Sabrina Woofter

What do you do?
I am a Natural Resources and Environmental Education Agent with Cooperative Extension. I teach folks about and help implement environmental best management practices. I spend a lot of my free time on the water and enjoy helping people protect our beautiful natural resources.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification?
I enjoyed meeting like-minded people from all around the state and sharing our learning and teaching experiences.

What certification experience stands out for you? 
The amphibian workshops stand out for me because these critters have always been a part of my life, yet I knew very little about them. It was lovely being in their environment and gaining even more appreciation for them.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
My project was the Native Plant Festival and Garden at the New Hanover County Arboretum. This festival brought native plant awareness, knowledge, and skills to about 500 Cape Fear Region residents. The partn
ership will continue with an educational native garden at the Arboretum.

Amy Juliana

What do you do? 
I am an environmental educator at Crowder District Park. I teach programs on a variety of subjects, including but definitely not limited to, Piedmont wildlife, recycling and waste reduction, geology and natural history. My students range in age from toddlers to adults and I love the chance to educate anyone and everyone about the environment. When I am not teaching, I love spending time outdoors hiking, gardening and exploring our local parks with my family and our Old English Sheepdog.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 
My favorite part of earning my certification was attending the workshops. The curriculum guides and lesson plans provided in these classes have become the foundation to my own programs at the park. I also learned so much from my fellow educators and instructors. These individuals taught me everything from wildlife ID to classroom behavior management and everything in between.

What certification experience stands out for you? 
I loved learning the Project Learning Tree curriculum! I attended both the K-8 workshop as well as the Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood. I loved teaching the activities so much so that I attended the workshop at Haw River State Park to become a facilitator! I now get to teach fellow educators about the wonderful resources PLT has to offer.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
For my community partnership project I created an environmental education box for a local elementary school. The teachers of this school were unable to incorporate more science based activities in the daily schedule due to limited time, materials and knowledge. I made pre-packaged lesson plans that were multi-disciplinary that included all supplemental and reference material. These activities will make environmental education more accessible in the classroom and bolster the science curriculum.

Elissa Riley

What do you do?
I am an environmental educator for the New Hanover Soil and Water Conservation District. I enjoy all things outdoor related, especially deer hunting, fishing, camping, and searching for critters in the woods.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 
I really enjoyed the site visit requirements. It gave me the excuse to travel around the state and explore new areas!

What certification experience stands out for you? 
The Advanced WILD workshop at Lake Mattamuskeet was an amazing experience. I'd never seen black bears in the wild before until this workshop, and that was super exciting for me!

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
My community partnership project was an environmental education field day for all of the 6th grade students in the county. This project required a collaboration between many local groups and organizations, and it provides our young students the opportunity to experience the outdoors first hand and learn about stewardship. We're hoping this program will be continued for many years.

Meredith Katz

What do you do?
I am an elementary school educator. I have been teaching 5th grade in Kannapolis City Schools since 2002. I love getting my students outside and giving them unique experiences.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 
My favorite part of earning my certification was practicing and sharing what I have learned with my family, friends, colleagues and students.

What certification experience stands out for you? 
The experience from my certification that stands out most for me is being a part of the initial EGRET Fellows. Although I do not live in the Tar-Pamlico watershed I found the activities and experiences fun, valuable, and applicable.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
I created and facilitated an after school recycling/environmental group at my school. The Recycle Crew is a group of students that stay after school weekly to collect the schools recyclables. These students serve as representatives in their classroom to help communicate environmental friendly practices during the school year.

Stephenie Berggrun

What do you do?
I am a nonformal educator for a natural history museum. My primary duties include bringing programs and resources off-site to schools, libraries and community events. I teach life, earth and physical science topics as well as some precolonization American history.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification?
Having the opportunity to interact with like-minded individuals. When I started the program I was not in the field so this was especially important to me.

What certification experience stands out for you? 
Taking risks and stepping outside my comfort zone during the guided tours.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
I assisted a local child development center in developing an Outdoor Learning Environment for their preschool students. The space is utilized during the summer by day campers age 5 to 11. Not only did this space provide a positive outdoor experience for these children, but the families and other CDCs became interested in the concept after seeing the finished space.

Avery Chipka

What do you do? 
I spend my days exploring the wonders that the natural world provides to us. Through my work as an outdoor guide and outdoor educator I am blessed with the ability to introduce the magic of nature to many who would not otherwise be able to experience it.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification?  Through my participation in the NC EE program, I was introduced to a number of educational programs and locations through out the state of North Carolina that I may have otherwise missed out on.

