Congratulations to North Carolina’s Certified Environmental Educators!

Traveling around for

different workshops and

meeting the wide range

of educators has taught me how to be a better environmental educator.

MICHAEL WALKER Raven Rock State Park

This program means

I now have official recognition and tools

for teaching about everything I value

on Earth.  It also means

honoring my most respected

dedicated professor, Dr.

Catherine Matthews. It was

through her encouragement

I found out about and

completed the program.

AERIN W. BENAVIDESThe University of North Carolina

at Greensboro, Guilford County

The environmental education

certification program was

an amazing adventure throughout North Carolina that opened my eyes to the world of nature and the

excitement of teaching.

My learning experiences

continue and I can honestly

say, I love my job!

AMY STIDHAMCape Fear Botanical Garden, Cumberland County

I enjoyed the opportunity

to learn how to be a better environmental

educator, particularly

the field-based workshops

and experiences. The

program was a great way to

meet other environmental

educators, learn new tips

and tricks and polish my

skills as a naturalist!

ANDREA HALESchoolhouse of Wonder,

Durham County

My favorite parts of

environmental education

certification were gaining a baseline knowledge of environmental education in the state and meeting many other

professionals with a common

interest and passion for

the natural world.

DEREK DUNN Greensboro Parks and Recreation

I thoroughly enjoyed all of the

courses that I completed for

my environmental education

certification. Since receiving

certification, the highlight of my

environmental education work has

been a large public art project focused on raising awareness about solid waste issues with

my students in Costa Rica.  I look

forward to a future return to North

Carolina where I can continue to put

my skills into practice.

CARLA WILLOUGHBYNC Virtual Public School

The North Carolina

Environmental Education

Certification program

helped me explore our state’s natural world

and meet some amazing

environmental educators.

BETH CRANFORDNorth Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Wake County

I had worked in the

environmental education

field for many years before

I enrolled, but I found that

the EE Certification program gave me a renewed sense

of dedication to the

discipline and provided

me with valuable new

skills, techniques and

content knowledge.

JESSE POPEGrandfather Mountain

Stewardship Foundation

Each one of us can make

a difference in the lives

of all things. United we nourish our planet, our students and ourselves. Celebrate your passion

and pass it forward!

CHERIE POWERSCharlotte Mecklenburg Schools

In the fast paced craziness of

the 21st century lifestyle, it is

very easy to get disconnected

from nature and the importance

of being good stewards

of our environment.  The certification process

reconnected me with my love of the outdoors. I

found my senses reawakened, my

passion for caring about Creation

reignited and a desire to pass this

love on to my students.

CINDY WISENags Head Elementary School

I thought my favorite part of

this program was going to the

different workshops at the

different parks and learning new

things, until I started working on

my Community Action Partnership

Project. My project not only

made me learn more about

gardening and the importance of

pollinators, but it showed me how dedicated our park visitors and volunteers are. They were truly a big part of

making this new pollinator garden

happen and have continued

to help maintain it since.

COLLEEN BOWERSCarvers Creek State Park

I have enjoyed meeting

new educators and

learning even more about the

natural wonders of North Carolina.

DAN HARVEYJordan Lake State

Recreation Area

Environmental education

reshapes your view of our natural world. It goes beyond

the nomenclature of

static components of our

environment and seeks to

explain the relationships

and processes.

DEBORAH MULLENOlde Providence Elementary

My journey in obtaining the

environmental education

certification opened my eyes to so many different

teaching methods and environmental

challenges. I look forward to

educating the public about the

importance of our community

and the nature that surrounds

us. My motto, “Follow your

heart, and love what you do!”

DIANE NIELSENWells Fargo

The environmental education

certification program has been

a life changer. I have connected

parts of my life: career, faith,

hobbies and even politics,

with understanding and

passion. The original $50

investment led me to enter a Masters of Science in Environmental Education program to continue the

learning and explore even

deeper understandings of the

world that has been opened.

DOROTHY HOLLEYJohnston County Schools

The Environmental

Education Certification

program afforded me the

opportunity to combine my professional

skills and strengths with my passion

for conservation.  I’m so grateful to the

Office of Environmental

Education and Public

Affairs for providing me

with this opportunity. 

ELIZABETH JERNIGANPiedmont Triad Regional Council

The environmental education

certification has been an

awesome learning process

from start to finish. It gave

me an opportunity to network

with other educators, gave me numerous lesson ideas for the classroom, made me think critically

about effective teaching

skills and was a fun way to

improve myself professionally

in the field that I love!

ERIN LINEBERGERUS National Whitewater Center

The NC EE program has

allowed me to discover a

second life, inspired me to be more creative and

showed me the impact that

teaching and learning can

have on ones wellbeing.

BENNET "GEORGE" JEFFERSONVirginia Conservation

Legacy Fund

My experience with the

certification program

has been life changing.

I always knew I wanted

to do something related

to the outdoors, and the

environmental education

certification program

helped me realize my passion for teaching others about our natural world.

JENNIFER BROOKSDurham Soil and Water Conservation District

I've enjoyed the

certification process and

have received invaluable

educational tools.  It's

benefited my career and has led to my being

sought out to lead

programs and advise other

educators. I appreciate the

excellent staff support and

the great experiences!

JES SDAO SWANSONSpartanburg County

Completing the EE certification

program has truly been a life

changing experience for me

and has given me a whole new

direction. It has allowed me to

travel, explore and learn in some amazing places all around the state. I learned a tremendous

amount and can now inspire

my students to make natural

connections and become more

environmentally literate.

