NOTICE OF A PUBLIC LISTENING SESSION ON THE PRESIDENT’S AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS INITIATIVE, Asheville July 15, 2010

We have just learned of this opportunity in Asheville next week. The N.C. Office of Environmental Education, along with the N.C. Children & Nature Coalition and the Environmental Educators of N.C. are encouraging the N.C. environmental education community to take part and provide input on these national efforts to reconnect Americans with the outdoors.

"Changing Lives ... Impacting Communities"

When: Thursday, July 15, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

What: Public Listening Session on President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative

Where: Asheville-Buncombe County Technical Institute; Asheville Campus, 340 Victoria Road, Asheville, NC 28801 (Map & Directions)

Who: Representatives from DOI, USDA, EPA, and CEQ will be present to hear your thoughts and to participate in a conversation with you about land conservation, recreation, and reconnecting Americans to the great outdoors.

Register: This event is free and open to the public and we will make every effort to accommodate everyone. To help with our planning, we encourage you to pre-register by Monday July 12. To pre-register, please email Teresa Lovelace

Include with your email your name, organization, and primary area of interest:

· Working lands, open space, and landscape conservation
· Outdoor Recreation
· Youth engagement and environmental education.
· General Discussion

In April, at the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors, President Obama established the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a conservation and recreation agenda worthy of the 21st century and to reconnect Americans with our great outdoors. The President understands that protecting and restoring the lands and waters that we love and reconnecting people to the outdoors must be community driven and supported. The President directed the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality to lead this effort and to listen and learn from people all over the country. Please join senior representatives of these agencies for a public listening session and discussion on land conservation, recreation, and reconnecting Americans to the great outdoors.

In the Southeast, many citizens and organizations are deeply involved in the conservation of working farms, forests, lakes, and rivers, scenic lands, and historic areas, and in celebrating and enjoying the region’s rich outdoor and cultural heritage. This public listening session and discussion is an opportunity forleaders of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to hear from you about solutions for building a 21st century conservation and recreation agenda and reconnecting all Americans with the outdoors.

More Info: You can find more information on the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative and submit comments online at:www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors

Status of N.C. Office of Environmental Education

The N.C. House of Representatives has passed its version of the budget. The House budget maintains the Office of Environmental Education, all staff and all functions and duties.

The N.C. Senate version of the budget eliminates two positions within the Office--the adult environmental education program manager (river basin and informed consumer programs, and all public awareness programs for adults) and the PreK-12 environmental education program manager (teacher training institutes, outdoor classroom symposium, Environmental Literacy Plan development and all PreK-12 Programs). The Office would cease to exist and the remaining positions would be incorporated into a new division.

The final decision on the status of the Office depends on the decision of the House and Senate conferees, who will begin meeting this week to work out differences in the two budgets. The General Assembly aims to have the budget passed before July 1.

Update: Budget negotiations are complete. The N.C. General Assembly website has the 2010 budget and money report. The vote will be on Tuesday, June 29 and Wednesday, June 30.

UPDATE: Status of the Office of Environmental Education

The N.C. Office of Environmental Education has received numerous requests for information about the impacts to our office as a result of the recently proposed budget cuts in the Senate. See below for detailed information on the impacts to the operations of the Office.

The Senate Bill eliminates two positions in the Office of Environmental Education, the adult environmental education program manager (river basin and informed consumer programs, and all public awareness programs for adults) and the PreK-12 environmental education program manager (teacher training institutes, outdoor classroom symposium, Environmental Literacy Plan development and all PreK-12 Programs) within the Office of Environmental Education.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural and Economic Resources is meeting today to review Senate budget and take input from committee members. A vote is expected to be taken in subcommittee by next Thursday. The Appropriations Committee of the North Carolina House of Representatives will hold a public hearing on Monday, May 24, to receive comments about the state budget. The hearing will be held from 7-10 p.m. at the McKimmon Center on the campus of North Carolina State University. Email comments concerning the budget may be sent to town.hall@ncleg.net up to midnight of May 25.


The N.C. Office of Environmental Education serves as a national model for providing access to and policy for environmental education.

The N.C. Office of Environmental Education was established by the N.C. Environmental Education Act of 1993, which called for the creation of the Office of Environmental Education within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. (Link to legislation)

In 2000, the office had a staff of 10. Since that time, the staff has been cut in half. The office, which is functioning now with five employees, would be reduced by two under the Senate’s proposal. The two positions proposed for elimination include the PreK-12 Program Manager and the Adult Environmental Education Program Manager. This proposal would essentially repeal the N.C. Environmental Education Act, setting our state back 17 years.

