Environmental Educators of North Carolina

In honor of Black HIstory Month, EENC is highlighting the work of Black professionals in environmental education, continuing with Tamara Kelly. Tamara is a new member-at-large of the EENC board who is pursuing her Masters in Nonprofit Management while also working as an analyst at an environmental lab research company. Tamara stays busy! Tamara loves working in environmental education because… “I love [that EENC provides] an emphasis in inclusiveness and diversity as they have helped me along my path and love for environmental education.”

In honor of Black HIstory Month, EENC is highlighting the work of Black professionals in environmental education, continuing with Field Inclusive, Inc. in Raleigh. Lauren, the co-founder and CFO kindly shared a bit about the organization with us: “Field Inclusive strives to provide tangible and actionable improvements in the natural sciences by addressing social field safety issues related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. We seek to support all field biologists, as well as those working and recreating in the outdoors, through identifying and addressing social field safety issues, developing social field safety resources, and supporting marginalized and historically excluded researchers through financial aid and experiential learning opportunities. We envision a world in which the outdoors feels safe and welcoming, regardless of personal identity such as, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, or religion. We believe all field researchers deserve and have a right to the tools necessary for success in their professional work. We support and amplify inclusivity in the outdoors by also including various programming on these topics throughout the year, which would not be possible without the generosity from our many donors and sponsors.” Thank you, Lauren! To learn more about Field Inclusive, visit their website, https://lnkd.in/e8MxR9jR or follow them on Instagram @fieldinclusive.

In honor of Black History Month, EENC is highlighting the work of Black professionals in environmental education. Today, we feature Kyleene Rooks, the Park Manager at Walnut Creek Wetland Park in Raleigh. Kyleene loves working in environmental education because… “My favorite part about environmental education is getting to introduce people (youth and adults) to nature for the first time. Being able to foster that sense of curiosity and meeting people where they are in time, comfort and space is extremely rewarding.” Kyleene’s work in environmental education is meaningful to her because… “I constantly feel honored to continue this Park's mission, and I recently spoke at the Lunchtime Discovery Series at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences about the history of Walnut Creek Wetland Park. The talk was called Success Stories of Black Advocates: Walnut Creek Wetland Park and can be found here: https://lnkd.in/encwKEj7 Anything else you’d like to share, Kyleene? “Yes! People who are interested in volunteering at Walnut Creek Wetland Park can get involved in our next upcoming Big Sweep event on Saturday, April 5, from 9am - 12pm where they will contribute to the total counting of this year’s trash collection! Head over here to learn more: https://lnkd.in/e69hSG_7

In honor of Black History Month, EENC highlights the work of Black professionals in environmental education, beginning with current board member, LaKyla Hodges. LaKyla is currently the Equity and Education Manager at Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in Asheville. LaKyla loves working in environmental education because… “Environmental education is a field that can appeal to anyone. You don't have to like or love any one specific aspect of environmentalism in order to enjoy environmental education. I believe the purpose of EE at its core is to bridge the gap between people and the natural world. It is a tool to bring people together and show them how important environmental stewardship can be. People interested in hiking, gardening, textiles, animals, crafting, woodworking, health and wellness, cooking, and so much more can find strong connections to the natural world. So much of what we do depends on the health of the world around us and I strongly believe EE is one of the many tools we can use to support a reciprocal relationship with the outdoors.” LaKyla’s work in environmental education is meaningful to her because…. “One of my favorite things to do is meet people who aren't interested in environmentalism and bring the natural world to them. A person may never want to go on a camping trip or swim in a creek, but there's always a way to pique their interest. A large part of my role is bringing aspects of nature to them. This small act of planting seeds in starter pots or doing leaf rubbings can start a relationship with the outdoors.”

Great virtual program led by EENC's Western Section Chair, LaKyla Hodges on building inclusive environmental programming!

We are grieving with the NC science education community at the loss of Maria McDaniel. Maria held the position of Eastern Section chair on the EENC board from 2016-2018. She was a treasured board member and passionate science educator who brought so much joy, knowledge, and experience to our EENC community. Maria can be seen in the top right of the heart photo and on the far left of the group photo. Renee Strnad, an EENC board member who served alongside Maria shared her thoughts with us. "I had the great joy of getting to know Maria in early 2014 when she was trained as a Project Learning Tree Facilitator. She was so proud of the little science museum in Greenville and the property where she provided environmental education programming (now known as NC Museum of Natural Sciences at Greenville and Contentnea Creek); always a champion for the need of small community science centers! In 2015, Maria finally gave into the prodding of many EEers that knew her, and joined the EENC Board as the Eastern Section Chair. Maria provided valuable insight into the formal education world and how EENC could help meet the needs of classroom teachers. She even brought the value of environmental education to the preservice teachers she worked with at East Carolina University by providing PLT training and opportunities for them to experience teaching EE lessons to youth at what is now Contentnea Creek. She arrived at every EENC meeting and event with a huge smile, willingness to tackle Board tasks, and helped grow EENC's Eastern Section membership." Maria will be missed greatly by our members and colleagues at EENC. We send our condolences to her family and will continue to celebrate Maria and her legacy at EENC.

EENC thanks the Dogwood Health Trust for their generous $12,500 grant, which brings us more than 87% of the way to our $35,000 end-of-year annual fundraising goal. With just two days remaining in 2024, consider supporting EENC with your end-of-year giving. Each donation has a direct impact on our work across North Carolina.

EENC celebrates Mir Youngquist-Thurow's retirement! Mir served as the Director of The Agapé Center for Environmental Education and is a cherished friend and colleague of EENC. We thank Mir for her many contributions and wish her well in whatever comes next!

EENC Board Member and public school teacher Krista Brinchek shares why EENC is important to her and her work: "Environmental Educators of North Carolina has significantly shaped my teaching, equipping me with the skills and knowledge to connect my students with the natural world. Their emphasis in workshops and conferences on equity has deepened my understanding of how to engage all learners, ensuring that every child, regardless of their background, has access to meaningful environmental education experiences." With 20 days remaining in our end-of-year annual fundraiser, we are 30% of our way to goal of raising $35,000 to continue our work in 2025. Each donation and share makes a difference. https://lnkd.in/eG9YGXpN

Help make the environmental education field more inclusive with UDL! NAAEE Affiliate Environmental Educators of North Carolina share about their Universal Design for Learning (UDL) course in our #ee360plus Ripple Effect blog series. UDL uses instructional planning practices that are accessible to, usable by, and inclusive of students with a wide variety of needs and abilities. Read more about UDL for EE: https://lnkd.in/g9krvW8u #EnvironmentalEducation #InclusionMatters