Educator Spotlight: Joshua Cool

Joshua Cool, manager of the Fred Stanback Jr. Ecological Preserve and Chestnut Orchard for Catawba College's Center for the Environment, has completed his NC Environmental Education Certification.

The achievement is especially significant because Joshua is the first educator to earn the certification since North Carolina's environmental education program became part of Catawba College's Center for the Environment.

As preserve manager, Joshua leads habitat restoration and rewilding efforts, including invasive plant management, native plant encouragement, trail maintenance, and educational programming for visitors.

One of Joshua's favorite aspects of the certification program was the opportunity to connect with fellow environmental educators across North Carolina.

"I have met some of the smartest, kindest, most thoughtful folks while pursuing this certification," he said. "This community is welcoming, helpful, curious, and inspiring. The ecological field can be lonely at times or feel disheartening; forming bonds with so many people doing good work passionately is a balm for the soul."

Among the highlights of the program were two Educator Treks hosted by the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

"During the first trek, Spring in the Mountains, we recorded salamander species, looked for often-overlooked plants like bear corn, and listened to birds singing their dawn chorus in the morning mist," he said. "The second trek, Where Swans Fly, Bears Walk, and Wolves Howl, took us to the Pocosin Lakes and Alligator River National Wildlife Refuges, where we saw bears, migratory swans, otters, and much more."

"The highlight of this trek was seeing a collared red wolf in the wild," Joshua said. "It was a true once-in-a-lifetime experience and one I will cherish all my days."

As part of the certification requirements, Joshua completed a community project by establishing a Green Team at Salisbury Academy. The project culminated in the school's Earth Day celebration, when the entire student body participated in planting a pollinator garden on campus.

"All students were able to shoot seed bombs from simple slingshots into the prepared ground," he said. "The garden has become a favorite part of campus. Even first and second graders now often report spending recess birdwatching."

The pollinator garden has expanded opportunities for outdoor learning and includes signage explaining the goals and benefits of pollinator gardens. It is managed to support wildlife year-round, with plant stalks left standing through winter and seeds remaining on plants as a food source for birds.

Joshua said the program also transformed his approach to education.

"I was a voracious reader as a child, and I often expected information and evidence, eloquently presented, to be sufficient for effective education," he said. "The highly participatory and often playful nature of many of these programs has proved to be an amazing catalyst for learning."

The experience also broadened his view of environmental stewardship.

"I have expanded my idea of who can, and indeed must, show up for the environment," he said. "Everyone has something to offer in this field, regardless of their direct specialization. This is an all-hands-on-deck situation, and we are going to need a diversity of skills, tactics, and ways of thinking to tackle the challenges we face. We all have something to give."