Construction of the rain garden at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTERS GATHER TO HIGHLIGHT
STORMWATER RUNOFF PROGRAM

Contact: Marty Wiggins 919-733-0711

RALEIGH—The Environmental Education Fund, the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and the N.C. Association of Environmental Education Centers will hold an "Open House Celebration" on Oct. 6 in Raleigh to celebrate the completion of the "Raising Public Awareness of Nonpoint Source Pollution through Programs and Exhibits at North Carolina's Environmental Education Centers" Grant program.

Nonpoint source pollution refers to rain water or snowmelt that becomes polluted as it flows over land. The polluted runoff, one of North Carolina’s most urgent environmental problems, then flows to lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and sometimes into underground sources of drinking water. Public awareness is essential in preventing nonpoint source pollution, which can be difficult to identify and control, since it results from such actions as improper use of lawn and garden chemicals, failure to clean up pet waste and soil erosion from construction or agriculture.

To address this problem, 10 educational facilities were provided $10,000 each to educate their respective publics. The projects include a wide variety of public environmental education strategies including in-ground demonstration projects, interactive exhibits, intensive teacher training and youth and community involvement projects. The grantees, located in Wilmington, Kure Beach, Ocean, Ocean Isle, Jacksonville, Durham, Hickory, Charlotte and Gastonia, are recognized as "North Carolina Environmental Education Centers" by the Office of Environmental Education, a division of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (www.eenorthcarolina.org). The funding came through a Clean Water Act Section 319 Non Point Source Pollution Control Grant that was awarded to the nonprofit Environmental Education Fund, which managed the program in partnership with the Office of Environmental Education and the NCAEEC.

"It was an honor for the Environmental Education Fund to be able to facilitate this program," said Anne Taylor, Fund executive director. "By working in partnership with these diverse environmental education centers, we were able to maximize the impact of our organization's mission to raise public awareness of the environmental consequences of our actions." In just one year these 10 centers educated more than 400,000 people about nonpoint source pollution, forming partnerships with more than 105 local businesses, governments, organizations and individuals.

This event is scheduled for 11 a.m. in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building in Raleigh, and will allow the public the opportunity to meet several of the recipients and view displays and receive information about their projects. It will also be a good opportunity for the environmental education community and local governments to learn about new strategies for public environmental education programming related to water quality issues. Please RSVP to Marty.Wiggins "at" ncmail.net (919) 733-0711.

For more information about the individual projects, contact each program grantee: Airlie Gardens, Wilmington – Nicole Mitchell (252) 798-7564; N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Kure Beach – Peggy Sloan, (866) 301-3476; Cape Fear Museum, Wilmington – Ruth Haas, (910) 341-4350; Catawba Science Center, Hickory – Mark Sinclair, (828) 322-8169; Charlotte Nature Museum, Charlotte – Lisa Hoffman, (704) 372-6261 / Cherie Tilghman, (704) 372-6261; N.C. Coastal Federation, Ocean – Sarah Phillips, (252) 393-8185; Museum of Coastal Carolina and Ingram Planetarium, Ocean Isle – Scott Kucera, (910) 579-1016; Museum of Life and Science, Durham – Brad Herring, (919) 220-5429; Schiele Museum, Gastonia – Dr. Ann Tippett, (704) 866-6902; Sturgeon City Environmental Education Center, Jacksonville – Glenn Hargett, (910) 938-5368.

DON'T FORGET!

Environmental Educators
of North Carolina
Annual Conference

November 2-5, 2006

Larry Earley, author of Looking for Longleaf, the Fall and Rise of an American Forest, is just one of the special guests at the EENC Conference.

Renew your Sense of Wonder with Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) at the Annual EENC Conference November 2-5, 2006 at Fort Bragg, NC. The 2006 Conference theme, “Renewing a Sense of Wonder” celebrates the centennial of Rachel Carson (born May 27, 1907), “the patron saint of the environmental movement." Broadway actress and television star, Kaiulani Lee, will inspire you with her captivating portrayal of Carson in her original play, "A Sense of Wonder."

Also confirmed on the program are two experts cited in Richard Louv’s popular book, Last Child in the Woods. Dr. Paul Dayton of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California in San Diego, CA and Robin Moore, Professor in the School of Design at North Carolina State University, will lead a dinner table conversation about children’s “nature-deficit disorder.”

Larry Earley, NC author of Looking for Longleaf, the Fall and Rise of an American Forest, will challenge attendees to make a commitment to the survival of native longleaf pine trees as they disperse into the woods on unique field trips.