What certification experience stands out for you? 
Its hard for me to pick out one individual experience that stood out to me during the certification process because there have been some many wonderful moments. If I had to select just one, it would have to be the NC Catch Course I did at Tanglewood Park with Tanya Poole, from NC Wildlife Resources Commission. My Wife, Casey Chipka took this course with me and it was her first time catching a freshwater catfish. That evening we went home and taught my daughter the process of cleaning and skinning catfish. Then had a wonderful family meal. Great family memories made possible through the certification program.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community?
For my community partnership project I worked with the Shakori District of the Boy Scouts of America. Utilizing the experience I gained through a number of the courses that I took during my certification process we added an environment education program to the five day Cub Scout Day Camp. We incorporated training from Leave No Trace, Tread Lightly!, Project WILD, Project Learning Tree and had special presentations from Midgard Serpent & Reptile Rescue and the department of Fish and Wildlife. More than 100 youth between the ages of 5 - 10 where provided with up close and personal experiences with wildlife and a new love for the natural world around them.

Lacey Huffling

What do you do?
While pursuing my EE certification, I was a high school science teacher and then transitioned to full-time doctoral studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I graduated this summer, and I am starting a new position as an Assistant Professor of Teaching and Learning at Georgia Southern University. As an educator, I incorporate EE into each class I teach. As a researcher, I am interested in how students begin to see themselves as "environmental" people.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification?
My favorite part of the certification process was the Community Partnership Project. I enjoyed being able to find a community need and then identify strategies that helped move the community towards a solution.

What certification experience stands out for you?
The certification experience that stands out for me is Criteria II: Outdoor Experiences. Not being originally from North Carolina, this requirement enabled me to experience habitats outside of those that were familiar to me. It also helped me relate information to my students, and it led to me being able to take my university students on field experiences.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community?
For my community partnership project, I developed and led an EE professional development workshop for pre-service secondary teachers from universities in the Piedmont area and local classroom teachers. My project addressed the need for EE professional development for pre-service secondary teachers, particularly incorporating citizen science lessons into the classroom. I partnered with Elon University, NC A&T, the National Park Service, and the Ornithology Lab at Cornell University. The participants learned how to select a citizen science project, how to set up the selected project, how to incorporate the project into the required curriculum, and how to infuse technology into the process. The local community was affected because high school students will have the opportunity to contribute to authentic scientific research, and local teachers have been further trained to infuse EE into the curriculum.

Carlisle Rankin

What do you do? 
I work for an outdoor education company called Muddy Sneakers. We work with fifth grade students in the surrounding public schools and teach science out in nature several times per year.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 
The naturalist workshops in Criteria II that were heavier in science content were the most exciting and useful. I feel one major missing link in teacher professional development currently is that there is very little "educating the educators." Methods courses serve their purpose, but teachers need more of a sound knowledge of the content they're teaching.

What certification experience stands out for you? 
The Criteria II workshops, especially the ones offered at Holmes Educational State Forest, were very meaningful and memorable for me.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community?
I installed a native plant garden on the campus of Montreat College in Montreat, NC. The goal/purpose of the garden was to educate students and the general public on the importance of native plants for the area and to help them begin to learn plant identification in both the native and non-native subjects.

Mickey Shortt

What do you do? 
I serve as the Chief Naturalist with the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. I am responsible for directing our staff to provide educational programming for upwards of 10,000 students annually as well as thousands of our other park visitors. I am most passionate about inspiring visitors to care for our natural heritage. I am currently enrolled as a graduate student for resource interpretation at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas. I am an avid birdwatcher and father of four young children. I enjoy backpacking, canoeing and sharing Grandfather Mountain with our many visitors!

What was your favorite part of earning your certification?
Attending the Growing Up Wild workshop with my wife and learning how to intentionally teach our preschoolers about the natural world.

What certification experience stands out for you? 
The outdoor experiences were the greatest contributor to growth for me. I appreciated the opportunity to explore the state and learn from other educators in other natural areas in North Carolina!

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
I setup a project that paired research projects on Grandfather Mountain with various community groups in Avery and Watauga counties. I had staff create a research project and then had them work with student community members to assist in their research. This is providing great experience for the students, useful data for science and inspiring another generation of naturalists.

