N.C. Environmental Education News Tips

Groundhog Day Events in North Carolina!

2012-01-31T09:09:00.000-05:00

Mortimer Groundhog from White Deer Park, Garner. Mortimer is one of many groundhogs that

will be practicing their prognostication skills this week.

It’s that time of year! Environmental Education Centers, cities and organizations across the state are hosting Groundhog Day celebrations this week. See the EE Calendar for some of the major events.

Program providers: If you have a Groundhog Day event not listed, there is still time to post it to the calendar! We’ll be sending out reminders both tomorrow and on February 2nd on the listserv, EE News Tips, Twitter and Facebook.

EE Certification in the News

2012-01-27T16:16:00.000-05:00

The Chatham News and the Chatham County Schools website recently featured Sally Scholle, a North Carolina Certified Environmental Educator. Sally is a school social worker and also coordinates the school garden at Siler City Elementary.
Read the press release

Sally is one of hundreds of North Carolina Certified Environmental Educators. Learn more about his popular program on our website. If you know of any media coverage of Certified Environmental Educators, please forward to Marty.Wiggins@ncdenr.gov.

Johnston Community College Grows Orchard with help of Grant Resources from the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs

2012-01-25T11:39:00.003-05:00

This is a note we received from Leslie VanHoy, Grants Director at Johnston Community College.*

A simple Google search led me to your grants page, and thanks to the resources there Johnston Community College (JCC) planted 43 fruit trees to help feed the hungry in our area.

On Feb. 1 [2011], we read about the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation’s grant competition. We followed the links that you provided to the application guidelines and grant form. We applied and in less than a month we were accepted for the online voting campaign that began April 15. Every day until the end of August, the College competed in an online competition with more than 130 other organizations across the nation.

You can read the description of our project on our ballot by clicking on the “2011 Winners” tab on http://www.communitiestakeroot.com/Plant/Index and then scrolling down to “The Arboretum at Johnston Community College.”

Read the official JCC Press Release

We are so happy JCC found this grant on our page, and especially glad they won the grant! The EE Grants page on our site is updated at least weekly (sometimes even daily) and lists grants chronologically by deadline. This means no sifting through grants that have expired. We also strive to make sure all the grants apply to projects in North Carolina. Our EE Contests page also has opportunities that often award cash or in-kind donations for projects. If you have applied for and/or benefited from a grant or contest listed on our site, please let us know. Email Marty.Wiggins@ncdenr.gov

Also note that the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation still has this grant, as well as the "Fruit Tree 101" program for schools, still open for 2012. Both are listed on the EE Grants page!

*Printed with her permission.

Center for Environment at Catawba Accepting Applications for National Environmental Summit

2012-01-19T16:03:00.000-05:00

The Center for the Environment at Catawba College is now accepting applications for its 2012 National Environmental Summit for High School Students.

The event, “Redesigning Our Future,” is an intensive experience which is open to high school students who will be juniors and seniors in the 2012-2013 academic year.

Sustainability designers, scientists and engineers from the prestigious Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) of Colorado will collaborate with the Center and Catawba professors to provide the leadership and instruction for the summit.

Scheduled for July 9-14 with follow-up activities through May 2013, the summit will emphasize whole systems thinking, helping students become collaborative leaders and effective communicators. Summit leaders will provide knowledge and help the students hone analytical skills that will help them return to their schools and communities empowered to have a tangible impact.

A hallmark of the summit is its involvement of multiple disciplines. Students will explore the concept of environmental leadership through the perspective of their own skills and interest in the arts, humanities, education, history, business, science and technology. They will learn how essential elements of these varied disciplines – creativity, expression, innovation, observation, experimentation and teamwork – are critical to their effectiveness as leaders.

The summit will take place on the Catawba College campus. Many sessions will be held in the Center for the Environment facility –one of the first green facilities on a college campus in the nation – and on its 189-acre ecological preserve. Participants will stay in gender specific, LEED-certified residence halls.

The cost is $300, which includes all meals, lodging and interactive instruction. A limited number of full and partial cholarships are avalaible.

The Center for the Environment has been conducting community outreach on multiple environmental topics since 1996. RMI is an international leader in research on sustainable designs, practices and policies.

For more information, contact Cathy Holladay 704.637.4791 chollada@catawba.edu

The Center for the Environment at Catawba College was founded in 1996 to provide education and outreach centered on prevalent environmental challenges and to foster community-oriented sustainable solutions that can serve as a model for programs throughout the country. For more information, visit www.centerfortheenvironment.org or www.campaignforcleanair.org.

Evolving EE Practices in Urban Communities Webinar: Learn More About the Urban EE Collective Professional Learning Community

2012-01-11T15:49:00.014-05:00

Webinar title: Evolving EE Practices in Urban Communities
THURSDAY, JANUARY 19TH, 2012
4:00 PM TO 5:30 PM EASTERN, 1:00 PM TO 2:30 PM PACIFIC

This webinar has passed and was extremely popular. Many people were not able to get in. But do not dismay! It's available online at http://breeze.cce.cornell.edu/p3rrft4mu2f/

You can also join the Urban EE Collective Facebook group and ask to be added as a member of the Urban EE Collective's Professional Learning Group (See below).

Join the EE Capacity Project for the launch of the Urban EE Collective’s Professional Learning Community (PLC), a space for the sharing of ideas and experiences and the building of knowledge through a collaborative and democratic process that promotes equity and respect. This PLC is presented by the EECapacity Project, which supports environmental education and youth and community development in the US, Canada, and Mexico. (Click here for more information on how to connect with the PLC).

The Urban EE Collective Facebook Group was created by the EECapacity project four months ago and now boasts more than 230 active members, who are sharing ideas, resources, and contacts. Seeing an immediate need for more collaboration among the community, the Urban EE Collective sees that online Professional Learning Community as a natural step forward to continue advancing the field of urban environmental education. Through chast, wikis, blogs and webinars, they plan to grow as practitioners and members of thier own urban communities, while helping increase the capacity of their network. For more information, send an email to Jose "Pepe" Marcos-Iga
pepe@eeexchange.org

EE Centers Featured on "Get Going NC"

2012-01-06T13:32:00.001-05:00

Author and outdoor recreation enthusiast Joe Miller recently did a nice feature on North Carolina Environmental Education Centers as part of a series on outdoor activities during the holidays. The holidays are over, but it's still an enjoyable and educational read. Thanks Joe!

Holiday Escapes: An Educated Walk

Green Schools Webinar Series

2012-01-04T17:58:00.004-05:00

Update: These webinars have passed, but are archived on the ClassroomEarth website.

Don't let this opportunity pass you by! The National Environmental Education Foundation in partnership with the National Education Association Foundation and Green Schools National Conference is hosting its third webinar to help educators around the country learn from experts and peers how to green their schools and curriculum.

This final webinar is Wednesday January, 18, 2012 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. EST. It will feature well-known academic and author David Sobel from Antioch University New England; Gerald Lieberman, the director of the State Education and Environment Roundtable (SEER); and Jennifer Seydel, School Designer at Expeditionary Learning.

The webinar is free, but you must register. Registered participants will receive webinar login information via email prior to the webinar. Registered participants who complete the webinar are eligible for a special discounted registration rate for the National Green Schools Conference on February 27-29, 2012 in Denver, CO.

Register at http://www.classroomearth.org/gswebinars

N.C. State Parks Host First Day Hikes

2011-12-22T12:17:00.008-05:00

Update: The First Day hikes were a big success. Read a great story and view the photo gallery from the outing at William B. Umstead State Park in Raleigh.

Start the New Year right with a hike at one of North Carolina's state parks. State parks in North Carolina are creating a new tradition for New Year’s Day, offering First Day Hikes on trails across the state.

First Day Hikes guided by rangers and volunteers will be held at 27 state parks. All state parks and state recreation areas will be open on the holiday with cold-weather recreation opportunities as well as warm visitor centers with exhibit halls presenting cultural and natural history.

Detailed information about scheduled hikes in North Carolina’s state parks can be found under “Education” on the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation website, http://www.ncparks.gov/ or by going to http://www.americasstateparks.org/

"First Day Hikes" are being promoted in North Carolina in concert with a national effort by America’s State Parks and the National Association of State Park Directors. News about hiking opportunities in all 50 states along with tips on winter hiking can be found on the America’s State Parks website, www.americasstateparks.org . The effort promotes a healthy lifestyle as well as appreciation of natural resources.

Here it is! EEnorthcarolina.org Launches New Site

2011-12-19T14:44:00.002-05:00

Let us know what you think! We launched our new website today at 2:00 p.m. (December 19, 2011). We think you will find the new site leaner, more visually appealing and more user-friendly. If you have questions or comments, please direct them to Tracey.Ritchie@ncdenr.gov.

We're moving! Special Notice to Individuals In the EE Certification Program

2011-10-21T16:03:00.002-04:00

Move Update!

We are up and running at the new location, so do not hesitate to send enrollments or Form B's for the EE Certification Program. Remember that we can accept Form B's by mail (the mailing address is the same), email scans (send to eecertificationnc@lists.ncmail.net ), or by fax. If you plan to fax, please call Marty Wiggins or Lisa Tolley prior to faxing, as our fax and phone numbers are now the same.

The Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs is moving the new N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Building in Green Square. This new, LEED Certified building is located on Jones Street in downtown Raleigh, and is adjacent to the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and the new Nature Research Center (which is still under construction). Learn more about this new facility.

In the mean time, the office staff are asking people enrolled in the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program to hold all Form B’s until November 7^th to give us time to unpack and reestablish our computers and phone system. This also applies to new enrollments, Form B's for Continuing Education and Basics of Environmental Education Responces.

Not familiar with the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program? Learn more!

Senate HELP Committee Includes EE in Federal Legislation

2011-10-21T15:54:00.003-04:00

The No Child Left Inside Coalition recently reported that the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) completed its mark up of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and had included environmental education. From the report:

During the mark up hearing, the committee accepted an amendment put forth by Senator Casey (PA) that proposed a new grant program entitled “Well-Rounded Education” which includes environmental education as a subject eligible for funding under Title IV of ESEA. This marks an historic shift in federal education policy and is a significant and critical step towards our collective goal of ensuring access to high quality environmental and outdoor education programs for all students. Read more...

Strnad Named Governor's Conservation Achievement Award Environmental Educator of the Year

2011-08-30T14:52:00.008-04:00

Renee Strnad receives the Environmental Educator of the Year award from David Knight, Assistant Secretary for Natural Resources, N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and John Crutchfield, President, North Carolina Wildlife Federation.

This past weekend the North Carolina Wildlife Federation presented the 48th Annual Governor's Conservation Achievement Awards to 20 winners dedicated to conservation in North Carolina.

One of the most prized awards presented by the NCWF is Environmental Educator of the Year, and few in the North Carolina EE community were surprised that this year's award went to Renee Strnad.

Renee works at N.C. State University in Extension Forestry and is the State Coordinator for Project Learning Tree, a multi-disciplinary environmental education program for educators and students in PreK-12. In addition to her Project Learning Tree role, Renee supports 4-H natural resource programs statewide and serves as a liaison between the College of Natural Resources at N.C. State University and environmental educators, sharing relevant information between the two groups. She has worked extensively with Wiley Elementary School in Raleigh, where students in grades 3-5 get their first glimpse of being a forester, through tree measurement classes facilitated by N.C. State forestry students.

Renee has served since 2008 as a valuable member of the North Carolina Environmental Literacy Plan Working Group. She has been a key part of efforts to align state standards with national environmental literacy guidelines and was instrumental in acquiring the first funding to support implementation of the N.C. Environmental Literacy Plan through a baseline study of environmental literacy in North Carolina students.

In an effort to help North Carolina citizens better understand issues surrounding solid waste, Renee developed a workshop series on municipal solid waste in cooperation with the state office of Environmental Assistance and Outreach. She also serves the community as a member of the Board of Directors for the Scrap Exchange, a nonprofit creative reuse center located in Durham, North Carolina whose mission is to promote creativity, environmental awareness, and community through reuse.

Renee currently serves as President-Elect for EENC and will begin her role as the organization’s President next year. She also supports national environmental education efforts through her work with the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). She currently serves as Chair of the Volunteer Committee for the NAAEE conference scheduled for Raleigh in October of 2011.

Strnad is a graduate of Kansas State University with a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology and Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. She’s been with N.C. State University since 2000, and has been involved in environmental education since 1997. She has been a North Carolina Certified Environmental Educator since 2003.

Renee’s passion for environmental education and for inspiring students and teachers is contagious. She is never content to sit back and wait for change. Renee is a true believer that you should “be the change you want to see in the world” and she has applied this philosophy to her work in the field of environmental education. She demonstrates a level of professionalism, teamwork and commitment that makes her a true leader in the field of environmental education.