These two positions, as well as the other positions in the office, are critical to the success of the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program. The certification program’s continued growth is dependent upon the support the office provides to both formal PreK-12 classroom teachers and nonformal educators including adult educators. Both the positions proposed for elimination support the development of the certification program. The N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program cannot successfully function without the support of the Office of Environmental Education and its remaining staff.

In addition, the office has made some exciting accomplishments within the last year that would be severely affected by the current proposal.

· The Office most recently released the state's 10-year plan for environmental education. In order to meet the goals of this plan, the office must remain a fully staffed entity.

· The office is leading the effort to create a state environmental literacy plan for PreK-12 schools, which could potentially bring millions of federal dollars to the state to enhance statewide public education. The funding is being proposed through the No Child Left Inside legislation, which is one of four key pieces of legislation being considered as part of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act at the federal level. The plan will help better prepare North Carolina students to face environmental challenges in the future, as well as placing the state in a position to take advantage of federal funding. The PreK-12 position, with support from all 4 positions in the office, is critical to the development of this plan. On May 12, the Office of Environmental Education and partners launched the state’s Environmental Literacy Plan. (See news coverage of the event).

· Since 2002, the PreK-12 Program has led the development and coordination of high-quality professional development institutes and symposia for classroom teachers. More than 250 teachers have learned how to teach their students to use critical-thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills by investigating locally relevant environmental issues and incorporating outdoor learning into their classroom. As a result, more than 138,000 students continue to be positively impacted by teacher participation in these professional development programs. These professional development opportunities and the resulting student impacts would not be possible without the leadership of the PreK-12 position, which is currently proposed for elimination.

· The Office received a $99,000 Stormwater Compliance Grant from Wal-Mart last year to continue the highly successful river basin educational awareness program. The Division of Water Quality has made changes to the state’s river basin boundaries and this grant would allow the office to make those changes to the river basin maps and booklets distributed to teachers and non-formal educators across the state. The office has distributed hundreds of thousands of these publications to educators and this grant would allow the office to provide these resources to other educators and citizens. The Adult Environmental Education Program Manager being considered for elimination is responsible for this program among many other programs in the office. This program was part of an effort that began in the 1990s to educate citizens about their connection to their environment and to increase environmental awareness among the adult population. This program and the consultation it provides to other agencies will not exist if the adult environmental education program manager position is eliminated.

· The office has joined eight Southeastern states in an effort to increase access to environmental education programs, resources and events. This partnership provided funding through EPA to create an online searchable database of all the environmental education resources in the state. This program is also managed by the Adult Environmental Education Program Manager, a position which is being proposed for elimination.

· In April, the Office of Environmental Education recognized 185 formal and non-formal educators for completing the EE Certification Program. North Carolina is now home to more than 900 certified environmental educators.

The PreK-12 and adult environmental education programs are essential to the mission of the Office of Environmental Education. The PreK-12 and adult environmental education programs are severely understaffed as they currently exist, with two people serving the needs of the entire state. By necessity, all five of the office’s staff collaborates on multiple grants and programs; individual staff members are not solely responsible for program areas. The five positions remaining are all critical to meeting the mandate in the office's legislation. Any further cuts of this program will render the program essentially ineffective.

N.C. Environmental Literacy Plan Kickoff Event Video

News 14 Carolina did an excellent video and news story about the kickoff for the North Carolina Environmental Literacy Plan that was held Wednesday, May 12 at Wiley Elementary in Raleigh. Visit this link for the complete story. Senator Josh Stein delivered remarks, as well as State Superintendent June Atkinson and N.C. DENR Secretary Dee Freeman.

State Leaders and Educators Launch Environmental Literacy Plan for N.C. Students

Release: Immediate Contact: Sarah Yelton

Date: May 11, 2010 Phone: (919) 733-0711

Superintendent Atkinson Launches Environmental Literacy Plan for N.C. Students

State leaders and educators will launch North Carolina’s new environmental literacy plan on Wednesday (May 11, 2010) at a Raleigh school that has become a model for outdoor learning.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson and Dee Freeman, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, will help kickoff the plan during the 9:15 a.m. ceremony at Wiley International Studies Magnet Elementary School, 301 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh.

