Marc Mahan

What do you do? 

I have worked for county parks, state parks, and national parks. They all have their differences and own ways of doing things but they are unified in their ability to positively connect people with the environment. My wife and I travel as much as we can. We have hiked, canoed, and paraglided everywhere from New Zealand to Morocco to good ol' North Carolina.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 

My favorite part of earning my certification was having a legitimate excuse to visit state parks all across the state in order to attend EE workshops. Along the way, I had the pleasure to meet instructors that inspired me to learn and participants that challenged me to engage in new environmental related hobbies.

What certification experience stands out for you? 

A certification experience that stands out to me was a Birding Basics workshop lead by Brian Bockhahn, one of the many great North Carolina State Park Rangers. Prior to the workshop, I thought I was aware of birds but, sadly, this was not the case. As Brian skillfully pointed out various birds, their songs, and their habits, a whole new world opened up before me. My life hasn't been the same since.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 

At a local elementary school in Apex, I taught an after school program on the importance of weather and how to recognize and measure its many elements. I built and put into place a permanent weather station so that the students can check and record the daily temperature, precipitation, and cloud cover. The students will participate in a national citizen project that collects precipitation information.