JOY SHUCKUS National Whitewater Center

Now that I have my

certification, I’m missing

the excitement of seeing

which workshop or

program I might sign

up for next. I loved the

chance to interact with other educators

with environmental passions. I have

nothing but praise for

this quality program.

JULIE MULLISWilkes Community College

Each time I greet an

audience I hope to

get them energized

and excited about exploring and learning about the natural world.  Participation in the

environmental education

certification program gave

me the tools and skills I

need to accomplish this. 

KAREN POLKNorth Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

The North Carolina

Environmental Education

certification was a natural next step after

completing my Masters degree in Environmental

Education. I had a lot of fun

attending the workshops and

have since used several of

the activities in my work at

the statewide nonprofit Clean

Water for North Carolina!

KATIE HICKSClean Water for North Carolina

I had a great time

exploring the state’s natural resources and meeting new people

from around the state.

I use what I learned

regularly and appreciate

all the hard work the

instructors put into

teaching these workshops.

KATIE SCHEIPFalls Lake State Recreation Area

I greatly enjoyed my experiences

while pursuing my certification

and learning more about the new

environmental education programs

that are being created. For my

partnership project,

I created a comprehensive pollinator education

program at Howell Woods Environmental Learning

Center. The decline in pollinators

is a far reaching environmental issue

that spans conservation programs

and impacts the very life on earth.

KATRINA G. MCDOUGALD

I have enjoyed attending

workshops across the state,

meeting and connecting with

other educators and exploring

new places in North Carolina.

My favorite part about the certification program is being able to expand the programs I teach

to students and adults.

LISA MAROCHAK  Durham County Soil and Water Conservation District

It took many years to finish,

but during that time, I have watched a hatchling

sea turtle make its way to the sea, searched

for salamanders in the Smokies, grown

food with kids in our community garden, led countless hikes

and classes, shared my

knowledge and enthusiasm

with others and in turn, have

been inspired by them.

Liz StabenowEno River Association

I truly believe in the North

Carolina Environmental

Education Certification

Program. After using

resources from the program

for a year, my science End-of-Grade scores increased by 47%.

MARGARET WYLIEQueen's Grant Community School

I have made lifelong

connections, both

personally and

professionally, because

of this program. It has been a priceless

experience!

MICHELLE PEARCE

The North Carolina Arboretum

Going through the certification

program gave me such a great opportunity to discover different parts of North Carolina and see what

other environmental education

centers are doing across the

state. I've been working in the

environmental education field

for 9 years now, and going to

these workshops still gives

me new and fresh ideas.

NANCY WILLIAMSONWeymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve

I was inspired to earn my

environmental education

certification when I spent one summer

as a Teacher Ranger for the National Park Service in Ocracoke. The outdoors has always

been influential in my

profession, recreation,

self-discovery and respite.   

PAT BAKERManteo Elementary School

Here, before the beautiful

pond at Camp Agape,

I’m teaching kids about food chains and food webs. 

I marvel at the

interconnectedness

of all things: 

“All are needed by each

one; Nothing is fair or

good alone.”  (Emerson) 

PHYLLIS HOFFMAN DEMKO

I gained new perspectives

as fellow educators shared

their experiences during

workshops and activities.

Moving forward, I accept the challenge to responsibly share

the knowledge I have gained and

continue to learn.

STAN KOZIOLUNC-Chapel Hill Finance

Division, Scout Leader

The environmental education

certification program is an all-encompassing

program that taught

me the depth of North

Carolina’s outdoor world

and our responsibility to

teach others to explore,

learn about and preserve

our natural resources.  

BECKY DUNSTANWake County

Environmental Services

I moved to North Carolina 9 years ago: I learned through my environmental education certification the natural and cultural history, conservation efforts and unique beauty of the state. The experiences and adventures during the process of becoming an environmental educator created a strong emotional bond and responsibility to protect and educate others about the natural resources of the state I now call home.

REBECCA WEAVERDurant Road Elementary

EE Certification: what a perfect thing to do for a

retired elementary school teacher who loves children

and nature! The courses

were fun, educational, inspiring,

enlivening, and FREE! (mostly!).

And now I have a part time job

as an environmental educator

and work as a children’s docent

at the NC Botanical Garden in

Chapel Hill and at Duke Gardens.

SUE-ANNE SOLEMNorth Carolina Botanical Gardens

Duke Gardens

Going through the

environmental education

certification program

opened up many new ways to teach and inspire my students.  I have a

greater appreciation for

the environment and an

excitement to share all I

have learned every day.

TERRY ANNE DENNYLacy Elementary School

The Environmental Education

Certification Program was my chance

to dig deeply into subjects I’d been

fascinated by all my life - and to

potentially jumpstart my second career.

As a journalist, I’d spent my first

career communicating through the

written word. The N.C. Environmental

Education program taught me how to communicate through hands-

on activities and experiential learning. I’m using what I learned

in the program to teach young

children about everything from seed

dispersal to water conservation

to the life cycles of animals. I can’t

praise the program enough.

AMBER VEVERKA

The Environmental Education

Certification program opened

up a world of resources to

me, both in North Carolina

and beyond. It has also

given me the tools to develop a program for the Gateway Nature Center that

respects the site’s unique

features and connects

our audience—from

seniors to preschoolers—

in an engaging and

responsible manner.

CORNELIA BARR