This 16th annual Conference will be the first ever held in the Sandhills by EENC. Conference attendees will have a rare opportunity, not available to the general public, to visit the unique Longleaf Pine Forest ecosystem, including plant communities of Carolina Bays and Sandhills Seeps, plus the habitat of five endangered species and 30 species-of-concern, which are managed and protected at Fort Bragg.

Plan to attend the 2006 EENC Annual Conference for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in a unique habitat! This gathering promises to renew your sense of wonder with outstanding professional development, celebrating excellence in environmental education and the richness of biodiversity in the NC Sandhills.

Updated information on the EENC website: http://eenc.org/sandhills

Or email: conference "at" eenc.org

September 20, 2006 – Durham NC In honor of National Wolf Awareness Week, the Museum of Life and Science, Durham will present special educational talks to promote greater understanding of the endangered red wolf population Sunday, October 15 through Saturday, October 21, 2006.

Each year the Museum of Life and Science offers public programs as part of National Wolf Awareness Week during the third week in October. Wolf Awareness Week dispels misconceptions and educates the public about red wolves, endangered species and their Recovery Plan as well as the role predators play in maintaining biological diversity in an ecosystem. The Museum plays an instrumental role in cooperation with national breeding programs to restore the red wolf population nationwide.

Wolf Awareness Week Public Programs October 15-21, 2006

This special awareness week includes animal keeper talks and giveaways. Explore the Wild Wolf Habitat. Free with Museum admission.

Meet Kim Wheeler, Executive Director, Red Wolf Coalition

Sunday, October 15

1:00-4:00pm

Red Wolf Animal Keeper Talks

Tuesday-Saturday, October 17-21

2:00pm

All Free with Museum Admission

Background – Red Wolves
The red wolf is one of the most endangered animals in the world, a shy species that once roamed throughout the Southeastern United States as a top predator. By 1970, the entire population of red wolves was believed to be less than 100 in the wild.

In 1967, red wolves were placed on the Endangered Species list after their numbers had been severely reduced by loss of habitat, hunting, trapping and mating with coyotes due to the lack of same-species partners. In 1973, after continued decline, officials decided to remove all red wolves from the wild for captive breeding to save them from extinction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rounded up approximately 400 canids, only 17 of which were considered to be genetically viable “pure” red wolves.

Fourteen of these 17 wolves bred at captive breeding sites and the Red Wolf Recovery Plan and Red Wolf SSP were developed.

Wildlife officials reintroduced four pairs of red wolves at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern North Carolina in 1987. They continue to release animals today, as new pups are born and numbers increase, with benefits to the species, the local ecosystem, and even to the people who live the affected area.

As of August 2005, approximately 100 red wolves roam wild. As of August 2006, 178 individuals live at 39 captive breeding facilities such as zoos and museums across the country, including the Museum of Life and Science.

The Museum houses red wolves as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), supervised by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Elected representatives from institutions that provide shelter and sometimes breed the animals make up the Red Wolf Management Group.

Red wolves are smaller and more slender than gray wolves, but larger than coyotes. Although mostly gray-black, a reddish color accentuates their ears, muzzle, and the backs of their legs. Adult red wolves weigh 45-80 pounds, with males typically larger than females. They can live up to 15 years in captivity, but seldom longer than seven to ten years in the wild.

The original habitat of red wolves included forests, wetlands, mountains and coastal prairies. The animals make their dens in hollow trees, stream banks and sand knolls. Today, the only mainland reintroduction site for red wolves is the Alligator River and Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuges in eastern North Carolina.

The first wolf arrived at the Museum of Life and Science in November 1992, followed by a litter of pups in May 1993. A second litter of pups was born there in April 2002. Captive breeding and continued success of the current wild population will contribute to a successful future for these animals.

The Museum’s new outdoor wildlife experience Explore the Wild features a red wolf habitat that currently houses three brothers born last year at the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro. The exhibit enclosure features a stream with a waterfall and dens with cameras so visitors can catch a close-up glimpse of the animals. A rock quarry wall serves as a backdrop for the exhibit, not only for its aesthetic appeal, but also to provide the wolves with vertical challenges.

The Museum of Life and Science’s mission is to create a place of lifelong learning where young children to senior citizens embrace science as a way of knowing about themselves, their community and their world.

Monday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm; Sunday Noon-5:00pm

*Closed Mondays through January 1, 2007

General Admission: $9.50 adult; $8.50 seniors 65+ or active military

$7.50 children age 3-12; free for children age two and younger

Free for Durham County residents every Wednesday from 1:00-5:00pm

Contact: Allison Savicz, Museum Marketing

(919) 220-5429 x323; allison.savicz@ncmls.org

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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