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Office of Environmental Education
All of North Carolina's EE Resources in One
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News Tips
NC ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Use these tips in your newsletter or bulletin. For more details, please see the contact listed or call the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Office of Environmental Education, 919-733-0711. Media Contacts: Images and complete press releases are available for many items. Contact Marty.Wiggins "at" ncmail.net for more information. |
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All Things Are Connected
November 2006
No. 120 |
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LT. GOV. BEVERLY PERDUE TO HONOR NORTH CAROLINA’S CERTIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATORS
Author and Journalist Richard Louv to Deliver Keynote Address
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DURHAM – Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue will join the North Carolina Office of Environmental Education on November 17th to honor the latest "class" of North Carolina Certified Environmental Educators. More than 250 individuals will be recoginzed for completing the 200-hour professional development program.
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Perdue will be introducing keynote speaker Richard Louv, a columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune and renowned author. Mr. Louv’s most recent book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder,” has drawn national attention. The book discusses how children today lack direct experiences in nature and the impact that phenomenon is having on their health, academic performance and capacity to be our future environmental stewards.
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Richard Louv
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The nationally recognized North Carolina Environmental Education Program is the first program of its kind in the country. The program began with 25 educators in 1996. Today, more than 1,500 teachers, park rangers, non-formal educators and North Carolina residents are enrolled in the North Carolina Environmental Education Program.
The program has been used as a model by other states and was recently highlighted at a conference at the Korea National Forest Service Conference at Daegu University in South Korea. Program participants 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 effort.
The N.C. Office of Environmental Education administers the program. The program’s sponsors are the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, Environmental Educators of North Carolina, the Environmental Education Fund, the North Carolina Association of Environmental Education Centers and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
The program establishes a standard for the environmental education profession, increases science-based environmental education in the schools and has become a powerful tool for strengthening the field of environmental education in North Carolina. The certification program ensures comprehensive and sustainable environmental education programs through the development of environmental education leaders throughout the state.
“The environmental education certification program provides educators with the skills needed to engage children and adults in learning about the environment,” said Bill Ross, secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “This program is adding educators around the state who can inspire our children in the areas of math and science while building a generation of adults who are capable of addressing our most pressing environmental challenges.”
Perdue said that environmental education is essential across the school curriculum.
“Studies have shown that outdoor hands-on learning is strongly correlated with increased academic performance and can have a positive effect on some of our most troublesome childhood health threats. We are extremely proud that North Carolina is leading the nation in the number of certified environmental educators.”
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NOTICE! A limited number of seats are available to the public at this event. The Office of Environmental Education must have payment in hand by November 8th if you wish to attend! Go to the online registration form for details.
This is a great opportunity to hear Richard Louv in person, and most importantly, to meet our state's newest Certified Environmental Educators. Visit our NC Environmental Education Certification page for a listing of all Certifed Environmental Educators. The page includes educator-submited photos and profiles. |
More than 250 North Carolina Certified Environmental Educators will be honored in a special ceremony November 15th in Durham.
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Making Connections
with Dr. David Jones Explores Interdependency of Environmental and Economic Health
You will not want to miss this innovative program that features Dr. David Jones, Director of the NC Zoological Park. It airs Wednesday, November 15 at 9:00 pm on UNC TV. Read the press release below from UNC TV for more. |
Note:
UNC TV Will also air two other programs related to Making Connnections:
North Carolina People host William Friday sits down with Dr. Jones, Friday, November 10, at 9 PM, to delve into the host’s interest in natural resource management alongside economic development. And throughout the week, at 7:30 PM, UNC-TV’s nightly information series North Carolina Now will highlight the links between citizens’ well being, the economy and the environment.
Thursday, November 16, at 8 PM, join host Christine Rogers for the UNC-TV special, HealthWise: The Environment & Health. During this hour-long program, a panel of experts from across North Carolina examines the many programs underway across the state to address the possible link between environmental factors and disease.
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With Dr. David Jones, director of the North Carolina Zoo, as guide,
the new one-hour documentary Making Connections with Dr. David Jones will
take viewers on a stunning visual tour of North Carolina to show us what
is at stake if we fail to protect the environment as we develop the
economy. The program will be broadcast statewide on UNC-TV on Wednesday, November 15 at 9:00 p.m.
Surveys have revealed that nearly one-fourth of all permanent jobs in
North Carolina, including agriculture, forestry, energy generation,
commercial fishing and tourism – more than 800,000 jobs – have a direct
connection with the environment. Many of these jobs will be at risk if
North Carolina’s environment is not protected.