Maryann Courtois-Horsley

What do you do? 
I am a media coordinator in an elementary school. I am also the first level technical support for our school and I am responsible for all technology on our school campus. I enjoy the mountains and the ocean, and love reading and baking.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? My favorite parts of earning my EE Certification were visiting so many environmental education centers and parks and meeting so many people across the state.

What certification experience stands out for you? I really loved the week long programs I attended because so many of the experiences seem to be more memorable and the relationships I developed were better.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
I co-organized the renovation of the butterfly garden at my school. This project was great to see as it unfolded and came to completion. This garden will be a great resource to the students at my school. I am planning, with my school principal, to add an outdoor classroom structure right next to the butterfly garden that will enhance the environmental awareness of our students!

Bill Mulvey

What do you do?I an educator at the high school level teaching students how to conduct research and collaborating with other teachers in all departments on student projects. I use my EE materials to create lessons I feel are relevant to the curriculum and add interest to all aspects of the educational experience. I plan on using my EE certification to help me get seasonal jobs with the National Park Service and State Parks throughout the U.S. I am excited to retire in 2.5 years and start my new career travelling the U.S. working seasonally at National Parks hopefully teaching environmental education related topics.

I enjoy a multitude of outdoor activities including surfing, mountain biking, hiking, canoeing, birding, fly fishing and just being in the out of doors. I learned to love the outdoors at an early age camping with my parents at Julian Price Park along the Blue Ridge Parkway. We often took weekends to camp, hike and canoe. My parents were both avid birders and my dad took me on canoe trips all through my teens. I credit my folks with my love of the outdoors and educating people about the need for preserving it. One of my earliest memories of camping is looking out of a huge wall tent in the middle of the night and seeing the glow of a raccoon's eyes in my dad's flashlight. He and my mom had neglected to put the food up well enough and the raccoon was rummaging through it for goodies.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 
Meeting all the great folks at the workshops and seeing that there were lots of folks that wanted to teach people about the environment and how to get out and enjoy it! I also loved the lessons learned from all the experiences and enjoyed thinking about how I could use these to inform people about the environment and hoe to take care of it.

What certification experience stands out for you? 
There are so many that were so good it's hard to pick just one! I remember going for a mountain stream invertebrates class with Tonya Poole and electro-shocking fish in the Davidson River as well as catching invertebrates from the substrate in the stream. It was such a fun and informative class in a great place.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
I helped to get the Athens Drive High School Arboretum up and running with another teacher at Athens Drive. I helped to secure donations of plants, get soil samples to determine the best plants for the area, get a Master Gardener to come and talk with us about which plants were best our location, get a contractor to provide signage for each of the plantings to educate users about the plants uses by man and animal. Our arboretum will be enjoyed by all who use the Athens Drive High building as it surrounds the entrance to the school and public library. Planters in the center of the walkway will be planted with seasonal vegetables to illustrate local crops and an adjacent outdoor classroom will be used to education students. The arboretum plantings surround the outdoor classroom area and will also be labeled to inform their uses by man and animal.

Kate Boysen

What do you do?
I am a park ranger 1 (interpreter) at Blanco State Park for Texas Parks and Wildlife. I am the lead interpreter at the park. I plan interpretive programs, trips for school groups and environmental education programs.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 
My favorite part of the certification was attending other educators' programs, meeting other educators and learning techniques I can use in my programs.



What certification experience stands out for you?
My certification experience that stands out was attending other educators' programs and leading my community action partnership. I liked reaching out to my community and fulfilling a need. Developing and leading the owl watch programs was fun and challenging.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community?
My community action partnership was with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. I developed and led an owl watch program. The program educated and gave the public an opportunity to see an owl raising her owlets. It taught the community to respect wildlife and how to observe wildlife properly.

Laura England

What do you do? 
I teach environmental science courses at Appalachian State University. I also do outreach on issues of environment and sustainability--I work with teachers and students in our community, and engage undergraduates in these efforts. In my spare time I love to hike and soak up our mountain setting with my husband and two kids.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the workshops that I completed, both because of the content and the opportunity to meet such wonderful people and build camaraderie with other environmental educators.

What certification experience stands out for you? I was fortunate to get to earn many of my Outdoor Experiences hours through the Yellowstone Institute led by the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. It was a once in a lifetime trip and learning opportunity that renewed my passion for environmental education.