The environmental literacy plan aims to ensure that graduates of North Carolina’s public schools are prepared for future environmental challenges. The plan is a partnership between the state departments of Environment and Natural Resources and Public Instruction.

“This plan will provide students with the essential critical-thinking and problem-solving skills they will need to meet real-world challenges and contribute to healthy, sustainable and prosperous communities,” Atkinson said. “Environmental literacy is an important part of a well-rounded education. It is also increasingly important as businesses recognize that an environmentally literate workforce is essential for long-term success and sustainability.”

The plan would prepare North Carolina to take advantage of federal funding through proposed No Child Left Inside, or NCLI, legislation. The NCLI Act is one of four key pieces of legislation being considered as part of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or ESEA. The ESEA authorizes federally funded education programs administered by the states. It is being reviewed for reauthorization this year.

Freeman said a state environmental literacy plan is important for the state’s future.

“To be globally competitive in the 21st Century and to have a sustainable and healthy future, North Carolina needs environmentally literate individuals and communities who can make informed decisions about the complex environmental issues affecting our economy, public health and natural resources,” Freeman said.

Wiley, the Raleigh school hosting the event, was an ideal location because of its outdoor learning area that includes a natural learning garden and a Piedmont Savannah restoration area. Recently, volunteers completed a community service project that added a learning platform to the school’s outdoor classroom area. The platform will provide a place for students to study outside. During Wednesday’s ceremony, state officials and members of the PTA as well as educators at Wiley will unveil the new platform and add plants to the school’s outdoor garden.

Wiley serves as a model for other schools that would like to have outdoor learning areas. Wiley Principal Erin Kershner, teachers and PTA members are committed to using the outdoors to teach students. You can learn more about Wiley’s outdoor learning areas online at http://bit.ly/WileyEEschool. The state’s environmental literacy plan is an important component of North Carolina’s master plan for environmental education, which can be found at www.eenorthcarolina.org/whatisoffice/eeplan/eeplanmain.htm.
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N.C.'s Newest Certified Environmental Educators Honored

Professor and author David Sobel, Antioch University New England, was keynote speaker.

The Office of Environmental Education and its certification program sponsors and partners recently honored the state's newest certified environmental educators. The special ceremony was held at the Research Triangle Park Sheraton. The program has certified 185 individuals since the last ceremony in 2006, bringing the total number of N.C. certifed environmental educators to 908.

Educators and guests from around the state were treated to an inspiring keynote address by David Sobel, professor and director of teacher certification programs at Antioch University New England. Sobel is a widely recognized authority on environmental and place-based education and is the author of several books, including "Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms & Communities and Childhood and Nature." Sobel was introduced by Rebecca Garland, chief academic officer for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (N.C. DPI). Garland gave an inspirational talk as well, emphasizing the importance of the positive working relationship between N.C. DPI and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The nationally recognized North Carolina Environmental Education Program was the first program of its kind in the country. The program began with 25 certified educators in 1996. Today, more than 1,800 teachers, park rangers, non-formal educators and North Carolina residents are enrolled in the program. The program has been used as a model by a number of other states, as well as South Korea.

Participants in the program are required to complete 200 hours of professional development, which includes instructional workshops, 50 hours of outdoor experiences, knowledge of environmental education resources and facilities, a teaching component and a community environmental stewardship project. Administered by the N.C. Office of Environmental Education, the program is sponsored by N.C. DENR, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, Environmental Educators of North Carolina, the Environmental Education Fund, the N.C. Association of Environmental Education Centers and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Environmental education certification ensures high-quality, comprehensive environmental education programs by establishing standards for the environmental education profession. It has become a powerful tool for strengthening the field of environmental education in North Carolina and is a widely recognized credential for employment in environmental education and related fields. "The certification program recognizes professional development in environmental education and the educators who have committed their time to instilling a sense of environmental stewardship in children and adults," noted Dee Freeman, secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. "This program inspires educators to use the outdoors to teach math, science, social studies, language arts and art while connecting students to their communities and instilling an environmental ethic. It also helps provide future citizens and adults with the data and skills needed to make knowledgeable environmental decisions."

Ceremony sponsors included Progress Energy; Duke Energy; N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission; Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation; Environmental Educators of North Carolina; N.C. Aquarium Society; N.C. Zoological Society; Friends of State Parks; Project Food, Land and People, N.C. Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts; Southeastern Community College; N.C. Association of Environmental Education Centers and the Environmental Education Fund. A list of the certified Environmental Educators by county can be viewed on the Office of Environmental Education's website at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/certification/certified_educators.html.