The North Carolina Wildlife Federation first presented its conservation awards in 1958. "Each year we are amazed at the commitment and creativity of North Carolina citizens in protecting wildlife and wild places," stated Tim Gestwicki, executive director of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. "Many of our award winners tell us their Governor's Conservation Achievement Award represents the high point of their career-whether they are full-time scientists or full-time volunteer conservationists."

"This awards program brings together a remarkably diverse group of conservationists to highlight the `good news' about wildlife conservation in North Carolina," said Gestwicki, "Our primary focus is to applaud and honor these people who work so hard for wildlife and the air, water, land that they and all of us depend upon".

These prestigious awards honor those individuals, governmental bodies, associations and others who have exhibited an unwavering commitment to conservation in North Carolina. These are the highest honors given in the state. By recognizing, publicizing and honoring these conservation leaders - young and old, professional and volunteer - the North Carolina Wildlife Federation hopes to inspire all North Carolinians to take a more active role in protecting the natural resources of our state.

The awards were presented at the Annual Governor's Conservation Achievement Awards banquet and celebration held August 27th at the Hilton RTP in Durham, NC.

The North Carolina Wildlife Federation is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to all North Carolina wildlife and its habitat since 1945.

EE Certification Projects: Benefiting Schools and Communities

2011-08-29T13:46:00.003-04:00

Another benefit of the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program is that the culminating Action Partnership has direct benefits to the people of our state. In a recent Tryon Daily Bulletin story, Polk Central Elementary Principal Dottie Kinlaw noted that the school's new nature trail, an action partnership project by N.C.Certified Environmental Educator and 4th Grade Teacher Andrea Walter, will be incorporated into school's science-focused curriculum. The school also hopes to expand their outdoor classroom areas to improve hands-on learning. Christel Walter, another N.C. Certified Environmental Educator, volunteered to help with the project and has led workshops and activities on the trail and in the classroom for the students. View more photos of the Nature Trail on the Polk Central Elementary website .

EE Certification Program in Action: Enrollee Aids Teen Nature Educators

2011-08-23T11:08:00.004-04:00

The Greensboro News and Record recently published an excellent story about two Rockingham County High School teens that parlayed their love of the outdoors into a hands-on nature class for children at the Woodmont Child Development Center in Reidsville. The class was made possible with the assistance of Cyd Overby with Rockingham County Soil and Water Conservation. Cyd is enrolled in the North Carolina Environmental Education Certification program.

Read all about it!

BOYS GONE WILD:Teens bond over a love of nature — so they’re sharing it with others

Story and photo from the Greensboro News and Record: Reporter, J. Brian Ewing; Photo by Jerry Wolford

North Carolinians that participate in the certification program work daily to improve their communities. Learn more about the program at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/certification.html

Environmental Education Focus Charter School Named NC School of Excellence

2011-08-20T17:10:00.002-04:00

Evergreen Community Charter School has been named an Honor School of Excellence for the second consecutive year. This designation is for schools in which 90 percent of students pass required North Carolina end-of-grade tests. Evergreen had a 95 percent pass rate.In 2010, Evergreen won the first Exceptional Environmental Education Program presented by the Environmental Educators of North Carolina. Read more in the Asheville Citizen Times.

NC Envirothon Team Places in Top Ten at Canon North American Competition

2011-08-20T16:41:00.001-04:00

Great News from New Brunswick, Canada!

The West Johnston High School Envirothon team, the 'Sequoias', came in 6th place out of 45 states and 11 Canadian provinces at the Canon North American Envirothon last week. Held at Mount Allison University in the small town of Sackville, New Brunswick Canada, the weeklong competition challenged the team's knowledge of forestry, soils, aquatics, wildlife and current environmental issues. The Sequoias' team, made up of recently graduated seniors from West Johnston High, includes team advisor Melody Lineberger, Team Captain Frankie Johnson, Casey Burns, Camille Brown, William Higgins and Thomas Lineberger. Each team member received a Canon Powershot camera, a medallion and $1400 each in Canon Scholarship monies. In addition, the team received a plaque for their accomplishment. This is the team's third time representing North Carolina at the national competition.

The Envirothon is North America's largest environmental education competition among high school students and is sponsored by the state’s 96 local soil and water conservation districts and their association, with organizing support from the N. C. Division of Soil and Water Conservation. The Johnston Soil and Water Conservation District assisted in sponsoring the 'Sequoias' trip to Canada. For information about the Envirothon, visit http://www.ncenvirothon.org/ or contact your local soil and water conservation district.

Advisor Melody Lineberger, Thomas Lineberger, Team Captain Frankie Johnson, William Higgins, Casey Burns, Camille Brown and Team Chaperone/Advisor Ethan Lineberger.

(Portions of this story originally appeared in the Johnston County Schools Reporter)

NC Certified Environmental Educator in the News!

2011-08-15T09:22:00.002-04:00

The Salisbury Post recently did a story on one of North Carolina's newly certified environmental educators, Michael Lambert, assistant naturalist at Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury. We would love to share other media stories about NC Certified Environmental Educators. Please send them to eecertificationnc@lists.ncmail.net

Dan Nicholas naturalist earns certification

Photo from the Salibury Post

Wake Teacher Receives Prestigious National Environmental Education Award

2011-08-10T16:30:00.001-04:00

Frank McKay, 8th grade math and science teacher, Exploris Middle School, Raleigh, N.C. has received the 2011 Bartlett Merit Award. The Richard C. Bartlett Environmental Education Award, made possible through the generous support of Baxter Healthercare Corporation, was established in 2007 by the National Environmental Education Foundation to distinguish the teachers who best represent Richard C. Bartlett’s passion for and leadership in environmental education. For more than 40 years, Richard C. Bartlett has been inspiring environmental educators nationwide. While serving as president and CEO of Mary Kay, the company received numerous environmental awards. More information about the award and Richard C. Bartlett are available on the NEEF website.

The following story about Frank and his work appears on the NEEF site (reprinted with permission).

“Students leave my class understanding the complexities of environmental issues that impact the economy, public health and shared resources,” said McKay. By working collaboratively to propose solutions to environmental issues, they are better prepared to make decisions as citizens in the 21st century.”

Frank McKay is an 8th grade math and science teacher at Exploris Middle School in Raleigh, N.C. McKay expertly leverages partnerships with local organizations, such as the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and the City of Raleigh, to develop award-winning environmental service learning projects and engage his students in real-world environmental education. In 2008, McKay was on the leadership team that established a formal partnership with the N.C. Museum of Natural Science and rewrote the Exploris school mission to focus on global sustainability. Recognized as the 2008 Environmental Educator of the Year by Environmental Educators of North Carolina, McKay is very active in the environmental education community throughout North Carolina. He also authored curriculum on the PBS series “Exploring North Carolina” that has been distributed to all K-8 schools in North Carolina.

McKay’s students connect with the local environment on many levels beyond science. Participating in the Walnut Creek Oral History Project, students gained an understanding of the connection between Raleigh’s cultural history and the wetlands. His students also created resources for Raleigh’s Nature Programs. Over 95 percent of McKay’s students scored at or above grade level in 2010 and the SAS Education Value Added Assessment System indicated that his students achieve at a rate significantly higher than predicted by their incoming level. McKay’s students, particularly the 8th grade girls, have indicated in their self-assessments that their experience in his courses have led them to become more engaged in both science and environmental issues.

10 NC Schools in Princeton Review's 2012 Guide to Green Colleges

2011-08-03T16:48:00.000-04:00

Ten North Carolina schools have made The 2012 Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges!

The colleges and universities include: Appalachian State University, Brevard College, Duke University, Elon University, Guilford College, North Carolina State University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wake Forest University, Warren Wilson College and Western Carolina University.

This is a great accomplishment, however, these are certainly not the only North Carolina colleges that have environmental education and sustainability programs. The N.C. Environmental Education Certifcation Program and other environmental education programs in the state partner with and promote excellent programs and faculty at other institutions, including Catawba College Center for the Environment, Montreat College, Winston Salem State, UNC Wilmington, Central Piedmont Community College Center for Sustainability, Southeastern Community College and Central Carolina Community College.

You can download the Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges free on their website.

More about the Guide from their website:

The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges profiles 308 institutions of higher education in the United States and three in Canada that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation. The 220-page guide is the only free, comprehensive, annually updated guide to green colleges. To produce this book we partnered with the United States Green Building Council, an outstanding national nonprofit organization best-known for developing the LEED green building certification program. This past fall, USGBC launched its Center for Green Schools to increase its efforts to drive change in how campuses and schools are designed, constructed, and operated.

At the Water's Edge Teacher Institute

2011-07-11T18:02:00.008-04:00

Staff from the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs and the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary Program were at Trinity Center in Salter Path last week facilitating the "At the Water's Edge" Teacher Institute.

News14Carolina did a great story about the ATWE! See it in the News14Carolina Coastal Section!

The At The Water's Edge Teacher Institute is made available by the Environmental Education Fund with funding provided by the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program. The NC Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs provides administration for the institute. Partners include the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the North Carolina Association of Environmental Education Centers, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and others.

You can view photos of the week's activities on Facebook .

During this week-long teacher institute, teachers participated in an in-depth investigation of North Carolina’s watersheds and river basins while exploring the unique natural habitats of the coastal region. Along the way, techniques for incorporating outdoor experiences into the curriculum using school grounds and field exploration were highlighted. By applying the interdisciplinary approach of environmental education, educators learned how to integrate science, social studies, language arts, math, health and art using the natural environment as the context for learning.

Register Now for North American Association for Environmental Education Conference Field Experiences!

2011-07-11T17:38:00.002-04:00

Please see the message below from Renee Strnad, President Elect of Environmental Educators of North Carolina about the upcoming North American Association for Environmental Education Conference, which will held in North Carolina for the first time, at the Raleigh Convention Center October 12-15.

In case you haven't heard, Environmental Educators of North Carolina is hosting the 40th Annual North American Association for Environmental Education Conference this October in Raleigh, NC. We are so excited to welcome 1500+ environmental educators to our fabulous state - - and we want as many North Carolinians as possible to be involved!

There is a great team working on putting together field experiences, and these experiences are open to anyone.... even if you cannot attend the entire conference! As a previous attendee at NAAEE conferences across the nation, I am proud to say that the team has put together a great list of very affordable day and overnight experiences.Participating in these events will allow you to mix and mingle with educators from across North American and around the world. Additionally, you will also be able to earn credit for Criteria II or III for the NC EE Certification Program.

Registration is currently open and the early bird deadline is August 11th. Online registration can be found at http://www.naaee.net/conference/registration. You must use this system to sign-up/register for any of the field trips as well as Wednesday workshops (http://www.naaee.net/conference/program/workshops)

While you are poking around the web site, take a look at all the conference has to offer by looking at the conference brochure(http://www.naaee.net/sites/default/files/conference/NAAEE2011-ConfBrochure-L.pdf).

On behalf of the 2011 NAAEE NC Conference Committee:
Renee Strnad
President-elect, EENC
Volunteer Co-chair
volunteer2011@eenc.org

October 10 – 12 (Monday 4pm – Wednesday 4pm)

Mountain Geology and Alpine Ecosystems: Fee $190.00 per person
Head west through the fall foliage of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You will learn to interpret geologic features as you hike Linville Falls and Gorge, and Wiseman’s View at sunset. Summit Mt. Mitchell to study the combined effects of invasive alien species and acid precipitation.
Includes: 2 overnight accommodations, transportation, 5 meals (2-B, 2-L, and 1-D), entrance and activity fees, professional guides and hosts. Registration Cut-off is July 15, 2011 for this Field Experience!

Water Quality Monitoring and Marine Ecosystems: Fee $190.00 per person
Head east through traditional southeastern farmland to the crystalline sands of the Atlantic Coast. Learn about the FerryMon Project while crossing the Neuse River on your way to the UNC-CH water quality monitoring lab. Wednesday takes you to Carrot Island to share marine ecosystem research and spend personal time on a barrier island with wild mustangs within the Rachel Carson National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Includes: 2 overnight accommodations, transportation, 5 meals (2-B, 2-L, and 1-D), entrance and activity fees, professional guides and hosts. Registration Cut-off is July 15, 2011 for this Field Experience!

October 12 (Wednesday 9am – 4pm)

Sandhills Fire Ecology: Fee: $50.00 per person
North Carolina is the land of the Longleaf Pine and learn why at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve with the “Rooted in Time” EELE. Activities from the EELE relate the functions of fire and a vigorous Longleaf Pine ecosystem. Weather conditions permitting, you will take part in a controlled burn of a small plot on ahistoric private farm.
Includes: Transportation, lunch, entrance and activity fees, professional guides and hosts.

Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue: Fee $25.00 per person
“Let’s build a boat” at William B. Umstead State Park from repurposed materials and learn how a landfill was transformed into the new North Wake Landfill District Park. Afternoon brings watershed education activities at Blue Jay Point County Park, and the day concludes with demonstration of wildlife habitat helpers made from repurposed materials.
Includes: Transportation, lunch, entrance and activity fees, professional guides and hosts.