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

I led a group of dedicated Appalachian State University students in founding a new student organization for environmental education—Sustainability and Environmental Education Club (SEEC)—and I provide ongoing leadership as Faculty Advisor for this organization. We have attracted members from many departments, including students majoring in Education, Recreation Management, Sustainable Development, Appropriate Technology, Environmental Science, Biology, Geology, Geography, Anthropology and more. We have partnered with various community organizations to engage their youth audiences, including The Children’s Playhouse, Kiwanis Kids, and the Valle Crucis Extended Learning Center. These partnerships benefit both university students as they gain hands-on EE experience as well as kids in our community as they learn about environmental problems from “big kids” (who often have more influence than older adults because of the cool factor :).

Eric McDuffie

Eric at Eno River State Park 

What do you do? I am an 8th grade science teacher, environmental scientist, nature lover, and avid fisherman. I also consider myself a conservationist and naturalist who is working hard to reconnect our children to their natural world in every way I know how. I recently finished my Masters Degree in Environmental Management at Duke University and this summer will begin my quest to receive a PhD in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification?

Meeting and learning from the rich diversity of people in our beautiful state.

What certification experience stands out for you?

A couple of experiences stand out for me. Getting my Methods of EE Course completed at Fort Macon State Park over the winter and the Aquatic Wild Workshop in Raleigh were great learning experiences for me. I also enjoyed taking the lead for our school to become UTOTES (Using the Outdoors to Teach Experiential Science) Certified while teaching our teachers how to get their students outside on our school grounds to learn while having fun. I enjoyed learning from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences staff and seeing our butterfly/hummingbird perennial garden come to life here on our school campus for all to enjoy and become more connected to nature.

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

I worked to establish an outdoor eco-classroom and unique stormwater retrofit system at my school for all of my students and the whole school community to learn and enjoy in an outdoor setting closer to nature.

Crystal Lloyd

What do you do? 
I'm a park ranger for NC State Parks, I have lots of jobs to include law enforcement officer, first responder to medical emergencies, wild land firefighter, bathroom cleaner extraordinaire, weed eater and grass cutter, but most importantly an educator to not just school kids but to the general public.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification?
My favorite part of earning this certification was getting to travel to all the great parks and environmental education centers around the state and getting to connect with people other than park rangers!

What certification experience stands out for you?
I really enjoyed the PLT (Project Learning Tree) class I took at Jordan Lake State Forest, the staff out there was beyond excited to teach the class. The activities we did were very relevant to things I can teach at my own park.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
My community partnership project was placing a new amphitheater by the visitors center at my park. We had no outdoor teaching area around the new visitors center, so now rangers can still utilize all the great exhibits in out visitors center as well as have the visitors outside and connecting to nature. It also doubles and a nice place to picnic or take a rest after a hike!

Karen Dunn

What do you do? 

I work for the NC Coastal Federation as an environmental educator and advocate for sound land use planning and clean industries. I'm also an ACA kayak trip leader and avid sailor with opportunities to share the knowledge I've gained through the many North Carolina environmental education workshops and experiences of the certification program.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 

Attending the EENC Conference in Asheville was a great experience especially meeting face to face so many of the educators that teach programs and workshops throughout the state. I really enjoyed traveling from the mountains to the sea to attend workshops and site visits in all three regions. NC has one of the most diverse state park systems in the country. I never leave home without a Form B!

What certification experience stands out for you? 

Since I do not have formal education experience, the Criteria I workshops were the most valuable and interesting workshops to me. Interacting with formal educators during the workshops provided a solid background to launch a career in non-formal EE and alternative techniques to communicate complex environmental topics to both children and adults.

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

In September 2013, I partnered with Sabrina Woofter, Environment and Natural Resources Extension Agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service conducting a 9-week “Coastal Cadets” Enrichment Fridays program at D. C. Virgo. The curriculum included stormwater/water quality education and continued support of the school’s nine raised organic garden beds (12’ by 4’ each). The gardens are an invaluable educational resource for the students, and a way to give back to the community by harvesting crops and vegetables that can eventually be made available for those in need in the neighborhood, as well as allow students to bring crops to their own families who are struggling to provide proper nutrition at home. Daily maintenance of the plots produced a significant amount of organic material that was being discarded into plastic bags. Not only was this collection method becoming an eye sore, it was a missed opportunity to educate the students about waste reduction and converting the plant matter into rich fertilizing compost and mulch. Because D.C. Virgo is located in an urban area near downtown Wilmington, setting up a composting system that will not attract pests and animals was a challenge. After investigating various types of composting methods, I determined that fully enclosed containers would be the best option to sustain the project over time.