Newly certified environmental educators, program sponsors and guests from across the state got a chance to meet and mingle at the recent North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Ceremony.

David Sobel, N.C. DENR Secretary Dee Freeman and N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation Director Lewis Ledford pose with rangers and staff that were honored at the certification ceremony. Forty-four rangers were honored, as well as a park office assistant, an interpretation and education specialist, members of state park friends groups and a member of the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.

No Child Left Inside Bill to be Reintroduced: What it means for North Carolina

NCLI Act? N.C. Environmental Literacy Plan?
What does it all mean?

This piece by Sarah Yelton, PreK-12 Environmental Education Program Consultant for the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs, spells out what NCLI could mean for North Carolina, why we need an Environmental Literacy Plan and the steps being taken to develop it. An earlier version of this story originally appeared in the Environmental Educators of N.C. Newsletter.

My guess is that many of you have heard the term “No Child Left Inside” by now. It’s a term that has been floating around for a few years and is used most often to refer to federal legislation that will have a significant impact on the state of environmental education in North Carolina and across the country. The No Child Left Inside Act (NCLI) of 2009 was introduced into the 111th session of Congress (H.R. 2054 and S. 866) on Earth Day 2009. The bill did not make it to the floor during the 111th Congress, but there are reports that it will be introduced again the week of May 23, 2011.

So why is this important for North Carolina? The NCLI Act establishes and sets aside funding for two new federal grant programs for environmental education. School districts will be able to partner with EE centers, non-profit organizations, natural resource agencies, colleges and universities and others to develop and evaluate new programs for teacher professional development and capacity building in environmental education. These might be teacher training institutes, programs that provide outdoor experiences for students, new policy approaches for incorporating EE into the curriculum at the state or district level, or evaluating the effectiveness of EE in improving student achievement, to name just a few examples. But to be eligible for either of these grant programs, North Carolina must have in place a plan that ensures graduates of our state educational system will be environmentally literate.

To position North Carolina to take advantage of the funding made possible through NCLI as soon as it becomes available, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) entered into a partnership to develop a state environmental literacy plan in the fall of 2008. In April of 2009, the Environmental Literacy Plan (ELP) Working Group, which includes stakeholders from the education and environmental communities such as EENC and the NC Association of EE Centers, convened for the first time with DPI and DENR Office of EE and Public Affairs staff to begin developing the environmental literacy plan.

According to the NCLI Act, there are three main objectives for the environmental literacy plan. First, North Carolina must show how our state educational system will prepare students to understand, analyze, and address the major environmental challenges facing North Carolina and the United States. It must also provide for field experiences as part of the regular school curriculum and create programs that contribute to healthy lifestyles through outdoor recreation and sound nutrition. Finally, it should create opportunities for enhanced and ongoing professional development for teachers that improves their environmental knowledge and skills in teaching students about environmental issues, including the use of interdisciplinary, field-based and research-based learning and innovative technology in the classroom.

When complete, North Carolina’s environmental literacy plan will describe how DPI will measure the environmental literacy of students, including relevant academic content standards regarding EE and a description of how the plan relates to graduation requirements. It will also provide for teacher professional development opportunities that support environmental literacy of students and explain how DPI will implement the plan, including securing funding and other necessary support. The team has already completed a first draft of the ELP plan, which is available for public review: http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/ncenvliteracyplan.html. A second draft will be available by late spring or early summer. Individuals can sign up for email alerts for ELP updates at the link.

The Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs and NCDPI held an event May 12, 2010 at Wiley International Studies Magnet Elementary in Raleigh to officially kickoff the ELP partnership. News 14 Carolina did an excellent video and report. Visit this link for the complete story. Senator Josh Stein delivered remarks, as well as State Superintendent June Atkinson and N.C. DENR Secretary Dee Freeman.

An earlier version of the NCLI Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives with broad bi-partisan support before the 110th session of Congress ended in 2008. The NCLI Act was listed as one of 4 key pieces of legislation that will impact the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind). In North Carolina, Representatives Price, Shuler and Etheridge signed on as co-sponsors of the 2009 bill. 

We will continue to provide updates on the progress of the North Carolina Environmental Literacy Plan and the 2011 No Child Left Inside Act.  

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to find out more about the environmental literacy plan development process, please contact Sarah Yelton at the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs at sarah.yelton@ncdenr.gov or 919-733-0711.

EE Week Over? It's Really Just Started! Earth Day and Arbor Day Events in N.C.