Prairie Ridge Ecostation - Educating with Research: Fee $35.00 per person
At Prairie Ridge Ecostation you will learn how they use bird banding, citizen science projects, and other scientific research as the core for their educational programs. Begin with a hands-on bird banding session and then test a new program on sustainability while exploring a variety of features such as wind turbines, solar panels, water harvesting strategies, a green roof of native plants, and the award winning Outdoor Classroom.
Includes: Transportation, lunch, entrance and activity fees, professional guides and hosts.

Building Healthy Communities through Educated Choices: Fee $25.00 per person
Visit the EPA campus and tour one of the largest engineered for efficiency buildings in the world. EE activities in organic gardening are practiced at the solar-powered daycare. See cost-effective construction practices at New Hope Crossing, North Carolina’s first affordable green community and a project of Habitat for Humanity. Last stop is among the sheep, at the SAS Institute Solar Farm.
Includes: Transportation, lunch, entrance and activity fees, professional guides and hosts.

Conserving Native Species and Natural Communities: Fee $25.00 per person
See one of the Southeast’s premier carnivorous plant collections with an introduction to Horticultural Therapy Program at the North Carolina Botanical Gardens. Visit Mason Farm Biological Reserve to hike through one of the most biologically diverse natural areas of the Piedmont region of North Carolina.
Includes: Transportation, lunch, entrance and activity fees, professional guides and hosts.

Community Projects & Partnerships for Conservation Education & Sustainable Agriculture: Fee $20.00 per person
Begin at Historic Yates Mill County Park, the last operating grist mill in the Raleigh area, and trace agricultural practices from the 1700’s. Move to the future with the application of new technologies and practices at North Carolina State University’s Center for Environmental Farming Systems and the Agro-Ecology Farm. Successful growing and charitable distribution of local produce is highlighted at the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s Community Farm.
Includes: Transportation, entrance and activity fees, professional guides and hosts.
Lunch is on your own at NC Farmers Market

October 16 (Sunday)

From Flow to Faucet, the Neuse River: Fee $40.00 per person (9:00am – 12:30pm)
Professional guides lead you on a two and a half hour paddle trip down the source of the water that feeds the thirst of the 2011 NAAEE conference, the Neuse River. While keeping watch for wildlife, you will identify the components of an “ecological address” and measure your own ecological footprint. Or just drift down the river not listening to anything but the birds.
Includes: Transportation, lunch, canoe and all safety equipment, professional guides and hosts.

Farm to Fork: Fee $20.00 per person (11am – 4:30pm)
See where your brunch came from with a trip to Coon Rock Farm where it was growing in the field or barn earlier in the week. The farm ensures that they not only supplies their restaurants, but hosts interns, and K-12 and college agriculture education classes and programs to see and experience the true meaning of a local, sustainable food economy.
Includes: Transportation, professional guides and hosts.
Brunch is on your own at the Piedmont Restaurant. Menu items from $7 to $15.

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

2011-05-18T16:04:00.010-04:00

Update! The NCLI was introduced in the House and Senate on Thursday, July 14, 2011!

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

This piece by Sarah Yelton, the formerPreK-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 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.

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.

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.

Great video from the N.C. Environmental Literacy Plan Kickoff

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.

Community/School Garden Site in Charlotte Location for Nourishing North Carolina Kickoff

2011-05-17T17:14:00.002-04:00

A successful community and school garden partnership in Charlotte will the the location for the Nourishing North Carolina program kickoff event. Four of the garden's 24 plots are used by Winterfield Elementary School, which is located near the garden. Students work in the garden and the school integrates the garden into its curriculum.

The goal of Nourishing North Carolina is to establish at least one community garden in each North Carolina County. More about how to partcipate in this grant program can be found on their website.

Here is the kickoff announcement from Nourishing North Carolina:

Nourishing North Carolina - A Kickoff Event

Please join us as we launch Nourishing North Carolina, the first initiative of its kind to create, maintain or sustain 100 community gardens – one garden in each of North Carolina's 100 counties. We're growing this comprehensive, statewide program through a unique partnership with the North Carolina Recreation and Park Association.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has a long-standing commitment to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians. Nourishing North Carolina continues to build upon this legacy and will help ensure that North Carolinians in every county have the means of sustaining a local source of healthy food.
Want to learn more? Join us June 7 in Charlotte as local officials and garden enthusiasts come together to kick off this exciting initiative. Come take a garden tour and learn how Nourishing North Carolina is establishing roots in the Charlotte area.

Where: Winterfield/Sheffield Community Garden
Adjacent to Winterfield Elementary
3100 Winterfield Place
Charlotte, NC 28205
When: June 7, 2011
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Please RSVP by June 1

Chapel Hill High wins Green Your School Challenge through DoSomething.org and HP

2011-05-17T16:52:00.000-04:00

North Carolina's youth continue to rack up the awards!

As reported in the examiner.com: Chapel Hill High School of Chapel Hill, NC was one of ten winners announced May 10, 2011 for the DoSomething.org & HP’s Green Your School Challenge.

Chapel Hill High School’s “green plan” involved seven main tasks that addressed the focus topics of contest. They installed motion-sensor light switches in the teacher lounges, hosted an earth week with plenty of green-inspired events, created a Facebook page to promote their efforts, grew a community garden, decorated recycling bins, built a recycling center, and created a paper re-use program. Technology played a huge role in the school’s success in the contest.

Read the entire post by Kelly Partner.

NC Teen Wins Planet Connect Grant

2011-05-10T17:17:00.000-04:00

Alex Hall of Gastonia was one of only ten teens in the nation to win a Planet Connect grant. From the Cleveland County Star:

"Alex Hall will be spending a part of his summer helping to stop erosion at Crowders Mountain State Park.

Hall was one of only 10 students across the country chosen for a Planet Connect environmental grant. Planet Connect is a program of the National Environmental Education Foundation created in partnership with The Weather Channel."

Read more about his project: Teen helps preserve Crowders Mountain

Update! National Environmental Summit for High School Students To Be Held at Catawba College Center for the Environment

2011-05-10T10:26:00.006-04:00

UPDATE! Registration for the summit has been reduced!

The cost for the National Environmental Summit for High School Students is $150 (a $50 deposit, which is refundable if the participant attends the summit, and $100 for the program, room and board).

High school students from around the country will converge at the Catawba College Center for the Environment this summer for the National Youth Environmental Summit, "Redesigning Our Future." The college expects 200 rising high school juniors and seniors to attend, where they will work with sustainability designers, scientists and engineers from the Rocky Mountain Institute of Colorado, the Center and Catawba College professors.

The Catawba College news notes:

Scheduled for July 20-24, 2011, with follow-up activities through May 2012, the summit will emphasize whole systems thinking, helping students become collaborative leaders and effective communicators. Summit leaders will provide knowledge and analytical skills that will help the participants return to their schools and communities empowered to have a tangible impact.

One of the distinctive elements of the summit is that it will involve multiple disciplines. Students will explore the concept of environmental leadership through the perspective of their own skills and interest in the arts, humanities, education, history, business, science and technology. They will learn how essential elements of these varied disciplines — creativity, expression, innovation, observation, experimentation and teamwork — are critical to their effectiveness as environmental leaders.

"This summit has an ambitious goal, but it is one that is within our reach," says Center Executive Director John Wear. "We want these young leaders to develop their considerable talents so they can make the world a better place. And that will involve nothing less than redesigning our future."

The cost for participants is $200, which includes tuition, meals, lodging, activities and materials. Limited scholarship assistance is available so participants should apply early.

The N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs is a promoting partner on the Environmental Summit, and encourages rising high school juniors and seniors in North Carolina students to apply. The deadline to apply is June 1.

More details on the conference, the application and scholarships are available on the Center for the Environment website.

North Carolina Envirothon Winners Announced

2011-05-09T10:30:00.005-04:00

RALEIGH – State officials have announced the winners of the North Carolina Envirothon, the annual environmental science competition for middle and high school students held at a park near Burlington in late April. The five winning high school teams earned cash awards, a plaque and medallions.

They are as follows:

1st – the Sequoias, of West Johnston High School, won $200 and a trip to the North American Canon Envirothon in July.

2nd– the FFA Anti-Derivatives, of Bartlett Yancey High School in Caswell County, won $150 and a chance to compete in the National FFA Competition.

3rd – DC Endemic, of Davidson County Home School, won $100.

4th – Sub-Chronic Exposure, of Enloe High School in Raleigh, won $75.

5th – Natural Disasters, of Durham 4-H Envirothon, won $50.

The winning middle school teams also earned cash awards, a plaque and medallions. They are as follows:

1st – the Bodacious Baboons, of McGee’s Crossroads Middle School in Johnston County, won $125.

2nd – DC Awesome Opossums, of Davidson County Homeschool, won $100.

3rd - Awesome Possums, of McGee’s Crossroads Middle School in Johnston County, won $75.

4th – The Octopi, of the H.O.M.E. School in Cumberland County, won $50.

5th – Organic Waste, Home School of Wilson County, won $25.

More than 100 middle and high school teams competed in the Envirothon competition at Cedarock Park in Alamance County April 29-30. Winners were determined by combining test scores from the Envirothon curriculum’s five subject areas: forestry, soils and land use, aquatic ecology, wildlife and current environmental issues. Teams study resource materials related to these areas throughout the year to prepare for the event.

When students arrived at Cedarock Park on Friday, they reviewed everything they learned by meeting with resource professionals from the N.C. Division of Forest Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, N.C. Division of Water Quality, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, N.C. Division of Water Resources and the N.C. Division of Soil and Water Conservation. The teams took academic tests on Saturday and an awards ceremony was held later that day.

The Envirothon is sponsored by the state’s 96 local soil and water conservation districts and their association, with organizing support from the N. C. Division of Soil and Water Conservation. For information about the Envirothon, visit http://www.ncenvirothon.org/ or contact your local soil and water conservation district.

Don't forget about those Grants and Contests!

2011-05-06T14:47:00.004-04:00

Several new grants have been added to the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs grants listing. Several expire in May, so be sure to check them out before it is too late. There are a wide variety of grants for environmental education centers, schools and various community development projects that are related to or would support environmental education or related programs.

EE Grants

And don't forget the EE Contests and Awards page. Many of these carry cash awards for projects, and many are good projects for schools, environmental education centers and other groups. Scholarships are also listed on this page.

EE Contests

Exciting Upgrades to the Statewide EE Calendar!

2011-05-06T14:32:00.001-04:00

Some of you may have noticed some changes to the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs online events calendar.

The EE Calendar is now searchable! Using the search menus at the top left, you can choose to only show nearby events and/or ones that include a keyword(s). With the toggle buttons on the right, you can choose to view:

*Only professional development events for environmental educators (e.g., workshops, conferences, symposia);
or
*Only public programs (e.g., celebrations, summer camps, festivals, hikes, classes); or

*All events, which shows both public and professional development events.

We hope these latest updates make our EE Web site even more enjoyable and easy to use! Give it a test run today!

North Carolina Environmental Education Calendar

Prairie Ridge Ecostation's Brittain wins Order of the Long Leaf Pine

2011-05-06T11:44:00.002-04:00

Mary Ann Brittain is not only an outstanding science educator with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, she is now a recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of the most prestigious awards bestowed by the Governor of North Carolina. The award, which recognizes individuals with a proven record of extraordinary service to the state, was presented to Brittain by Tom Earnhardt, host of UNC-TV’s “Exploring North Carolina” television series and President of the Friends of the Museum, at a Board meeting Thursday.

During Brittain’s 43 years of service to North Carolina, she has successfully established many innovative, award-winning programs which have had a tremendous impact on students, teachers and Museum visitors. As Director of Prairie Ridge Ecostation for Wildlife and Learning, the Museum’s 45-acre outdoor learning facility in west Raleigh, Brittain has led the conversion of a former cow pasture into an amazing field station for outdoor education. By recreating the traditional biodiversity once found in this area — planting hundreds of native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers — Brittain and her co-workers have prepared an unmatched urban classroom/laboratory for generations to come. Now, amazing wildlife abounds for visitors and school groups to enjoy in an ideal setting for experiential learning about the natural world.

Previously, as Director of School Programs at the Museum for 23 years, Brittain began the Museum’s volunteer program and created hands-on natural science programming in the Museum and across the state for students and educators. She developed Curiosity Classes, hands-on natural science programs for groups visiting the Museum’s classrooms, and developed the award-winning UTOTES (Using the Outdoors to Teach Experiential Science) program, which has been a catalyst for schools to get students involved with learning about the world they live in by using their school grounds as outdoor teaching laboratories.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh documents and interprets the natural history of the state of through exhibits, research, collections, publications and educational programming. Find more information online at www.naturalsciences.org. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm and Sunday, Noon-5pm. General admission is free. The Museum is an agency of the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Dee Freeman, Secretary.

