barriers to entry in the environmental field and create programs that are welcoming, meaningful and accessible to a wider audience.”

Nora also says the program changed the way she thinks about environmental issues.  "After completing the certification program, one lesson that will always stay with me is that the overarching goal of environmental education is to increase environmental literacy. When thinking about environmental issues and how to teach them, I understand that my role as an educator is to help people better understand these topics and how their actions and decisions relate to and impact the environment. There is a phrase that I use often that reflects this idea, “If you know better, you do better.” My goal is not to promote specific values, but to foster environmental literacy by equipping folks with the knowledge to make their own informed decisions about environmental issues.”