Environmental Education Week officially ends tomorrow, but this week was also the kickoff for Earth Day and Arbor Day events and educational activities that will last into May. Here are some ways to extend the EE Week goodness…

· Various Divisions of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources are offering Earth Day and Arbor Day events starting this weekend. See this DENR News Release for locations and times. Events include two 5k Races, a cake-baking contest, games, animal exhibits…something for everyone.

· A wide variety of Earth Day and Arbor Day Events are also being offered by local parks, environmental centers, cities and organizations starting this weekend. See the EE Events list.

· Document those EE Week activities! National EE Week is sponsoring their Photo Blog Contest again this year. Prizes include: First, Ultra Flip Video Camcorder and 30 copies of National Geographic Explorer Magazine; Second, Ultra Flip Video Camcorder and a $50 gift certificate to Acorn Naturalists, and Third, an Ultra Flip Video Camcorder.

. And take some photos for us! We’ll be doing the EE Week/Earth Day/Arbor Day blog again to feature activities around the state. Just send us no more than 3 photos and a short write up of what you did. Event hosts or participants are welcome to send items to Marty.Wiggins@ncdenr.gov.

Thursday EE Week Update: Environmental Education-It Works.

EE Week is the perfect time to share the benefits of environmental education and outdoor activity with others.

An increasing body of research shows that EE can improve academic achievement across the curriculum and can have a positive effect on classroom and social behavior.

Outdoor activity is key as well, as it is essential in developing and strengthening the first component of EE--awareness and sensitivity to the environment. Similar to EE activities, time spent in the outdoors (both organized and free play) has been shown to be developmentally important for children and beneficial for adults, both mentally and physically.

Here are some items to share about the benefits of environmental education and the essential role of outdoor activity:

· National EE Week has a list of EE success stories (with photos!) from 2009.

· The Office’s EE Research Page has links to peer-reviewed research on EE and outdoor activity. Both it and the news feed below has resources you can use when writing articles, grant proposals etc.

· The EE Research News Feed has a list of news and journal articles on EE and the benefits of outdoor recreation, parks and other green spaces.

· This page has profiles of N.C. Certified Environmental Educators, showing how they share their EE training and expertise with others and use it to improve their communities.

· The EE Schools Directory shows how schools in N.C. are integrating EE, school gardens and other types of outdoor learning.

· Need some help on explaining what EE is? The EPA Office of Environmental Education has a good explanations, and for a little more depth and perspective, the online articles for the Basics of Environmental Education Independent Study are a must.

Wednesday EE Week Update: Cultural Diversity in EE

The Office of Environmental Education had the opportunity to do an EE Week guest blog on Outdoor Afro, a Web site operated by speaker and consultant Rue Mapp. According to Rue, it is a “community that reconnects African-Americans with natural spaces and one another through recreational activities such as camping, hiking, biking, fishing, gardening, skiing — and more!”

There are many individuals and organizations just like Rue that are working to make the environmental education and outdoor recreation communities more culturally diverse. EE Week is a good time to reflect on ways to do the same in North Carolina. Here are some available resources and materials:

The North American Association for Environmental Education’s Diversity Council works to increase cultural diversity in EE.

Black Issues Forum, produced by UNC-TV, has the program “Blacks Going Green” available on their Web site (scroll down to episode 2314). It features Yasmin Fozard, a former Environmental Educators of North Carolina Board Member.

National environmental education curricula, including Project WET, Project Learning Tree, Project Wild and Food Land and People have at least part of their materials available in Spanish, as do many other EE resources. Some EE Centers also offer outreach programs that travel to underserved areas, and some can provide programs in Spanish.

The N.C. Division of Forest Resources Outreach Program works to raise awareness of the management assistance and other offered programs and services to minority landowners and does conservation education as well. As a matter of fact, Minority Landowner Magazine is based in North Carolina and is published by a former N.C. DFR employee.

Finally, the Environmental Education & Training Partnership has a great article, Making EE Relevant for Culturally Diverse Groups , that features the Walnut Creek Wetlands Center, an environmental education center in southeast Raleigh. At the end of the article is a great resource section with links to organizations, articles and research on EE, the environment and cultural diversity.

These are just a few resources that are out there. Please let the office know what you are doing and any other resources you use!

Tuesday EE Week Update: National Library Week?

National Library Week?