National Environmental Summit for High School Students To Be Held at Catawba College Center for the Environment

2011-05-05T13:32:00.004-04:00

UPDATE! Registration for the summit has been reduced!
The cost for the National Environmental Summit for High School Students is $150 (a $50 deposit, which is refundable if the participant attends the summit, and $100 for the program, room and board).

High school students from around the country will converge at the Catawba College Center for the Environment this summer for the National Youth Environmental Summit, "Redesigning Our Future." The college expects 200 rising high school juniors and seniors to attend, where they will work with sustainability designers, scientists and engineers from the Rocky Mountain Institute of Colorado, the Center and Catawba College professors.

The Catawba College news notes:

Scheduled for July 20-24, 2011, with follow-up activities through May 2012, the summit will emphasize whole systems thinking, helping students become collaborative leaders and effective communicators. Summit leaders will provide knowledge and analytical skills that will help the participants return to their schools and communities empowered to have a tangible impact.

One of the distinctive elements of the summit is that it will involve multiple disciplines. Students will explore the concept of environmental leadership through the perspective of their own skills and interest in the arts, humanities, education, history, business, science and technology. They will learn how essential elements of these varied disciplines — creativity, expression, innovation, observation, experimentation and teamwork — are critical to their effectiveness as environmental leaders.

"This summit has an ambitious goal, but it is one that is within our reach," says Center Executive Director John Wear. "We want these young leaders to develop their considerable talents so they can make the world a better place. And that will involve nothing less than redesigning our future."

The cost for participants is $150, which includes tuition, meals, lodging, activities and materials. Limited scholarship assistance is available so participants should apply early ($50 is a refundable deposit).

The N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs is a promoting partner on the Environmental Summit, and encourages rising high school juniors and seniors in North Carolina students to apply. The deadline to apply is June 1.

More details on the conference, the application and scholarships are available on the Center for the Environment website.

Congressman Sarbanes Plans to Reintroduce the No Child Left Inside Act

2011-05-05T09:22:00.003-04:00

U.S. Representative John Sarbanes (MD) discusses environmental education and his plans to reintroduce the No Child Left Inside Act in a recent Earth Day blog post on his website.

“In the coming weeks, I will reintroduce the No Child Left Inside Act (NCLI) so that children have the opportunity to make the environment a priority year round. NCLI promotes environmental education by creating new federal grant opportunities for environmental education curriculum development and teacher training. States that participate in the grant program would develop a K-12 plan to ensure high school graduates are environmentally literate. The legislation is supported by a coalition of over 2,000 organizations in the educational, environmental and public health arenas.

Robust environmental education is a down payment to grow the next generation of scientists, promote environmental stewardship, and encourage Americans to live healthier lifestyles. Across the globe, protecting clean air and water, finding alternatives to the finite supply of fossil fuels, global warming, and many other challenges are increasingly acute: they are issues that confront today’s young people every day. Our country also has a growing public health crisis – our kids are spending less time outdoors learning and exploring and more time inside hooked up to video games or surfing the web. Increasing outdoor instructional time will lead to our children having a greater, more active appreciation for nature. Environmental education is not only about protecting the natural world, it has also been shown to improve the physical health of our young people and to have a measurably positive impact on student achievement in science, reading, math, and social studies. “

Read the complete post on Rep. Sarbanes website.

Raleigh student receives President’s Environmental Youth Award

2011-04-14T13:17:00.012-04:00

A Raleigh high school student was awarded the President's Environmental Youth Award on Saturday, April 16, as part of the Planet Earth Celebration in Raleigh.

Kyle Kittelberger, a student at Ravenscroft School, was honored for his project at Sandling Beach at Falls Lake State Recreation Area. The project included the construction of an 80-foot wetland boardwalk and wildlife observation deck. The complete N.C. DENR Press Release follows below the photos of Kyle's project.

This is a HUGE honor. Congratulations Kyle!

Beverly Eaves Perdue, Governor
Dee Freeman, Secretary

N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Release: Immediate

Contact: Jamie Kritzer

Date: April 15, 2011 Phone: (919) 715-7357

Raleigh student to receive President’s Environmental Youth Award on Saturday

RALEIGH – A Raleigh high school student on Saturday will become one of only 10 people in the nation to receive this year’s President's Environmental Youth Awards.

State and federal environmental officials will honor Kyle Kittelberger, a junior at Ravenscroft School, during Saturday’s Planet Earth Celebration near the State Capitol.

Kittelberger will be recognized for his construction of an 80-foot wetland boardwalk and wildlife observation deck at Sandling Beach at Falls Lake State Recreation Area in Wake County. Kittelberger took more than two years to complete the project, which started as an effort to earn his Eagle Scout Award and grew from there.

“Kyle is a great example of how important it is to engage youth in the environment and in environmental education efforts in our state,” said David Knight, assistant secretary for the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “His project improves public access to a wonderful natural area while still protecting the valuable ecosystem.”

Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources will present Kittelberger with the award at noon Saturday during the Earth Day celebration on Jones Street outside the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.

The President’s Environmental Youth Award program promotes awareness of our nation’s natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Since 1971, the president and the EPA have recognized young Americans for protecting our nation’s air, water, land and ecology. The award is one of the most important ways EPA and the president demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship efforts created and conducted by our nation’s young people.

Kittelberger’s award will be presented by officials from the EPA’s Atlanta-based Region 4, which covers North Carolina and other states in the Southeast. The EPA honors one winner per region for all 10 regions in the United States.

Kittelberger’s construction of the wetland boardwalk helped him earn his Eagle Scout in April of 2008. Then, he constructed the observation deck, and built staircases to prevent erosion and improve public access to the boardwalk. He also built eight recycling centers for the park's seven picnic shelters and one boat access site. During construction, he noticed a lot of Autumn Olive, an invasive species that competes with native vegetation. Kittelberger consulted park rangers and then led a volunteer effort to get rid of the Autumn Olive. By removing the invasive shrubs, Kittelberger and the volunteers enabled native plants to flourish and improved the park’s wildlife habitat.

Kittelberger has been involved in other environmental endeavors. He recently won first place in photography for the American Birding Association Young Birder's Award competition. He also installed a video camera at Jordan Lake, where he could monitor an active bald eagle nest.

Saturday’s Planet Earth Celebration is a fitting tribute because it is hosted by staff members with the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, who knew Kittelberger from his work as a volunteer at the museum’s Prairie Ridge EcoStation in northwest Raleigh. If it rains Saturday, the award will be presented in the Gold Classroom on the 3rd floor of the museum at 11 West Jones St.

The Planet Earth Celebration, one of many Earth Day events and North Carolina’s largest sustainability festival, is 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday in downtown Raleigh. The event is free. Learn more at http://www.planetearthcelebration.com/.

# # #

Statewide Earth Day Events!

2011-04-13T17:22:00.006-04:00

Earth Day, environmental education and sustainability-related events have really taken off in North Carolina! Cities, nonprofits and other agencies across the state are sponsoring these events in April. Here is a just a sampling of those events, and you can also go to the state-wide environmental education calendar to find other activities for adults, kids, families, as well as professional development: http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/.

Know of any others? Please send to Marty.Wiggins@ncdenr.gov and we will list them!

Some events have pasted, but are listed in blue for reference. Note that due to the impact of the terrible storms that struck the state on April 16th, some of the events may be cancelled or modified. Please check before attending.

The Town of Kernersville, Earth Day event, April 21st
Annual Earth Day Celebration: Think Today, Sustain Tomorrow, Appalachian State University, over 14 days in April (7th - 20th)
N.C. DOT Spring Litter Sweep, state-wide, April 16-30th.
UNC Chapel Hill, Earth Week Events, through April 30th
Duke University, "Earth Day All Month"
Holly Springs Earth Day, April 21st, Holly Springs Cultural Center
N.C. Aquarium, Roanoke Island, Earth Day, April 22nd
N.C. Aquarium, Pine Knoll Shores, April 17-23 Party for the Planet
City of Durham, Earth Day Festival, May 1st
Town of Cary, Earth Day Activities, April 30th
The N.C. Department of Natural Resources agencies and employees are also taking part in several Earth Day event around the state. See the press release for the listing.

Past events:
N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and Burt's Bees Planet Earth Celebration, Downtown Raleigh, April 16th.
Planet Party 2011, Piedmont Environmental Alliance, Winston-Salem, April 16th
Greenville: Earth Day Celebration-Returning to Nature, April 16th at River Park North. Richard Louv speaking 7 pm, Friday April 15th C307 Science and Technology Building, East Carolina University
Orange County Earth Day, April 16th
Union County Earth Day, April 16th
N.C. State, Earth Day on the Brickyard, April 15th
N.C. Aquarium, Fort Fisher, Race for the Planet 5k, April 17th
N.C. Zoo, Party for the Planet, April 16th
Briar Chapel Community, Chapel Hill, Earth Day Events, April 16th
City of Concord, Viva Verde Earth Fest, April 16th
Town of Garner, "Eggstravaganza," April 16th

It's National Environmental Education Week!

2011-04-12T11:19:00.005-04:00

April 12, 2010
Contact: Dan Seligson, communications director, National Environmental Education Foundation,
202-365-5568

Students, Educators Celebrate National Environmental Education Week

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Millions of students and thousands of teachers across the country will take part this week in National Environmental Education Week (EE Week), the largest environmental education event in the United States held annually during the week leading up to Earth Day.

EE Week, a project of the National Environmental Education Foundation, runs from April 11-17, features field trips, class exercises, outdoor classrooms, school garden planting and other activities at schools, nature centers and museums. This year’s focus on the connection between water and energy will help K-12 students better understand how usage of each affects the other and empower students to come up with strategies for conservation.

In the United States, generating power consumes 3 percent of our nation's water annually and 13 percent of the energy produced in this country each year is used to treat, transport and heat our water. Conserving water saves energy, and vice versa. The water-energy connection is complex, but it provides an excellent opportunity to get students thinking about the interrelatedness of ecological and environmental concerns.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, in a message to educators said EE Week will “engage young people from every grade level and help lead us to the 40th anniversary of Earth Day later this month.” “Whether it’s taking students to explore nature, planting native species gardens to prevent runoff, or developing in-school recycling projects, these creative activities can make a positive – and lasting – difference,” Jackson said.

Diane Wood, president of the National Environmental Education Foundation, said this year’s theme provides timely lessons to students. “Water conservation and learning about the water-energy connection engages students to take an active role in problem solving,” Wood said. “Their learning, whether in classrooms, on field trips or through activities on school grounds spark ideas for solutions for conserving resources, saving water, saving energy and ultimately having a real impact in their schools and their communities.”

A seven-day lead in to Earth Day, EE Week features class outings and activities focused on the understanding and protection of the natural world. Last year, more than 2,500 partners – including schools, zoos, aquaria, nature centers and museums – took part engaging an estimated 4.5 million students around the country.

This year’s focus, “Be Water and Energy Wise” includes focused lesson plans, quizzes, water measurement kits and nature journaling exercises. The materials cut across all academic areas, from math to language arts and art to science.

In North Carolina, there are hundreds of environmental education events and programs this week, as well as numerous Earth Day events across the state. For more information on EE Week in North Carolina, contact the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs at 919-733-0711. View EE Week and Earth Day events on the office's statewide EE Calendar, http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/.

2nd N.C. Outdoor Classroom Symposium a Big Success!

2011-04-11T12:56:00.009-04:00

The 2nd N.C. Outdoor Classroom Symposium has drawn to a close and nearly 200 teachers and other educators have returned home energized and ready to utilize what they have learned, benefiting students around North Carolina.

Participants heard inspiring addresses by Jane L. Taylor, founding curator of the Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden and by Wendy Banning, co-developer and program director of Irvin Learning Farm, a hands-on outdoor learning program at the Triangle Land Conservancy’s 269-acre Irvin Farm Preserve in Chapel Hill. Attendees also took advantage of numerous concurrent sessions and Saturday tours of schools with outdoor learning environments located across the greater Triangle region.

Photos and updates from the event can be viewed on the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affair's Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/NorthCarolinaEE (you do not need a Facebook account to view the photos). You can also read tweets from the conference on Twitter and comments are still welcome on the conversation with hastag #ncocsym.

Symposium to Showcase Benefits of Outdoor Classrooms

2011-04-04T13:35:00.004-04:00

The second North Carolina Outdoor Classroom Symposium begins Friday at the N.C. Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill!

The symposium will provide more than 120 teachers, school administrators, parent volunteers and non-formal educators with techniques for creating, maintaining and using outdoor classrooms. The first symposium was held in 2009, also at the N.C. Botanical Garden.

Presenters will discuss integrating outdoor learning into school curricula. They will offer sessions on designing school gardens, creating natural areas and using the outdoors to connect students to scientific research, food production, health and nutrition.

