Joy Fields

What does she do? I provide water quality education and outreach for local communities and watershed planning efforts.

What was her favorite part of earning EE certification? My favorite part of the certification process was attending many workshops that had exercises that could be combined to create fun activities that were relevant to any audience. For example, Project Wild had Dragonfly Pond that could be enhanced for older audiences, or modified to meet curriculum needs by adding a topographical map which would make Dragonfly Pond similar to the Living Waters ELLE post visit activity #1. The mapping activity that explores how to develop land to keep water clean could be introduced by the Project WET Storm Water activity that shows how impervious surfaces impact water infiltration and pollution levels. A mapping activity that shows different land uses and gets students to think about where and why development happens, would be a fun way to explore stormwater pollution and meet curriculum needs. Without attending all three of those workshops I would not have thought to add topographic lines to Dragonfly Pond or use a map in conjunction with the Project WET Storm Water activity. 

What certification experience stands out for her? Project Wild Aquatic stands out because the audience was so diverse with participants ranging from High School students to Environmental Center Staff. Also the Food Land People workshop was amazing because it was led by professionals who were experts in soil erosion and agricultural practices and many of my questions that I have accumulated over the three years of teaching about soil erosion were answered during the FLP workshop. 

What was her community partnership project? My community partnership project involved planning, and installing a native plant riparian buffer in the Greensboro Arboretum. The goal was to provide the public with a visual of how they could have a manicured buffer in their backyard that supports healthy water quality and fits their aesthetics too. The project will educate the public through an informational sign and provide them with visual to mimic to improve the buffer in their own yard. 

Congratulations Joy!