A training focused on addressing environmental education in urban communities is taking place this week in Washington, DC. This project stems from a five-year Environmental Protection Agency environmental education professional development program grant that was awarded to the Cornell University Civic Ecology Lab. The EE Capcity program "seeks to redefine environmental education practice within the context of an increasingly urban society" and will also research the role of new social networks in creating innovative educational practices.

Twitter users can follow the events this week with the hashtag #eecap. For a detailed story on the EE Capacity project, read this piece in the Cornell Chronicle. Photo from Cornell Chronicle.

The Princeton Review, in collaboration with the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, released its third annual edition of "The Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition" in April. Eleven North Carolina colleges made the list this year!

Appalachian State University
Catawba College
Duke University
Elon University
Guilford College
North Carolina State University
University of North Carolina at Asheville
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Wake Forest University
Warren Wilson College
Western Carolina University

Congratulations to Evergreen Community Charter School in Asheville and American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro for being named two of the first U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools! Read more about this new program in the press release below:

Obama Administration Names 78 Schools in 29 States and D.C. as First-Ever U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools

Winners Represent a Diverse Portfolio of Schools, Includes 66 Public and 12 Private Schools in Urban and Rural Communities

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was joined today by White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to announce the first-ever U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, a list including 78 schools that span 29 states and D.C.

The announcement was made during a visit to Stoddert Elementary School, one of D.C.’s two honorees.

“Science, environmental and outdoor education plays a central role in providing children with a well-rounded education, helping prepare them for the jobs of the future,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools demonstrate compelling examples of the ways schools can help children build real-world skillsets, cut school costs, and provide healthy learning environments.”

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) is a federal recognition program that opened in September 2011. Honored schools exercise a comprehensive approach to creating “green” environments through reducing environmental impact, promoting health, and ensuring a high-quality environmental and outdoor education to prepare students with the 21st century skills and sustainability concepts needed in the growing global economy.

"Schools that take a green approach cut costs on their utility bills, foster healthy and productive classrooms, and prepare students to thrive in the 21st century economy," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "These Green Ribbon School award winners are taking outstanding steps to educate tomorrow's environmental leaders, and demonstrating how sustainability and environmental awareness make sense for the health of our students and our country."

The 78 awarded schools were named winners from among nearly 100 nominees submitted by 30 state education agencies, the District of Columbia and the Bureau of Indian Education. More than 350 schools completed applications to their state education agencies. Among the list of winners are 66 public schools including 8 charters, and 12 private schools composed of 43 elementary, 31 middle and 26 high schools with around 50 percent representing high poverty schools.

"These Green Ribbon Schools are giving students and educators what they need to maximize learning and minimize risks like asthma and other respiratory illnesses, ensuring that no child is burdened by pollution in or around their school," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Today's winners are protecting our children's health and opening up environmental education opportunities for students. The EPA is proud to help recognize the Green Ribbon award winners and will continue working to improve the environment of our nation’s schools and helping prepare students to succeed in the emerging green economy.”

The U.S. Department of Education’s “Green Ribbons” are one-year recognition awards. Next year’s competition will open in summer 2012. State agencies are encouraged to send their intents to submit nominees by June 15, 2012 via email to green.ribbon.schools@ed.gov .

Connect with more U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools resources.

Read all U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools blogs.
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EE Week is coming soon! National Environmental Education Week (EE Week) is the nation's largest environmental education event held each year the week before Earth Day. EE Week inspires environmental learning and stewardship among students by connecting educators with environmental resources to promote K-12 students' understanding of the environment. EE Week is a program of the National Environmental Education Foundation.

EE Week's 2012 theme is Greening STEM: The Environment as Inspiration for 21st Century Learning. The environment is a compelling context for teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) as it provides educators with a diverse range of real-world challenges that engage students in hands-on opportunities to apply and reinforce STEM concepts across multiple subject areas.

EE Week "toolkits" lay out a set of activities and resources in five popular environmental topic areas that incorporate elements of STEM. Some activities and resources also include project-based learning, service-learning and citizen science components.

See the EE Week website for the toolkits and complete details. Be sure to register your organization or school for EE Week as well!

Not just a pretty face--Grandfather Mountain also provides a multitude of environmental education programs to the public, as do many of the other top 30 N.C. Attractions.