“Schools across North Carolina are using their school grounds to engage students in learning math, science, language arts and art while meeting curriculum goals and creating an enthusiasm for the outdoors,” said Lisa Tolley, program manager for the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs. “Teachers and parents recognize first-hand the positive academic, health and behavioral benefits of outdoor learning.”

Friday morning’s featured speaker is Jane L. Taylor, founding curator of the Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden, which is considered the national model for the design of gardens for children at public garden sites. Closing remarks on Friday will be delivered by Wendy Banning, co-developer and program director of Irvin Learning Farm, a hands-on outdoor learning program at the Triangle Land Conservancy’s 269-acre Irvin Farm Preserve in Chapel Hill. Banning recently co-authored a book with Ginny Sullivan, “Lens on Outdoor Learning,” which documents children’s learning in the outdoors.

The symposium is sponsored by the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program, the N.C. Botanical Garden, the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs, N.C. Cooperative Extension, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, the Environmental Education Fund and others.

“We are privileged to provide this unique professional development experience for teachers that will provide them with new tools and techniques to meet their classroom goals,” said Bill Crowell, director for the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program. “It will not only help their students with basic academics, but will also hone their 21st Century job skills, including teamwork, critical thinking and communication.”

Pre-symposium environmental education workshops will be held Thursday. A series of mobile workshops on Saturday will let participants visit school and community gardens in the Triangle. Teachers can earn continuing education credits and all participants can earn credit towards their N.C. Environmental Education Certification.

For more information, visit http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/outdoorsymposium/2011/about.htm.

You can also follow the symposium’s activities on Facebook facebook.com/NorthCarolinaEE or Twitter twitter.com/NorthCarolinaEE with the hashtag #ncocsym.

NAAEE Interim Director has a North Carolina Connection

2011-04-04T09:22:00.014-04:00

The North American Association for Environmental Education has a new interim executive director. Many in the North Carolina environmental education community will find the name familiar! Linda Rhoads, who recently took the position after the departure of Brian Day, once lived in North Carolina and worked for the North Carolina Office of Environmental Education (N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources). Linda will serve as interim while NAAEE searches for a new executive director. This comes at an exciting time, as Linda will be serving during the planning for the NAAEE Conference, which will held in Raleigh October 12 - 15, 2011. Linda has already been back in North Carolina, working with the Environmental Educators of North Carolina and the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs.

Welcome back "home" Linda!

Below is a message from NAAEE President, Diane Cantrell about the change in leadership. After five and a half years as executive director of NAAEE, Brian A. Day has decided to leave the association to take his career in a new direction. Linda Rhoads will serve as interim executive director while the NAAEE Board conducts its search for a new leader. During his tenure, Brian led the association through its most recent strategic planning and was a catalyst for NAAEE’s leadership in advocacy for the EE profession. Under Brian’s tenure, NAAEE has cemented its relationship with the National Council for the Accreditation for Teacher Education to ensure that future teachers know how to incorporate environmental education across the curriculum. The Board is very appreciative of his service to the organization, both as executive director and previously as a Board member. He is assisting Linda Rhoads with the transition to ensure that all of NAAEE’s projects proceed smoothly.

A former Executive Director for the EE Association of Oregon for more than seven years, Linda has been an active member and volunteer for NAAEE for at least a decade. Her leadership skills have been evident in her role as Advocacy Committee chair for two years, during which the number of participants in the EE Advocacy network grew by leaps and bounds. She also co-founded the Sustainability Education Commission. As an Affiliate director, she was active on the Affiliate Network Steering Committee. Linda also is a Guidelines facilitator and trainer.

N.C. Environmental Education Advisory Council Member Receives "Order of the Long Leaf Pine"

2011-04-01T13:11:00.005-04:00

Michele Aydlett, a member of the N.C. Environmental Education Advisory Council (EEAC), was recently inducted into the state’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine. The EEAC advises and makes recommendations to the NC Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs on its educational efforts and strategic direction and informs the Office on trends in education, government, business and the non-profit sector. The Council is comprised of representatives from the academic, business, cultural arts and environmental communities.

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is one of the highest honors awarded to a North Carolina citizen, in recognition of service to the state or special achievement. Aydlett is an active education volunteer, a retired educator, active conservation volunteer and elections official. The award was specifically given for her service to Dismal Swamp State Park. Aydlett founded the Friends of Dismal Swamp State Park and actively promotes the park across the region and state. Congratulations Michele!

Photo courtesy of the Daily Advance, Elizabeth City

Governing Magazine: States Pushing Green Education in the Classroom

2011-04-01T08:34:00.003-04:00

Governing Magazine, a journal aimed at state and local government officials, policy-makers and program directors, recently published an article about state-level efforts to develop environmental literacy plans:

"Can learning about the environment improve students' lives? State education leaders hope so. In fact, 47 states are in varying stages of developing "environmental literacy plans" that they say could improve student engagement and achievement, and even help lower childhood obesity rates. The plans provide guidelines for teaching students about the environment and the effects humans have on it." Read the full article.

In North Carolina, the N.C. Department of Natural Resource's Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, Environmental Educators of N.C., N.C. Association of Environmental Education Centers and many other organizations are in the process of developing an environmental literacy plan for our state. The first draft of the plan was released in December 2010 and we are currently working on revisions based on those comments. We anticipate that a second draft will be available for review later this spring or early summer. Visit the N.C. Environmental Literacy Plan website to view the first draft of the plan and sign up to receive future updates by email.

N.C. Environmental Education Centers Come out Strong Again in Top N.C. Attractions List

2011-03-01T15:33:00.003-05:00

Carolina Publishing Associates has released its top 2010 N.C. visitor attractions, and facilities listed as "North Carolina Environmental Education Centers" once again dominate the list (20 out of 30 ranked). Here are the EE Centers listed by their number in the ranking. The complete list of attractions is available in this story from the Greensboro News and Record.

2. Fort Macon Historic Site, Atlantic Beach, 799,322

3. North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro, 755,531

4. N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, 708,398;

5. Fort Fisher State Historic Site, Kure Beach, 618,373

6. Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh, 570,793

7. Discovery Place, Charlotte, 530,423

9. Museum of Life and Science, Durham, 433,018

10. N.C. Aquarium-Fort Fisher, Kure Beach, 429,883

11. N.C. Aquarium-Pine Knoll Shores, Pine Knoll Shores, 387,039

12. North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, 371,000

14. North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, 320,388

16. Natural Science Center, Greensboro, 290,928

17. N.C. Aquarium-Roanoke Island, Manteo, 288,000

18. Grandfather Mountain, Linville, 255,000

19. Chimney Rock, Chimney Rock, 219,221

22. North Carolina Maritime Museum, Beaufort, 185,551

24. Catawba Science Center, Hickory, 177,067

26. Roanoke Island Festival Park, Manteo, 140,826 (not listed, but does have EE-related programs)

27. Greensboro Children's Museum, Greensboro, 132,805

29. Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Belmont, 106,300

More Environmental Education Policy Updates

2011-03-01T15:11:00.007-05:00

Project Learning Tree's newsletter, the Branch, has a comprehensive update on issues affecting environmental education policy on the federal level. All of these items could have an impact on state and local environmental education programs.

EE Policy News

Topics covered include America’s Great Outdoors Report and budget updates on the EPA Office of Environmental Education and several other areas that affect EE and environmental literacy. Thanks again to PLT for the Washington updates.

Update on Maryland Environmental Education Requirement

2011-02-23T13:13:00.005-05:00

After the passage of Maryland's requirement to incorporate environmental education in the public school curriculum, a "loophole" was proposed that would have allowed schools to bypass the EE requirement by showing students were proficient in science and social studies. News outlets now report that the loophole has been removed:

Md. Board Of Ed. Removes Environmental Ed. Loophole

From North American Association for Environmental Education reports...

The Maryland State Board of Education voted unanimously last week to require all Maryland public schools to incorporate environmental education into their curriculum.

Every Maryland public school must now provide a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary environmental education program aligned with the Maryland Environmental Literacy Curriculum. Each local school system can design its own program, which will be reviewed by Maryland State Board of Education every five years. The requirement does not require an additional course or specific number of environmental education experiences--each local school system can implement its environmental literacy plan based on the resources unique to their system. This decision is expected to provide the opportunity for all public school students to participate in quality, integrated environmental education programs. The state board rejected language that would clarify the provision as a high school graduation requirement.

For more details:

Environment to be added to state curriculum (Baltimore Sun)

Md. Stops Short of Making Environmental Ed. a Graduation Requirement (Education Week)

Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count!

2011-02-18T10:59:00.009-05:00

( The North Carolina count results are now available on the GBBC website! )

The Great Backyard Bird Count has begun! This educational birdwatching event, which runs from Friday, February 18 through Monday, February 21, is growing in popularity and many organizations and environmental education centers in North Carolina are taking part.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada and sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited. According to the GBBC website, it is "an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds."

Go to the GBBC website to find out how to participate in your own backyard. Want to join in with others in the birdwatching fun? There are a wealth of GBBC and birding events at N.C. Environmental Education Centers across the state. They are listed on EE Calendar, and you can also search for events near you.

Pine Warbler photo by Mike Dunn, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences

Environmental Literacy Specified in Proposed Federal Education Budget

2011-02-18T09:42:00.014-05:00

A lot happened this week in environmental education on the federal level! For the first time, environmental literacy has been included in the proposed federal education budget. This was noted in a news update this week from the American Forestry Association:

The President’s budget request includes $246.1 million through the Department of Education for a new program, Effective Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded Education, which would support competitive grants to local school districts, alone or in partnership with states, to support education programs focused on “well-rounded” subjects, including environmental education. The President included this in his 2011 budget request. This funding could help to support the No Child Left Inside Act, if the bill is included as part of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

To view the text from the budget, follow this link and look under "Effective Teaching and Learning for a Complete Education, A Well-Rounded Education."

This is a major development for the environmental education field and shows that environmental education is increasingly recognized as an effective methodology to enhance learning in all subjects and provides direct, measurable academic and health benefits to students.

Senator Jack Reed and Congressman John Sarbanes were each quoted in a press release from the No Child Left Inside Coalition about the provision. Reed and Sarbanes respectively introduced the No Child Left Inside Act in the Senate and House and have continually supported environmental literacy on the federal level.

"This budget takes an important step toward boosting environmental education in the classroom and giving more kids the opportunity to get out and learn about the natural world around them," said Senator Jack Reed (RI). "Environmental education can help raise student achievement in other core subjects like math and science. This is a smart investment in our children's future and the future of our planet."

"The President's budget proposal is a terrific first step for environmental education," said Congressman John Sarbanes, author of the No Child Left Inside House legislation. "I look forward to working with the Administration to more fully incorporate environmental education into school curriculums across the country."

More details on the budget and No Child Left Inside legislation can be found in the NCLI press release.

Here are more updates on environmental education at the federal level. Thanks goes to the American Forest Foundation for keeping an eye on Washington and allowing the use of their news release.

This week, Congress began debating a Continuing Resolution, a bill to fund the federal government through the rest of 2011. On Monday, the President released his Budget Proposal to Congress for 2012.

EPA’s Office of Environmental Education (funded by the National Environmental Education Act) In the Continuing Resolution for 2011 funding, the Office of Environmental Education escapes cuts and is funded at 2010 levels of $9.038 million. We will continue to watch for amendments that would propose cuts to this program. The President’s Budget for 2012 funding proposes an increase of $847,000 to $9.885 million.

Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Learn and Serve America.

The Continuing Resolution (2011) proposes to completely cut all funding for CNCS programs, including Learn and Serve America, which provides direct and indirect support to K-12 schools, community groups and higher education institutions to facilitate service-learning projects.

The President’s Budget (2012) proposes level-funding (same as 2010) at 39.5 million.

Other Details from the President’s Budget
The President proposes a $46.8 million investment through the Department of the Interior in initiatives to foster the next generation of conservation leaders and connect youth to America’s Great Outdoors.
Next Steps: The House will continue to debate the Continuing Resolution for 2011 funding throughout this week, possibly voting on final passage by the end of the week. We are watching for amendments that propose further spending cuts. Later this month, the Senate will debate and vote on the 2011 Continuing Resolution. Then, the House and Senate will resolve any differences and send the final bill to the President for his signature. If the 2011 Continuing Resolution is not passed by March 4, 2011, the federal government shuts down.
Throughout March and April, the Congressional committees will hold hearings to review the budget for 2012. We can expect the committee votes and full House and Senate votes to take place later in the spring and summer.

Register NOW! N.C. Outdoor Classroom Symposium | April 7-9

2011-02-15T16:37:00.005-05:00

Registration is now open for the 2011 North Carolina Outdoor Classroom Symposium!!

2011 NC Outdoor Classroom Symposium
Green and Growing!
April 7-9, 2011
NC Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill

This symposium is targeted to PreK-12 teachers, administrators, parent volunteers and others working toward creating outdoor classrooms at schools. Sessions will be appropriate for educators who already have an outdoor classroom and for those who are just beginning to develop their schoolyard areas for outdoor environmental learning. Teachers can earn CEU credits and participants can earn credit towards their N.C. Environmental Education Certification.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Jane Taylor, founding curator of the Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden at Michigan State University
Wendy Banning, educational consultant and co-author of Lens on Outdoor Learning.