Shari Galiardi

What do you do? 
My husband and I work seasonally in different parts of the country and were interested in getting this certificate so that we could supplement our experience with Outdoor Leadership and Experiential Education and begin working in a state/national park as environmental educators.  Shortly after completing this certification, we were both offered positions with Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. Beginning this spring, we will be working with primary and middle school students in the local area to help bring their science and social studies curricula to life in Acadia’s outdoor classroom.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 
Being able to complete much of this certification from anywhere in the world was a key factor in my interest in obtaining it. Over the past 3 years,  I have sent in Form B’s from diverse experiences in Canada, Wales, Africa, and many parts of the U.S.  The flexibility of this Certificate is fantastic…and it is applicable in so many different contexts within Environmental Education!

What certification experience stands out for you? 
I simply can’t think of just one thing…I’ve had so many great experiences in such different places – from leading workshops on an organic farm in Hawaii, to attending ranger programs at various national parks, to shadowing a BLM River Ranger on the Green River in Utah.  The variety of workshops, the diversity of people that we’ve met during this process, and the fantastic workbooks that were provided as part of the workshops are all “highlights” for me.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community?
My husband and I worked with RiverGirl Fishing Company, along with the National Committee for the New River and the local NC Agricultural Extension office, to transform a junk/toy room into an Environmental Education Discovery Room. This room now serves as a way to educate visitors about the floral and fauna found in and around the New River and the impact of trash/run-off in the river, as well as empower them to get involved in their own community. We made the displays interactive – from an “I Spy…” game which encourages children of all ages to find objects in an old fishtank that we filled with all the unique “trash” items found in the river (in addition to information about how long it takes various materials to break down over time and how to get involved in monthly river clean-ups), to weekly trivia questions about the flora, fauna, and geology of the area, to a coloring table with educational coloring books, to brochure racks filled with various pamphlets and publications that educate/empower customers to protect their waterways and wetlands.

David Hutchison

What do you do? 
My wife and I, Shari Galiardi (another E.E. alumna) are beginning an internship in the Spring and Fall 2015 with Acadia National Park, in Maine. We will be working with their education programs for 3rd - 6th graders. During the summer months I'm going to continue my teaching by leading Sea Kayak tours in Frenchman's Bay, Bar Harbor.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 
Over the past 2 years we've traveled to about 50 national parks, and put over 45,000 miles on our retro camper trailer. It was so cool to get credit for attending the ranger-led programs. We would have attended these anyway, but sending in Form B's from all over the country was pretty cool. During our travels we've seen some outstanding presentations, some pretty good ones, and some that just didn't cut it. It's been interesting to reflect on what works and what doesn't and how I might approach the same topic.

What certification experience stands out for you? 
My first workshop was the Planning of Wetlands, and I think that's when I realized just how much I didn't know. As an outdoor educator I had taken students to the tidal marshes of coastal Carolina for years on sea kayaking trips. I'd paddled through tidal streams, along the banks of oyster beds and onto the coastal island sea shore, but what I didn't know about these ecosystems was surprising. I realized at that moment that this certification was something I wanted to work toward.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
For our Community Partnership we worked with a local Fishing and canoe/ kayak rental company to turn a little used junk room into a river ecosystem education room. We had so much fun collecting resources, making displays and transforming a place where people stood in line for the toilet into a place where they just might learn something and maybe pick up some trash as enjoyed their float trip.

Please explain how participating in the EE Certification program led to any changes in your approach to teaching others.
I've learned that while I need to have the facts, I don't need to be an expert. People won't remember data, but they will remember the emotional connection, and experiences they have with the environment. By showing people that there is complexity and interdependence within the beauty of nature, folks will go beyond the surface of their experiences. I've learned that I need to help create an experience and then get out of the way of that learning.

Mary Davis

What do you do? 
Currently I volunteer an average 20 hrs/week as a Central Carolinas Master Naturalist. My volunteer work takes me to schools, nature preserves and organizations such as Scouts. As a Certified Interpretive Guide, I enjoy teaching groups through hikes or special events. I live next to a nature preserve and work closely with an elementary school across the street to provide environmental education opportunities throughout the year. My Husband and I are both recently retired and we enjoy hiking, cycling, and kayaking in the VA mountains and throughout the Carolinas.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 
My favorite part of the certification was getting back in the classroom and teaching. The course work, along with my Master Naturalist Certification and Certified Interpretive Guide training, has helped me approach environmental education with students and community in a new way. I feel the experiences and education I have received have made me more confident in connecting with my audience.