Did you know that this is not only Environmental Education Week, but also National Library Week? Why are we mentioning this here? Libraries and environmental education definitely go hand in hand, and many libraries are also dedicated to environmental literacy. As a matter of fact, the American Library Association has an active Task Force on the Environment.

N.C. also has a history of cooperation between the EE Community and libraries. The Kathleen Clay Edwards Library in Greensboro is located in Price Park and is also an N.C. Environmental Education Center. Many other libraries host environmental education programs as well, and often integrate reading programs with nature, the environment and sustainability. Check out the event listings at your local branch, or http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/. If your local library offers EE-related programs, encourage them to register as an organization on the Web site and post them to the EE Calendar!

Also, our friends at the State Library of North Carolina suggest that environmental educators can use WorldCat to find library resources near them. WorldCat finds books and other resources and lists the libraries that own it, ranking them by location based on the IP address of the computer they are using. Also, there are a number of environment-related state publications in the Digital Repository: http://digital.ncdcr.gov/.

So visit an Environmental Education Center AND your local library this EE Week--you’ll be glad you did!

Environmental Education Week! Monday Updates

It’s the second day of Environmental Education Week. We hope everyone was able to get outdoors and enjoy the great weather over the weekend. The forecast from Murphy to Manteo is looking great for the remainder of EE Week, so please plan to take advantage of all the great opportunities across the state.Here are a few reminders and suggestions on how to participate:

• Visit the Office of Environmental Education Web site for EE Week, Earth Day and Arbor Day events.
  
• Friday, April 16th at 6:00 p.m. the North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Ceremony will be held at the Sheraton RTP. It will feature renowned environmental education author and professor David Sobel as keynote speaker. Seats are now available for the general public for $35 (includes full dinner). Contact Diane.Rodman@ncdenr.gov by close of business today (April 12th) if you would like to attend.
  
• Document what you are doing (and maybe win a prize!) National EE Week is sponsoring their Photo Blog Contest again this year. Prizes include: First, Ultra Flip Video Camcorder and 30 copies of National Geographic Explorer Magazine; Second, Ultra Flip Video Camcorder and a $50 gift certificate to Acorn Naturalists, and Third, an Ultra Flip Video Camcorder.
  
• There is still time to get the word out! The N.C. Environmental Education Week Press Release and Governor’s Proclamation.

EE Week Special: David Sobel Speaking April 16th!

The public is now invited to hear well-known author, professor and environmental educator David Sobel. Yes, that’s David Sobel, author of “Placed-Based Education,” “Beyond Ecophobia” and “Childhood and Nature.” David is a core faculty member and director of teacher certificate programs at Antioch University New England. He is a widely recognized authority on place-based education and age-appropriateness in environmental education curricula.

The Sobel speech is part of the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Ceremony, so this is also a great opportunity to learn more about this program and honor the individuals who have worked so hard to receive this honor.

All those being honored have responded and now the general public is invited to purchase the remaining seats. It will be held at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center in RTP and begins with a social at 6:00 pm and dinner at 7:00. The cost is $35 and includes a full meal provided by the Sheraton.

RSVP by via email to Diane.Rodman@ncdenr.gov by close of business on Monday, April 12th if you would like to attend. We will email you the payment options. Act quickly—we want to give as many people as possible the chance to participate in this great event!

EE Week Video Invitation from EPA Administrator Jackson

North Carolina Environmental Education Week!

Gov. Beverly Perdue has proclaimed the week of April 11-17 as "North Carolina Environmental Education Week." The proclamation was read last week at the North Carolina Children and Nature Network Conference by State Representative Pat Hurley of Randolph County. North Carolina EE Week is part of a nation-wide effort to promote environmental literacy during the week before Earth Day. (View the proclamation.)

Since 2004, the National Environmental Education Foundation has coordinated the implementation of National EE Week. Working in partnership with various federal, local and state agencies and organizations, EE Week engages the participation of thousands of educators and millions of students and adults. It is the largest organized environmental education event in the United States. This year, the event is sponsored by the Walmart Foundation.

The N.C. Office of Environmental Education is promoting EE Week,
Earth Day and Arbor Day programs and events statewide in April using its Web site, http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/. On the Web site, individuals can use an online calendar to view environmental education activities across the state. Visitors can search for North Carolina Environmental Education Centers and teachers and nonformal educators can search for environmental education resources tailored to different ages and subjects. The office also encourages schools, organizations and agencies to sign
up as a participants in National EE Week at http://www.eeweek.org/.