Click here for more information, including the agenda, speaker bios and the link to online registration.

We hope to see you there!

Beth Cranford New N.C. Environmental Education Certification Manager

2011-02-11T11:50:00.004-05:00

The North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program has a new manager at the helm. Beth Cranford recently became the new EE Certifcation Program Consultant for the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs. Beth replaces Libby Wilcox, who recently retired. Beth is the third manager of this popular program, which started in 1996 and has certified nearly 1,000 environmental educators. North Carolina was the first state to develop a professional development program of this nature, and several states and the Republic of South Korea have modeled the N.C. program.

Beth grew up in North Carolina and started her path to environmental education at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences as a volunteer. She has her MEd in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Environmental Education from Florida Atlantic University where she also worked at Pine Jog Environmental Education Center.

Beth has worked at a variety of outdoor and environmental education facilities in California, New York state, Texas and Oklahoma. She says that her travels around the country have helped her appreciate North Carolina’s wonderful and unique natural areas. Beth worked most recently was an educator and camp coordinator at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill.

"I'm excited to be working in the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs because I get to help people throughout the state by working with environmental educators. I look forward to meeting you all in the near future!"

Environmental Education Jobs and Internships!

2011-02-11T11:21:00.004-05:00

Looking for an environmental education-related job, or know someone who is? The N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs' Jobs and Internships page is the place for you! This page offers a variety of jobs and internship opportunities in the environmental education and outdoor education and recreation field. Opportunities are listed chronologically by date of application closing, so be sure to scan the whole list. This is the time of year when environmental education centers, parks and related organizations are hiring seasonal positions, and the list is full of them. These are great educational opportunities and resume builders for anyone that wants to enter the field.

The EE Jobs and Interships page is located on the News and Events tab on http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/.

EE program providers, please take advantage of this job and internship posting resource. Contact us to see how to post jobs on the listing and on the NC-EE listserv. Marty.Wiggins@ncdenr.gov or 919-733-0711.

Peggy Sloan Named Director at N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher

2011-02-11T09:29:00.004-05:00

The new director at the Aquarium at Fort Fisher is a familar face to many in the North Carolina environmental education community! Peggy Sloan, who has served as the Aquarium’s education curator since 2001, was named director on February 1. Many of you already know Peggy as a dedicated environmental educator. She has more than 20 years experience in management, education and operations in aquarium and zoo settings and serves on numerous boards and committees including the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ National Conservation Education Committee. Peggy also serves on the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs' N.C. Environmental Literacy Plan working group and is a North Carolina Certified Environmental Educator. She is also a member of the Environmental Educators of North Carolina, our state's nonprofit professional development organization.

Read more about Peggy and her plans for the Aquarium.

Wilkes County Teacher named N.C. Outstanding Conservation Education Middle School Teacher

2011-02-01T16:15:00.004-05:00

Russell Sparks, an East Wilkes Middle School science teacher has been named North Carolina’s Outstanding Conservation Education Middle School Teacher. The award is given annually by the N.C. Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Read the full article about Sparks' work and how environmental education benefits his students in the Wilkes Journal-Patriot.

Image from the Wilkes Journal-Patriot

Environmental Education Certification Project Garners DENR Sustainability Award

2011-01-28T16:15:00.006-05:00

Jake Vitek, a ranger at Hammocks Beach State Park in Swansboro, recently took second place in the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Sustainability Awards Contest. This contest recognizes N.C. DENR employees that show "initiative in implementing programs that result in or promote responsible environmental stewardship within the department." These efforts provide direct environmental benefits and often result in cost savings as well.

Vitek's project was the action partnership for his North Carolina Environmental Education Certification. All state park rangers are required to become EE Certified. The program requires 200 hours of environmental education workshops and outdoor experiences, which includes a project which benefits their community. The enrollee must also work with partners from the community to complete the project. The certification program is coordinated by the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs.

Vitek worked with a local boy scout that needed an Eagle Scout project to develop a program to make Bear Island trash free. It involved building boxes that hold biodegradable bags visitors now use to carry out all trash--all trash cans were removed. Visitors also had to be educated about the new policies. The park has already seen benefits in reduced litter, cost savings and better habitat for wildlife. You can read the full story in the Tideland News.

Harvard Education Letter Features Story on Environmental Education (Update)

2011-01-07T11:47:00.008-05:00

The Harvard Education Letter recently included a piece on environmental education that has some North Carolina connections. The article, by Raleigh-based freelance journalist Lucy Hood, discusses and dispels many of the misconceptions about EE by going straight to the source--nationally recognized EE experts and teachers that use EE in the field to enhance student learning across the curriculum. The article includes interviews with science teachers from Southwest Guilford High School in High Point, N.C. and details how they use EE concepts and methods to enhance learning in all of the sciences. N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs staff members Sarah Yelton and Marty Wiggins contributed to the article.

The Greening of Environmental Ed:
Teachers focus on complexity, evidence, and
letting students draw their own conclusions

Update! U.S. Representative John Sarbanes (MD), author of the No Child Left Inside Act, recently posted a response to this article in the Harvard Education Letters 'Voices of Education" blog:

Let's Leave No Child Inside

Comment Period on N.C. Environmental Literacy Plan Extended to February 4

2011-01-06T16:46:00.007-05:00

The first draft of the North Carolina Environmental Literacy Plan is now available for public review and input. The plan calls for a wide variety of recommendations with the end goal of enhancing environmental literacy among North Carolina’s PreK-12 public school students.

Download a copy of the draft plan by clicking on the link below, then use the online feedback form to provide your comments by February 4, 2011.

North Carolina Environmental Literacy Plan: Smart Minds, Greener Future – Draft 1.0

Access the Online Feedback Form

The N.C. Department of Environment & Natural Resources, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction and numerous partners have been working together to craft an environmental literacy plan for North Carolina. The plan is one way in which North Carolina is responding to proposed federal legislation to enhance environmental literacy among public school students. It will ensure that environmental education is integrated throughout North Carolina's PreK-12 formal education system. To qualify for future federal funding for environmental literacy, the plan will have to be adopted as policy by the North Carolina State Board of Education.

The plan describes how our state will prepare students to understand, analyze, and address the major environmental challenges facing North Carolina and the country. There are four main components, each one outlining specific strategies for ensuring that North Carolina students graduate as environmentally literate citizens. These components include state educational standards and graduation requirements as they relate to environmental literacy, teacher professional development in environmental education, model school grounds and facilities, and strategies for measuring the environmental literacy of students.

Find out more about the NC Environmental Literacy Plan at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/ncenvliteracyplan.html.

Arbor Day in N.C. Did you know March 18 is Arbor Day in North Carolina? Under state law, the first Friday following March 15 is Arbor Day in our state. Several states celebrate their own Arbor Days in addition to National Arbor Day (April 29) to coincide with the ideal time to plant trees in the region.

There are several ways you can celebrate the importance of trees to our environment, health and economy.

-The North Carolina Division of Forest Resources explains more about N.C. Arbor Day and has suggestions on easy ways to participate.

-Get outside! Several N.C. Environmental Education Centers have events and programs today and this weekend. Many EE Centers have notable tree specimens--as a matter of fact, several are arboretums, have a forestry focus or have interpretive areas with examples of native N.C. trees. North Carolina also has a network of seven Educational State Forests across the state--the perfect place to get outside and learn more about trees.

-Last but not least, the N.C. State University Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources and several other partners is hosting a N.C. Arbor Day Celebration at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (March 18). Lots of fun and education, as well as free redbud tree seedlings, is guaranteed!

N.C. Environmental Education Centers Featured in STEM Education Column

2010-12-29T14:26:00.006-05:00

N.C. Environmental Education Centers and the role environmental education can play in enhancing and instructing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects were featured in a recent article in Local Tech Wire's STEM News section.

EE Centers pique education interest statewide

STEM News is a new feature on Local Tech Wire through a collaborative effort with the NC STEM Community Collaborative, MCNC, and the North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Center (SMT Center). Local Tech Wire is Capitol Broadcasting Company's regional online technology journal.

Moving Outdoors in Nature Act Introduced in House

2010-12-23T10:50:00.002-05:00

Congressman Ron Kind (D–WI) introduced the Moving Outdoors in Nature Act in the U.S. House of Representatives in November. This bill would support federal, state and local efforts that encourage children to get outdoors and active. The bill would provide funding to state and local governments and agencies, schools, colleges and universities and nonprofits for a variety of programs and projects, including outdoor classrooms, trails and greenways, educational programs, health initiatives and more. The bill would also provide funding for the development of state "Moving Outdoors in Nature Strategies."

Click this link for the complete bill text. The "Section 2, Findings" is quite interesting and notes much of the current research on on the benefits of outdoor play and learning.

The National Wildlife Federation also has information at beoutthere.org/MONA .

2011 North Carolina Outdoor Classroom Symposium

2010-12-22T13:20:00.004-05:00

SAVE THE DATE!

2011 North Carolina Outdoor Classroom Symposium
Green and Growing!
April 8, 2011*
North Carolina Botanical Garden

* Main symposium activities will take place on Friday, April 8. Optional workshops and outdoor classroom site visits will occur on Thursday, April 7 and Saturday, April 9.

Announcing Call for Presentations!!

Presentations should focus on an aspect of creating or using an outdoor classroom area at a school and should relate to at least one of the five Symposium Themes:
- Getting Started! Creating new spaces – How to start from scratch.
- Raking in the Dough! How to find money to make your great ideas a reality.
- Expanding and Improving Spaces! Ways to make your existing outdoor classroom even better.
- Emerging Gardens! Everything you need to know about gardens for young learners.
- Naturally Connected! Connecting schoolyards to curriculum - Dazzle your school administrators with all kinds of curriculum connections to improve student performance.
Click here to submit a proposal. (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2011NCOCS). Proposal submissions must be received no later than 5pm on Friday, January 21, 2011.

Due to the hands-on nature of this symposium, we highly encourage you to be creative with your presentations! Proposals will be reviewed for originality, quality and alignment with chosen symposium theme(s). Preference will be given to presentations that actively engage all audience members and are experiential in nature. Additional presentation details and requirements can be found on the submission form in the link above. The NC Outdoor Classroom Symposium is co-sponsored by the North Carolina Botanical Garden and the NC Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs, with support provided by the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program and the Environmental Education Fund.

More information regarding symposium details will be available on the http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/ website in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
For any questions, please contact Sarah Yelton at 919-715-4453 or sarah.yelton@ncdenr.gov.

TV "Teacher of the Week" Uses N.C. River Basin Resources!

2010-12-22T12:54:00.006-05:00

The Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs got a pleasant little suprise in the video of a recent "Teacher of the Week" story from WRAL in Raleigh. Like many teachers across the state, featured teacher Jonita Lee, an eighth-grade science and math teacher at Crossroads Middle School in Benson, uses the North Carolina River Basins materials in her classroom. While these materials are designed for general public education and are used in a variety of ways, many teachers have found them a invaluable resource in meeting the N.C. Standard Course of Study. Watch the clip and you'll see the N.C. River Basins poster, and Lee is teaching about watersheds, wetlands, rivers and river basins; all of which are part of the 8th Grade Standard Course of Study. River Basin materials are also used extensively by Earth and Environmental Science Teachers and in other subject areas.

Learn more about the Discover N.C. River Basins education materials at this link.

N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs Receives Environmental Educators of N.C. Outstanding Partnership Award

2010-11-29T13:04:00.010-05:00

The N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs' Tracey Ritchie and Libby Wilcox (center) accept the EENC Outstanding Partnership Award from EENC's Sarah Fuller (far left) and Keith Bamburger (far right).

The N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs recently received the 2010 Outstanding Partnership Award at the 2010 Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) Conference in Blowing Rock. The office received the award in recognition for its longstanding work in partnering with EENC to raise the perception of environmental education as a whole and by providing the EENC members with support and leadership.

The Outstanding Partnership Award recognizes organizations who have partnered with EENC to support the mission and growth of EENC and environmental education within the state. Several of the Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs’ programs support and expand on the EENC mission: the Environmental Education Certification Program, the NC-EE email listserv and the http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/ website all support the efforts of EENC and its members. The office has also involved EENC members and leadership in updating the EE Certification Program, in the ongoing development the N.C. Environmental Literacy Plan, and the recently completed North Carolina Environmental Education Plan. Both the office and EENC work constantly and vigilantly towards a more environmentally literate public and provide high quality environmental education opportunities for teachers, students, peers and the general public.