What certification experience stands out for you? 
I was struck by the thorough resources given with each course. The Growing Up Wild course was outstanding in finding the appropriate age level materials to work with small children. I was a University administrator/teacher and had not worked with small children for some time. The courses, along with working with other teachers and sharing ideas, helped me tremendously.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
My community partnership project was to establish artificial nesting habitats (nest boxes) for the Brown Headed Nuthatch and teach the community about the decline of these birds, as well as get them involved in their future survival. It involved setting up nest boxes in preserves, school grounds, parks and backyards, doing presentations on bird friendly communities, training volunteers to monitor nest boxes and reporting data to Cornell Lab of Ornithology. As a result the community has become more aware of the need for natural bird habitats, and the problems of urbanization and deforestation.

Carrie Council

What do you do? 
I work as an Office Support Assistant at Piedmont Environmental Center. The majority of my work is clerical but I also help the two naturalists on staff with environmental education programs and I am available to answer questions from the public. At my previous job I taught EE classes and cared for live animals that were on display at the park. I enjoy gardening, bird watching and camping.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 
Attending a variety of workshops was so fun! I learned a lot and was able to travel to different parts of North Carolina.

What certification experience stands out for you? 
Project WILD was one of the first and best workshops I attended throughout the process. The activities that I did that day are the ones I use most often with school groups. Campers can play "Thicket" for hours!

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community?
For my project I implemented an interpretive trail at San-Lee Park in Sanford, NC. I designed a brochure that will be available to the public and any group that visits the park. Lee County is full of young families with school-aged children. San-Lee Park is a high use park for families where they can go paddle boating and play on a nice playground. Adding a user-friendly environmental education activity will benefit these weekend visitors by teaching them about the natural world around them. Creating a positive experience in the forest will educate the students and families of local flora and fauna.

Daniel Wheeler

What do you do? 
I work as an educator at Lake Crabtree County Park. I teach classes on a variety of topics from snakes to astronomy to compost. When giving a one-sentence summary of my job to strangers, I usually say, "I teach children to love nature." When I'm not working, I'm cooking (and doing dishes! arg!), reading, writing, or gaming (all kinds, but preferably tabletop).

What was your favorite part of earning your certification? 
The Criteria II opportunities! It was really eye-opening to become aware of all the beautiful natural areas around the state, and even more fun to have a professional interpret them for us. Most of my Criteria II workshops were identification classes, as I love being able to name things. I felt gave me a deeper appreciation for many forms of wildlife, especially plants, as it's often all too easy to let many species become 'background noise' when you have no idea what they are.

What certification experience stands out for you?
Visiting the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge was the most awe-inspiring: seeing my first wild bobcat, being within 60 feet of black bears, hearing and feeling the roar of 10,000 wings as a flock of snow geese takes off. I had visited places like Yellowstone and Muir Woods and experienced America's majesty, but figured it was all out West. Having this experience in North Carolina made me realize just how amazing our state is.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
I installed a drip irrigation system at our office garden. The system will save staff time and effort, as well as saving water. The interpretive elements of the project will highlight the benefits and necessity of water conservation.

Mary Tschopp

What do you do?
I work full time at Meredith College in Technology Services and I work part time as Park Aide at North West Landfill District Park. Neither of these are EE related, but I volunteer at Lake Crabtree County Park at special events and checking coverboards for herps. I've also been volunteering at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences for a couple of years. I worked some in the teaching collections and now I work special events when time allows. I'm also a CASP (Calling Amphibian Survey Program) volunteer, and that is one of my favorite things ever.

What was your favorite part of earning your certification?
My favorite part of the EE program was going to so many different places all over North Carolina and meeting many great educators! I really enjoyed all the workshops and I learned so much.

What certification experience stands out for you?
The outdoor experiences were my favorite, but I think another important part is the workshops in which you are required to participate in the activities and the teaching experiences. It' really helpful to see how others lead activities.

What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? 
I made a snake poster and a snake brochure for Lake Crabtree County Park. We all know what bad reputations snakes have! Since there are many snakes at the lake, both the park visitors and the snakes can benefit from humans having a better understanding of snakes. The information covered includes identifying snake species, the beneficial role of snakes, and safety around snakes.