Lisa Tolley, director of the N.C. Office of Environmental Education, hopes their Web site will help get children and adults outside this spring and introduce them to the benefits of environmental education activities.

“April is a great time to celebrate all the exciting outdoor events and programs going on in North Carolina. We want to help people find outdoor experiences and environmental education activities in their own community and at facilities they can visit across the state.”

For a list of environmental education activities in April, visit the N.C. Office of Environmental Education Calendar.

The Office of Environmental Education invites environmental education centers, parks, government agencies, cities, counties, schools and non-profit organizations to post their EE Week and Earth Day events on the Environmental Education Calendar. The office will then promote all of these events on their Web site, through press releases and on the NC-EE listserv. If your agency or organization is not listed as an organization on the Web site, these instructions show you how to register and post events.

U.S. House Passes The Ocean, Coastal and Watershed Education Act

The National Wildlife Federation reports that the U.S. House of Representatives today (March 19th) passed a bipartisan bill to promote nature education and advance science literacy in America’s classrooms. Introduced by Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA - 23) last September, H.R. 3644 will authorize a national Environmental Literacy Grant Program and a regional Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The House is also expected to vote as soon as this weekend on the Public Lands Service Corps Act to provide young people with service and job opportunities on public lands.

Read the full release from the National Wildlife Federation.

photo by rendo79

Looking for A Summer Job? (Or An "All Year" Job?)

The North Carolina Office of Environmental Education's Jobs and Internships page is brimming with full-time and part-time environmental education related employment and internship opporutnities. Several new positions have been posted recently.

There are new full-time positions, as well as summer opportunities for students and teachers that want hands-on employment or internships in environmental education or science.

Environmental Education Center Friday!

It’s Environmental Education Center Friday!

Did you know that today (March 19th) is Arbor Day? While national Arbor Day is on the last Friday in April, the official North Carolina Arbor Day is celebrated on the first Friday after March 15. Some cities may celebrate Arbor Day at different times, depending on the best time of the year to plant trees in that area. You can learn more about Arbor Day in N.C. in this press release from the N.C. Division of Forest Resources.

Several N.C. Environmental Education Centers have forestry as their main focus, and many more offer programs and exhibits on trees, forests and forestry. Be sure to check out our EE Events page for Arbor Day events in your area. They run now through national Arbor Day.

Here are some EE Centers that focus on forestry. Each of these provides forestry education as well as a wide variety of other environmental education programs on air, water, wildlife and much more.

· The N.C. Division of Forest Resources operates seven Educational State Forests across the state. If you have never visited one, you have missed a treat!

· There is also the North Carolina Museum of Forestry, located in Whiteville, NC. This museum celebrates the story of the natural history and cultural heritage of North Carolina forests through exhibits, educational programming and special events.

· Finally, there is the well-known Forest Discovery Center at the Cradle of Forestry in America, located in Pisgah Forest. Spanning over 100 years of forest conservation history, the Cradle of Forestry offers a snap shot of life at America’s first school of Forestry along the Biltmore Campus Trail. You can also take a picturesque walk along the Forest Festival Trail complete with a restored 1915 logging locomotive, or take a ride with firefighters aboard a helicopter on their way to a roaring fire in the wilds of Idaho in the Forest Discovery Center Exhibit Hall.

photo by samtron9

NC Beautiful Announces Recipients of 2010 Windows of Opportunity Grants

NC Beautiful, a provider of environmental education and beautification opportunities that elevate the quality of life of North Carolinians, has announced this year's recipients of the organization's environmental education grants. Twelve schools were awarded Windows of Opportunity Grants, representing a total of over $11,000 in educational grants. The grants are available to certified, full-time K-12 teachers in the state of North Carolina.

Windows of Opportunity provides up to $1,000 grants to NC teachers to reward their creativity fostering environmental stewardship, leadership, and awareness and initiating a sense of community service. Each grant applicant was required to complete a five-section online application that included a two-page project narrative, budget, and commitment letter, which commits the school to complete the projected work. Each school must use its grant by June 2010.

NC Beautiful Executive Director, Steve Vacendak, says that the goal of the NC Beautiful is to annually offer a Windows of Opportunity grant in all 100 counties in North Carolina. "Promoting and fostering environmental stewardship is a state-wide commitment," says Vacendak. "NC Beautiful remains committed to expanding our communication efforts to ensure that every school in the state has the opportunity to take advantage of this valuable resource so that everyone can connect to make North Carolina beautiful."