Each year EENC publicly recognizes environmental educators, EENC members, organizations, and partners for their valuable contributions to environmental literacy, the field of environmental education, the EENC organization, and environmental well-being of North Carolina. EENC's mission is to promote excellence in professional development and facilitate networking opportunities, inspiring educators to create an environmentally literate citizenry. Environmental education is a learning process that increases people's knowledge and awareness about the environment and associated challenges, develops the necessary skills and expertise to address the challenges, and fosters attitudes, motivations and commitments to make informed decisions and take responsible action.

Please contact Keith Bamberger, EENC Membership Co-Chair (828-296-4553), or the North Carolina Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs (919-733-0711 with questions or for comments.

N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs' Wilcox Receives EENC Outstanding Service Award

2010-11-02T12:36:00.010-04:00

The Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) recently awarded Libby Wilcox, Environmental Education Certification Program Consultant with the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs, their 2010 Outstanding Service Award. Libby has managed the N.C. Environmental Education Certification program for eleven years and has been instrumental in developing the skills of hundreds of certified educators and in developing high-quality environmental education programs.

Each year EENC publicly recognizes environmental educators, EENC members, organizations, and partners for their valuable contributions to environmental literacy, the field of environmental education, the EENC organization and the environmental well-being of North Carolina.

The Outstanding Service Award recognizes an EENC member who has served in key leadership roles and has made a significant contribution to future the mission of EENC. North Carolina was the first state to create a professional development program for environmental educators and Libby has overseen the program since 2000. In that role she has worked tirelessly to promote educational opportunities and support professional development across the state. As program coordinator she has helped nearly 1,000 individuals obtain their certification and works with agencies, parks, organizations and programs to ensure the professional development classes and workshops they offer meet the highest standards of environmental education.

Libby will be retiring in early 2011. Congratulations on a well-deserved award and a successful tenure as EE Certification Program Manager!

The first EENC awards were given in 1995, and people from all regions of the state and careers have been recognized over the last fifteen years. EENC's mission is to promote excellence in professional development and facilitate networking opportunities, inspiring educators to create an environmentally literate citizenry. For more information about the EENC Awards, contact Keith Bamberger at 828-296-4500 or keith.bamberger@ncdenr.gov

Museum educator Liz Baird named EENC's Environmental Educator of the Year

2010-11-01T09:57:00.007-04:00

(N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences Press Release)

The Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) have named Liz Baird Environmental Educator of the Year. EENC is the state's nonprofit EE professional development organization, whose mission is to promote excellence in professional development and facilitate networking opportunities, inspiring educators to create an environmentally literate citizenry.

Baird is director of education for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh. This award recognizes an educator who stands out among environmental educators, exemplifies excellence and lends credibility to the field. Through valuable contributions, they are regarded as a “dynamo” that other environmental educators strive to emulate. As director of education at the Museum, Baird engages students and teachers across the state and around the world with unique and innovative natural science experiences. Throughout her 15-year tenure, she has affected the lives of thousands of teachers who, in turn, affect the lives of thousands of their students.

Call for Proposals Now Open for 2011 NAAEE Conference in Raleigh!

2010-10-27T16:22:00.006-04:00

The 40th Annual Conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education is coming to Raleigh in 2011! Join NAAEE and EENC (Environmental Educators of North Carolina) as we host attendees from around the world October 11- 15, 2011 at the LEED Silver certified Raleigh Convention Center. The call for presentations is open now; it closes February 1, 2011. Six strands compliment the conference theme: Rooted in Time: Branching to the Future.

Visit the NAAEE web site to learn more: http://www.naaee.org/conference/call-for-presentations

2011 NAAEE Conference Strands
• Conservation Education
• Climate Change
• Environmental Issues in EE
• EE Goes to School
• Environmental Justice
• Network and Leadership Development

Teachers gather to learn about outdoor classrooms

2010-10-04T11:32:00.001-04:00

Teachers attending a workshop in Research Triangle Park learned that an effective way to improve student achievement and health is to let kids get their hands dirty.

“Heading Out! Discovering Nature’s Classroom” was held Sept. 23-25 at the First Environments Early Learning Center on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences campus near Raleigh.

Photos from the workshop can be viewed on the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs Facebook Album.

The workshop supported the use of outdoor classrooms and schoolyard gardens to improve academic achievement and address issues such as childhood obesity that have become more common due to a lack of outdoor exercise. Educators learned strategies to easily incorporate outdoor experiences, gardening, storytelling and art into their curriculum.

First Environments Early Learning Center is an ideal site for educators because it incorporates outdoor learning into the classroom, on the playground and even in food service. The workshop emphasized hands-on learning, and content and activities were aligned with the N.C. Foundations for Early Learning and the N.C. Standard Course of Study for kindergarten through 5th grade courses in science, social studies, language arts, math and healthy living.

“Heading Out!” was coordinated by the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs. It was made possible by the Environmental Education Fund at no cost to participants, thanks to funding from the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program.

Preference was given to applicants from the 36-county Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program region in northeastern North Carolina. However, teachers from as far west as Polk County will be in attendance.

For more information about First Environments Early Learning Center, visit http://www.firstenvironments.org/. For more information about the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs, visit http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/.

EENC Conference October 8-10 in Blowing Rock

2010-10-04T11:22:00.004-04:00

Reminder, the Environmental Educators of North Carolina's annual conference "The Blow-out in Blowing Rock" begins Friday!

Find out more on the EENC website.

Maryland Passes Environmental Literacy Requirement

2010-10-04T09:08:00.007-04:00

From North American Association for Environmental Education reports...

Environment to be added to state curriculum (Baltimore Sun)

Md. Stops Short of Making Environmental Ed. a Graduation Requirement (Education Week)

A New Face at the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs!

2010-09-30T09:48:00.011-04:00

The N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs is excited to welcome a new staff member. Tracey Ritchie is the new adult environmental education consultant and will be managing the office's successful river basin education and consumer education programs. She will also administer the environmental education website and work on other adult EE programs and initiatives.

Tracey was born in New York but lived in Florida since she was three. She received a bachelor's degree in wildlife ecology and conservation with a minor in zoology from the University of Florida and has a master's degree in environmental education from Florida Atlantic University.

Tracey has held a variety of jobs and internships across the country, including work as a zookeeper in Oregon, a naturalist in coastal South Carolina and as education coordinator at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge in Orlando. She most recently worked at Pine Jog Environmental Education Center in West Palm Beach, Florida as the volunteer and public programs coordinator and was the instructor of a three semester program for Florida Atlantic University in environmental service learning.

"I wanted to come to North Carolina because this state is such a leader in the field of EE." Notes Tracey on her move to the state. "I am just so happy to be here and to be a part of such an amazing group of citizens that are committed to conserving and educating others about all of North Carolina’s natural wonders." Tracey is looking forward to working with other agencies and exploring all of North Carolina’s environmental education centers. We know everyone in the N.C. environmental education community is looking forward to working with her as well.

Outdoor Fun in N.C. Featured on OPEN/net TV

2010-09-27T11:40:00.005-04:00

The Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs' Community Development Consultant, Marty Wiggins, was recently featured on the N.C. Agency for Public Telecommunications OPEN/net program. Also featured were Brittany Whitaker, South District Interpretation and Education Specialist at the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation and Liz Baird, Director of School Programs, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.

The panel discussed outdoor education and recreation opportunties that can be found at N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources facilities and the many other environmental education centers around the state. Take a Child Outside Week activities were also emphasized and viewers were encouraged to explore their own communities and backyards this fall. The show can be viewed on the OPEN/net website.

Also on TV...Environmental Learning on Heart of Carolina Perspectives

2010-09-27T11:05:00.007-04:00

The Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs' PreK-12 Education Consultant, Sarah Yelton, recently appeared on WTVD's Heart of Carolina Perspectives Program. She joined Sue Esperson, Outdoor Learning Specialist at First Environments Early Learning Center (FEELC) in Research Triangle Park and Richard Rairigh, Senior Program Manager for Be Active Kids with Be Active North Carolina.

The segment addressed the benefits of integrating outdoor environmental education into the classroom, as well as the health benefits of outdoor learning and school gardens. Includes great footage of FEELC.

Education Secretary Duncan Emphasizes Environmental Literacy

2010-09-24T12:53:00.005-04:00

Education Secretary Duncan recently addressed the importance of environmental literacy at the U.S. Department of Education's first Sustainability Summit.

Duncan noted: "Historically, the Department of Education hasn't been doing enough in the sustainability movement. Today, I promise you that we will be a committed partner in the national effort to build a more environmentally literate and responsible society."

The full text of Duncan's address is available on the U.S. Department of Education website.

Legislation to Reauthorize National Environmental Education Act Introduced Today (Sept. 23)

2010-09-24T12:39:00.004-04:00

The Project Learning Tree Network is reporting that legislation was introduced today (Sept. 23) in Congress to reauthorize the National Environmental Education Act (NEEA). Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) introduced the bill in the Senate and Representatives Jared Polis (CO) and Michael Castle (DE) introduced the companion bill in the House (H.R. 6194).

NEEA is the law that authorizes the EPA Office of Environmental Education, the Environmental Education and Training Program (EETAP, a national training grant program), environmental education grants and gellowships and much more all through the Environmental Protection Agency. The law has not been reauthorized since it was first enacted in 1990 and has not seen an increase in funding for more than a decade. The reauthorization would revise the law to take into account the movement on environmental literacy efforts and training for “green” jobs—a growing field.

Two N.C. Certified Environmental Educators Receive Recognitions

2010-09-24T10:31:00.019-04:00

Two North Carolina Certified Environmental Educators have received notable awards for their environmental education efforts both inside and outside of the classroom.

Jodi Riedel, a Wakefield High School (Wake County) agriculture teacher received the N.C. Wildlife Federation's 2010 Environmental Educator of the Year Award. One of Riedel's notable accomplishments is a forestry curriculum she wrote when she took part in N.C. State University’s Kenan Fellows Program, which has been used with more than 700 students. Read more about Jodi's work on the N.C. State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' news site.

For outstanding efforts in integrating environmental education in and outside the classroom, veteran science teacher Randy Senzig of Fuquay-Varina High School was named “2009 Environmental Educator of the Year” by the Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District .

The Garner News has an excellent piece on Senzig, which details his incorporation of environmental education into the classroom and beyond, as Senzig's students also take an active role in the community. Senzig photo from the Garner News

Senzig and Riedel are both North Carolina Certified Environmental Educators, which is open to teachers, nonformal eductors or any adult with an interest in environmental education. Learn more about this program at www.eenorthcarolina.org/certification.html.

N.C. Environmental Education Centers Do Well in Top Field Trips List

2010-09-15T14:26:00.002-04:00

Carolina Field Trips Magazine has released its always much-anticipated top 25 North Carolina Field Trips List. These rankings were for the 2009-2010 school year. Once again, facilities listed as North Carolina Environmental Education Centers dominate the list. Below are the EE Centers that made the top 25, listed by ranking. Visit the CFTM website for the complete listing. Find out more about these and other N.C. EE Centers at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/.

1. Dan Nicholas Park (home of Rowan Wildlife Adventures), Salisbury

3. North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro

4. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh

5. North Carolina Aquariums, Manteo, Pine Knoll Shores, Fort Fisher

7. Morehead Planetarium, Chapel Hill

8. Natural Science Center of Greensboro

9. Museum of Life and Science, Durham

12. Schiele Museum of Natural History, Gastonia

13. Catawba Science Center, Hickory

15. Discovery Place Inc., Charlotte

18. Neuseway Nature Park, Kinston

19. SciWorks Science Center, Winston-Salem

23. Cape Fear Museum of History & Science, Wilmington

25. North Carolina Museum of Art (N.C. Art Park is listed as an EE Center), Raleigh

2010-08-13T15:48:00.005-04:00

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) has launched a new statewide effort to build North Carolina’s local food economy. The 10% Campaign encourages consumers to spend 10 percent of their existing food dollars on foods produced in North Carolina. By supporting local food producers and related businesses, the 10% Campaign will create jobs, boost the viability of North Carolina farms and fisheries and promote healthy communities statewide.

“In these challenging times, buying local foods will benefit our farmers and fishermen and help grow our economy,” said Dan Gerlach, Golden LEAF president. “Golden LEAF is proud to support the 10% Campaign because North Carolina’s agricultural products are fresher, tastier and healthier.”

North Carolinians spend about $35 billion a year on food. If individuals spent 10 percent on foods produced locally – roughly $1.05 per day – about $3.5 billion would be available in the local economy.

“North Carolina is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the increased consumer demand for locally produced foods,” said Nancy Creamer, co-director of CEFS. “Agriculture is the backbone of our economy. The state’s climate, soils and coastal resources support production of a wide variety of produce, meats, fish and seafood. We have the capacity to build a robust local food economy to the benefit of all; the 10% Campaign will help get us there.”

Critical to the success of the 10% Campaign is the active support of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Extension has designated a local foods coordinator in all 100 counties and for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to help connect consumers and food producers and support local businesses and organizations who want to participate in the campaign.