Facilities listed as N.C. Environmental Education Centers noted in bold.
Read the full story in PR Newswire

The Triangle Business Journal has a beautiful photo gallery of the attractions as well!

(Just a little side note--though not listed as an EE Center, Biltmore has a long history of fostering forestry education! Read more on the Biltmore Estate Forestry page.)
1. Biltmore, Asheville, 1,101,413.
2. Fort Macon State Park, Atlantic Beach, 757,700.
3. Discovery Place, Charlotte, 745,060.
4. NC Museum Of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, 712,313.
5. North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro, 694,929.
6. Fort Fisher State Historic Site, Kure Beach, 601,366.
7. Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh, 546,799.
8. Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, 485,622.
9. Museum of Life and Science, Durham, 446,874.
10. North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Kure Beach, 411,487.
11. North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, 381,948.
12. North Carolina Arboretum, 367,083.
13. North Carolina Museum of Art, 363,246. (The Art Park trails and grounds)
14. Natural Science Center of Greensboro, 319,076.
15. North Carolina Museum of History, 292,789.
16. Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, 283,478.
17. North Carolina Maritime Museum, 292,789.
18. North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island, 256,186.
19. Grandfather Mountain, 245,000.
20. NASCAR Hall of Fame, 216,630.
21. Battleship North Carolina, 199,498.
22. Tryon Palace, 175,853.
23. Chimney Rock State Park, 170,994.
24. Linville Caverns, 169,830.
25. Cherokee Cultural District, 166,747.
26. The Billy Graham Library, 163,919.
27. The Mint Museum, 149,000.
28. Airborne and Special Operations Museum, 144,289.
29. Catawba Science Center, 141,969.
30. Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 140,000.

Several new grants have just been posted to the EE Grants page! There are a wide variety currently listed, including many that are related to school gardens, food programs and general outdoor learning environments.

Over the years, several enrollees in the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program have installed schoolyard and community gardens as their required community partnership projects. Gardens like these have become an increasingly popular way to provide environmental education, promote physical activity and increase the availability of fresh, locally grown food. However, good garden management and maintenance is essential to the success of this type of garden. Cindy Lincoln, an educator at the Walnut Creek Wetlands Center in Raleigh, saw this as an opportunity to to help her community as well as communities across the Triangle and possibly the entire state.

For her Environmental Education Certification Community Partnership Project, Cindy created comprehensive and easy-to-use garden maintenance training materials for local community gardeners. Her project required extensive research which included visits to several community gardens in the area to assess their training needs. She also partnered with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, which will be the first community garden to implement her training materials. Cindy plans to volunteer and assist other community gardens in the area with her resources.

The Environmental Education Community Partnership Project is one of five required criteria areas in the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program, which is managed by the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs. The purpose of the project is to provide EE Certification candidates with the opportunity to lead a partnership that has a positive effect on the community and increases environmental awareness and understanding.

Did you know it is Prescribed Fire Awareness Week in North Carolina? Governor Perdue has declared the second full week in February a time for citizens to “learn more about prescribed burning and the essential role fire plays.” Many government agencies and organizations in our state use "controlled burns" as an effective land and ecosystem management tool. As a matter of fact, several facilities listed as North Carolina Environmental Education Centers use prescribed fire as part of their land management strategies, and incorporate the concept into their environmental education programming.

Fire plays an important role in many of our state's natural ecosystems. According to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission:
Fire once occurred naturally across North Carolina. Low-intensity fires burned every few years, fueled by grass, leaves, pine straw and other forest debris. They kept the forest open, allowing sunlight to penetrate to its floor and reducing buildup of dangerous fuel loads. Fire suppression altered the landscape, allowing fuels to accumulate and putting people and communities in jeopardy.
There are many fire-dependent ecosystems across the state, from the mountains to the coast, including most oak and pine forests. Without fire, many native plants and animals will disappear due to lack of food, habitat and conditions needed for them to exist (NCWRC Press Release).

Read more about prescribed fires at the North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council website: http://ncprescribedfirecouncil.org/prescribed_fire_week.html You can also read respective press releases about the week and the importance of prescribed fires from the N.C. Forest Service, the N.C. Nature Conservancy and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

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.

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

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.


"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.

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.