North Carolina faces some daunting environmental challenges. Today’s
state population of 8.5 million is expected to swell to 13 million during
the next 50 years. Even today, North Carolina ranks 37th among the 50
states in clean air and 38th in water quality. Without effective
environmental policies, the situation will only get worse.
In Making Connections, Dr. Jones explores the critical need to develop
wise land use policies, including community-based planning. Development
in high demand area, especially on the coast and in the mountains, can
compromise key biological habitats and impact plant and animal diversity
in North Carolina. Making Connections also focuses on the economic
importance of managing water resources and looks at the need to develop
alternative fuel resources.
Making Connections with Dr. David Jones is a wake-up call for all North
Carolinians, asking viewers to make the connection between environmental
quality and their own personal lives.
UNC-TV is North Carolina’s statewide public television network, providing
enriching, life-changing television to more than 4 million viewers each
week.
The North Carolina Zoo, located about 75 miles west of Raleigh in
Asheboro, is the nation’s largest walk-through natural-habitat zoo, and
seeks to make visitors aware of the connections between humans and the
world’s animals, plants and natural resources. Its African and North
American exhibit regions span more than 500 acres with more than five
miles of walkways.
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Ms. Wilcox Goes to South Korea...
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North Carolina Certification Program Manager Travels to Korea to Present on Environmental Education and Tourism
Republic of Korea Plans to Send Return Delegation to North Carolina
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NC Office of Environmental Education's Libby Wilcox recently traveled to South Korea to share information about the NC Environmental Education Certification Program.
Ms. Wilcox was invited to Korea by Dr. Ju-Hee Lee, a professor at the Daegu University Department of Tourism. Dr. Lee also works closely with the Korea National Forest Service which is developing a certification program for their Forest Culture and Recreation Programs and for their Forest Interpreters. After researching several US programs, they decided to use the North Carolina model for environmental education certification.
Ms. Wilcox presented the keynote address, “The Management of the NC Environmental Education Certification Program and Its Application to Korea” at the Korean Institute of Forest Recreation and Forest Service Conference. She also participated in a discussion panel on the management of Korea’s program and then presented to a class of 60 tourism majors at Daegu University on “Environmental Education and Tourism”. She referred to several North Carolina Environmental Education Centers as examples in her presentation.
The Office of Environmental Education recently learned that Dr. Ju-Hee Lee will send several professionals from Daegu University, the Korea Forest Service and the tourism field. The six South Korean dignitaries will be visiting several environmental education centers, including a North Carolina Educational State Forest and a North Carolina State Park, as well as national forests and other attractions in the North Carolina mountains. The group will use this fact finding tour to research ways to apply similar environmental education and eco-tourism techniques in South Korea. The NC Office of Environmental Education will be coordinating their visit and Ms. Wilcox will be their guide and facilitator during the trip. The Office of Environmental Education welcomes this unique exchange of knowledge and culture between the State of North Carolina and the Republic of Korea. |
You Don't Want to Miss This!
The current You Don't Want to Miss This! section features a very useful research report, Why Zoos & Aquariums Matter.
The report was produced by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Institute for Learning Innovation and the Monterey Bay Aquarium in an effort to better understand the role that zoos and aquariums play as facilitators of free-choice learning. This report will be of special interest to North Carolina's Environmental Education Centers and anyone in the non-formal environmental education field.
You Don't Want to Miss This! section on the www.eenorthcarolina.com Web site is regularly updated and has archived section features interesting events, stories, resources, and other items that anyone in the environmental education would not want to miss.
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Did you know that grapes can grow on ferns?
Huh?....
Find the answer to this intriguing question and more at EcoFeatures!
Just above You Don't Want to Miss This! is another regularly updated feature of the www.eenorthcarolina.org site, EcoFeatures. EcoFeatures lets "everyone know what's been happening in your neck of the woods, or prairie, or beach!" These posts focus more on happenings and research in the natural world and include great photos as well. Email suggestions to Rachel.Golden "at" ncmail.net. Don't forget to send photos! |
Several new stories have been added since last month!
Check them out...
North Carolina's Environmental Education Centers often get state
and even national media attention. See what's been going on in our often updated, low-carb, low-fat, and environmental education friendly
EE Centers in the News link.
Environmental Education Centers in the News
NC Environmental Education Centers: Gateways to environmental literacy
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NEWSTIPS ARCHIVES
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October 2006
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Return to Top of Page
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For further information contact:
Office of Environmental Education, NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 1609 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1609; 919-733-0711; fax 919-733-1616; Email: Marty.Wiggins "at" ncmail.net
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