Compass Group, the world’s largest foodservice company, is another key partner. In addition to sourcing 10 percent of the produce it sells to all its North Carolina clients from local producers, Compass Group will also work with CEFS to develop a model “farm to institution” buying program.

Three opportunities exist for businesses and organizations to participate in the 10% Campaign. They can pledge 10 percent of their purchasing/growing power; host an employee/member challenge; and/or promote the campaign externally.

Two of the campaign’s 31 launch partners include North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and North Carolina A&T State University, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Both have pledged to join the campaign at each of the three levels. Additionally, the North Carolina State University Campus Enterprises and University Dining has pledged to serve 10 percent locally grown or produced foods at all campus dining facilities, including all catering operations, by 2012.

The website’s "About" page details more about launch partners and how consumers, businesses and organizations can support the campaign.
Individuals joining the 10% Campaign can register online at http://www.nc10percent.com/ and pledge to spend 10 percent of their food budget on foods produced/grown locally. The website also hosts a wealth of information about the efforts of the many great organizations already working in the field.

For more information about participating in the campaign contact the 10% Campaign manager Teisha Wymore at nc10percent@ncsu.edu or by phone at 919-515-0244. Media contact: Meg Ryan O’Donnell at 919-755-3804 /meg@capresults.net

Registration Open! “Heading Out! Discovering Nature’s Classroom” September 23-25, 2010.

2010-08-06T17:24:00.004-04:00

Applications are now being accepted for the “Heading Out! Discovering Nature’s Classroom” teacher workshop scheduled for September 23-25, 2010. The workshop will take place at the First Environments Early Learning Center on the EPA-NIEHS campus in Research Triangle Park, NC. The workshop is offered by the Environmental Education Fund at no cost to participants due to generous funding provided by the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program.

This workshop will provide educators with strategies to easily incorporate outdoor experiences, gardening, storytelling and art into their curriculum in an effort to improve student health and learning. First Environments Early Learning Center provides the ideal site for educators to learn from a model facility that successfully incorporates outdoor learning into the curriculum. During this three-day workshop, educators will participate in a variety of in-depth investigations that can easily be incorporated in the classroom upon return to the school setting. Hands-on, real world experiences will be emphasized! All content and activities are aligned with the NC Foundations for Early Learning and the NC Standard Course of Study for K-5 Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Mathematics and Healthy Living.

The Discovering Nature’s Classroom workshop is open to North Carolina early childhood educators and administrators and public, private or charter school teachers or administrators of grades PreK-5. While the workshop is open to educators state-wide, preference will be given to applications from the 36-county Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program region.
For more information or to apply, visit the web site at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/naturesclassroomworkshop.html.

N.C. School Finalist in Tom's of Maine "50 States for Good" Grant

2010-08-04T12:59:00.011-04:00

Votes Needed to Make the Top Five Award

Jay M. Robinson High School in Concord is one of 41 finalists in the Tom's of Maine "50 States for Good" program. This program will share a $100,000 prize in support of grassroots community projects with the five organizations receiving the most votes. Votes can be placed on the Tom's of Maine website until September 10, 2010.

The high school's project is headed by Joy Knight, an AP Environmental Science, Forensics and Earth/Environmental Science Instructor. The project, if funded, will develop a three-season community garden using sustainable farming methods. The garden will be collectively tended and harvested with a portion donated to a local food pantry.

Knight feels that even though this is a local project, it will represent the efforts of environmental education for the whole state, especially on the K-12 level, and hopes that people will take the time to go online and vote. "I hope this project can be a model for other schools and will encourage them to seek similar grants for projects. The N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs' grants list and NC-EE listserv are a great resource for this--it's how I found out about the Tom's of Maine program."

Programs like this one can be found on the office's Grants and Contests and Awards pages at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/. Both can be found under the "News and Events" tab.

NC Zoo Society Program Brings Together Technology, Literacy and Nature

2010-07-30T13:33:00.005-04:00

An innovative program is happening this summer at the N.C. Zoo in Asheville. KidsConnect teaches real-world problem solving while engaging children with technology, local libraries and the natural world. The following program description from the N.C. Zoo Society explains the program, which has been in place since 2006 and is sponsored by the Dell Foundation, Inc.

The KidsConnect program is designed to bring education resources and access to technology to underserved youth, ages 8-13, while also bringing them closer to nature through understanding conservation. Library outreach workers in Greensboro, High Point, and Forsyth County are trained in using the Field Trip Earth site and curriculum materials developed for the KidsConnect program and are then provided with more advanced technology training. The library staffs select community-based partners and provide training to their staffs who offer programming to underserved youth and bring the curriculum, technology and hands-on experiences to their students.

Each site uses Field Trip Earth to learn about conservation and its importance to our planet and then selects a local project to research and act on. All projects integrate the use of technology and the building of literacy skills into their efforts.

This year the sites consisted of five locations, including an international program site with English as a second language. Student projects were documented using technology. Presentations about their experiences were created using power point, animation and other programs.

Throughout the program students also communicate using an on-line community created for the project. In late summer, 200 students gather at the Zoo to celebrate what they have accomplished and to make presentations, and to receive recognition for “Saving a piece of the world for wildlife.” Some students that age out of the program still help as mentors and are given special recognition and a small gift. Leadership skills are also developed as students take responsibilities in the day, make presentations and host display tables.

Community participation in the program has grown, as has the number of youth served. But the most important growth has come in the students who gain stronger literacy skills, improved technology skills and discover their leadership skills and find that they can make a difference in saving a piece of the world of wildlife. Over the years the program has expanded and impacted more students, leveraged library resources and expanded the capacity of the partnering organizations.

Recognition of the program has included a visit by local Dell representatives, media attention, and publication in Boys and Girls Club magazine and on Fox 8 TV; and designation by the N.C. Extension Service of High Point program’s garden as a “Community Garden”. This garden was included on the “Master Gardeners Training Tour” and listed on the state website. Students have also made presentations to City Council and other civic groups to share what they have learned and to advocate for the environmental issues they were working on.

To learn more about the program and see presentations and more information about the project, go to If you would like to see what kids have done, go to http://kidsconnect-nc.org/ or contact Kathy Bull, NC Zoological Society at 336-879-7286 or kbull@nczoo.com.

US EPA's 2010-2015 Strategic Plan Leaves out Environmental Education

2010-07-30T11:11:00.007-04:00

Public Comment Period Ends Today, Friday, July 30

Earlier this week, Brian Day, Executive Director of the North American Association for Environmental Education, sent out a notice regarding the absence of the words “environmental education” in the US Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Strategic Plan for 2010-2015. This has been a cause for concern in the NC environmental education community and across the nation. Mr. Day noted that the absence of environmental education could impact environmental education programs across the nation, as the EPA’s Office of Environmental Education (created by the National EE Act) serves as a resource for the whole country and funds the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), the EPA’s EE Grants, the Environmental Education And Training Partnership (EETAP) and regional EE grants.

The EPA is now accepting comments on the proposed Plan. The Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs has already submitted comments, which can be viewed at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/images/CommentsEPAStrategicPlan.pdf

The deadline for comment is today, July 30th by 11:59 pm Eastern Time. Comments are accepted electronically at http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480b054e6
Comments can be entered directly online—letters can be attached as well.

N.C. Envirothon Team Heads to National Competition

2010-07-30T11:01:00.002-04:00

On August 1st, a team of 5 local high school students from Durham County will be traveling to Fresno, CA to represent North Carolina in the 2010 Canon Envirothon. The Canon Envirothon is North America's largest high school environmental education competition. Reaching more than 500,000 students across North America annually, the Envirothon will test teams in their knowledge of wildlife, soils, aquatics, forestry and current environmental issues. Teams completing in this years competition will come from states across the US and Canadian providences. The 2010 Canon Envirothon is being held on the University of California at Fresno’s campus August 1-6, 2010. Winning teams receive scholarships for college and more.

Durham County’s students, the ‘Vicious Vipers’, won the chance to represent NC at the event by taking 1st place at the Area 4 Envirothon on March 26, 2010 and then 1st place at the NC Envirothon on April 23-24, 2010. The team includes, Nathanael Gass, Anna Gass, Merilee Nixon, Peter Barrow, Michael Estes, and advisor Cindy Gass. Also traveling with the group is Steve Bennett, NC Envirothon coordinator and Jennifer Brooks, Durham County Envirothon Coordinator.

In Durham County, the Envirothon program is sponsored by the Durham Soil and Water Conservation District. The competition is open to middle and high school public, private and homeschool groups. The Vicious Vipers have been competing in Envirothon for 4 years now, starting in middle school.

For more information, please contact the Durham Soil and Water Conservation District at (919) 560-0558 or jbrooks@co.durham.nc.us (Press release provided by Jennifer Brooks. Thanks!)

N.C. DENR Takes Part in America's Great Outdoors Listening Session

2010-07-29T14:39:00.003-04:00

N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Dee Freeman and representatives from N.C. DENR's Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs and Division of Parks and Recreation provided input at the America's Great Outdoors Initiative Listening Session that was held in Asheville on July 15th. Several other agencies and organizations involved in environmental education attended as well, including the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the Environmental Educators of North Carolina and other local environmental education centers and programs.

This is one of several sessions that will be held across the country. The Initiative and listening sessions are the result of a memorandum issued by President Obama that directed the Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Administrator of the EPA and Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality to create a 21st Century Strategy for America's Great Outdoors.

The initiative has three main goals:
-Reconnect americans to the outdoors-Enhance conservation partnerships-Protect and restore our lands and waters using science

This article from the Asheville Citizen-Times reports on the event and provides video of the welcome by Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy (she mentions environmental education!).

Wilmington Area Women Go to Sea Again to Research Plastic Marine Debris Pollution

2010-07-12T16:22:00.008-04:00

We know that litter on the ground can find its way into storm drains, which empty into waterways that lead to the ocean. Once trash enters the ocean it becomes marine debris--but what happens after that?

Follow Keep America Beautiful of New Hanover County’s Jennifer O’Keefe and UNC-Wilmington’s Bonnie Monteleone on a voyage 700 miles off the North Carolina coast to find out what happens to litter from our streets, parking lots and school yards. The first stop is Bermuda where beach surveys on this island inside the North Atlantic Gyre last year showed massive amounts of plastic pollution.

After a couple days in Bermuda, they’ll board the Research Vessel Atlantic Explorer for 5 days of sampling. Plastics collected will be taken back to UNC-Wilmington where they will be weighed and analyzed. This is a continuation of O'Keefe and Monteleone's work last summer. Also, in September, Monteleone sailed into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch on a similar research mission.

You can follow their adventures at by visiting http://theplasticocean.blogspot.com/ to view photos and videos from this trip and last year’s research.

Teachers are "At the Water's Edge" This Week to Learn about Wetlands, Wildlife and Water

2010-07-09T09:46:00.010-04:00

Teachers from across the state have gathered at Trinity Center in Salter Path this week (July 11-16, 2010) for the "At the Water's Edge: Exploring Wetlands, Wildlife and Water" environmental education professional development institute.

The Institute is made available by the Environmental Education Fund, with funding provided by the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program. The Institute is administered by the Office of Environmental Education. Partners include the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, NC Cooperative Extension, NC Coastal Federation and others.

Office of Environmental Education staff will be posting photos and updates through out the week on Twitter and Facebook. Photos from last year's institute are available on the Office's Educator page.

The Office of Environmental Education received more than a hundred applications for twenty-four spots in the workshop. The Office has coordinated similar institutes each summer since 2002.

During the week, teachers will participate in an in-depth investigation of North Carolina’s watersheds and river basins while exploring the unique natural habitats of the coastal region. Along the way, techniques for incorporating outdoor experiences into the curriculum using school grounds and field exploration will be emphasized. By applying the interdisciplinary approach of environmental education, educators will learn how to integrate science, social studies, language arts, math, health and art using the natural environment as the context for learning.

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

2010-07-07T11:21:00.004-04:00

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

2010-06-04T13:08:00.010-04:00

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

2010-05-20T14:40:00.015-04:00

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

2010-05-17T10:15:00.006-04:00

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

2010-05-11T13:45:00.005-04:00

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.
# # #

N.C.'s Newest Certified Environmental Educators Honored

2010-05-11T11:43:00.018-04:00

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

2010-04-27T15:34:00.019-04:00

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.

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.

2010-04-16T10:51:00.004-04:00

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.

2010-04-15T16:03:00.003-04:00

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

2010-04-14T14:58:00.004-04:00

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?

2010-04-13T14:52:00.006-04:00

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

2010-04-12T11:25:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-04-09T16:29:00.002-04:00

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

2010-04-05T13:05:00.005-04:00

North Carolina Environmental Education Week!

2010-03-30T16:19:00.022-04:00

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

2010-03-19T15:26:00.006-04:00

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?)

2010-03-19T12:41:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-03-15T12:43:00.014-04:00

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

2010-03-12T15:14:00.002-05:00

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

2010-03-08T11:56:00.003-05:00

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.