The Windows of Opportunity Grants were created to cultivate an appreciation of natural environments by helping children get out of school and into natural settings. The grants also build leadership awareness, develop environmental educational mentors and ambassadors, create materials and resources that can be used by other K-12 students, and develop a sustainable, outdoor program, which will continue well after the grant period ends.

The following is a list of the 2010 Windows of Opportunity Grant recipients, including name of the teacher submitting the winning entry:

• Nancy Bryant, Burlington Christian Academy, Burlington (Alamance County)
  
  Crystal Hendrix, Ira B. Jones Elementary School, Asheville (Buncombe County)
  
  Becky Leousis, Shawboro Elementary, Shawboro (Currituck County)
  
  Kristen Snyder, George Watts Montessori, Durham (Durham County)
  
  Ruth McDaniel, Southern High School, Durham (Durham County)
  
  Zenda Cloniger, The Children's Center, Winston-Salem (Forsyth County)
  
  Susan Parker, Buckland Elementary, Gates (Gates County)
  
  Kathleen Conroy, Providence Spring Elementary School, Charlotte (Mecklenburg County)
  
  Beth Carter, Cape Fear Center for Inquiry, Wilmington (New Hanover County)
  
  Kathleen Lester, Swansboro Elementary School, Swansboro (Onslow County)
  
  Lara Brickhouse, EB Aycock Middle School, Greenville (Pitt County)
  
  Tedi McManus, Gardners Elementary, Elm City (Wilson County)
  
  About NC Beautiful
  NC Beautiful has been part of the state's environmental preservation community for over 40 years-supporting awareness, education and beautification efforts that affect our quality of life. Today, we concentrate on hands-on and merit-based programs designed to empower our citizens to preserve the natural beauty of the state of North Carolina. Whether it's school children building outdoor classrooms, graduate students developing cutting edge research, or a Boy Scout troop planting azaleas at an elder care facility, we make it possible for North Carolinians to keep NC Beautiful. For more information, visit http://www.ncbeautiful.org/.
  

"Love-A-Tree" Healthy Trees, Healthy People Program Kicks Off at the Charlotte Nature Museum, March 9th

Beverly Eaves Perdue, Governor
Dee Freeman, Secretary

N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Release: Immediate Contact: Marty Wiggins
Date: Mar. 8, 2010 Phone: (919) 733-0711

Statewide “Love-A-Tree” Environmental Education Program Kicks Off Tomorrow

CHARLOTTE – Children and local students visiting the Charlotte Nature Museum tomorrow at 11 a.m. will join guests from International Paper, the Environmental Education Fund and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources to participate in activities from this year's statewide "Love-A-Tree" Environmental Education Program.

The N.C. Office of Environmental Education has distributed materials from the “Love-A-Tree” Environmental Education Program to more than 2,000 teachers and environmental educators from across North Carolina, and estimates that a total of 3,000 will be circulated by year’s end. The kits are designed for 4th and 5th grade teachers and are correlated to the state standard course of study for science, social studies and healthful living. The materials are also adaptable to other grade levels and curricula. Love-A-Tree is provided at no cost through funds provided by the International Paper Foundation to the Environmental Education Fund, a nonprofit organization based in North Carolina. The program is managed and distributed by the Office of Environmental Education.

The theme of this year’s packet is “Healthy Trees, Healthy People,” and integrates environmental education, health and physical fitness. The packet includes a lesson plan book with activities provided by agencies within DENR, including: the Office of Environmental Education, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, the N.C. Zoo, Parks and Recreation, Water Resources, Coastal Management, Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance, the N.C. Aquariums, Forest Resources and Soil and Water Conservation. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, N.C. Project WET, N.C. Project Learning Tree and the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s Healthy Schools Section also contributed to the booklet. “We are grateful to the International Paper Foundation and the Environmental Education Fund for their support of this program,” said Lisa Tolley, director of the Office of Environmental Education. “We would be unable to distribute such a large number of these valuable resources without their support.”

"This marks the 12th year of our partnership with the Office of Environmental Education and the Environmental Education Fund,” said Deano Orr, International Paper’s regional government relations manager for North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. “This successful program exemplifies International Paper's commitment to our communities and the environment.”

The packet also includes a copy of the Guide to Environmental Education Centers in North Carolina. This publication features 190 environmental education centers located throughout the state. The Office of Environmental Education produced the guide to assist teachers, afterschool program providers and other educators with finding quality local field trip destinations. The Charlotte Nature Museum is one of the facilities featured in the guide.