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• EENC Nature Book Club (Central Section Event)

  • Start
    29 Jan 2020
  •  
    (EST)
  • End
    22 Nov 2020
  •  
    (EST)
  • Schedule
    6 sessions

  EENC’s Central Section has a nature book club. If you’re interested in reading along, here are our chosen books for this year. We hope you can join us at some or all of our discussions!
  
  January - Wednesday, 1/29, with Durant Nature Park’s Wild Reads Program - Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard to Think Straight About Animals by Hal Herzog
  
  March - Sunday, 3/29 - A Delicious Country: Rediscovering the Carolinas Along the Route of John Lawson's 1700 Expedition by Scott Huler
  
  May - Wednesday, 5/27 - The Song of the Dodo by David Quammen
  
  July - Sunday, 7/26 - The Dangerous World of Butterflies: The Startling Subculture of Criminals, Collectors, and Conservationists by Peter Laufer
  
  September - at the conference 9/17 or 9/18 - Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
  
  November - Sunday,11/22 - Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale by Adam Minter
  
  

  If you would like to be added to our Nature Book Club Google Group, would like information on our in-person meet-ups, or have other questions, please send us an email!

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• EENC Webinar - An unknown world of small creatures: discovering overlooked biodiversity in North Carolina

  • When
    08 Jul 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)

  In front of your eyes, in your own backyards, is a small world of tiny creatures that live parts of their lives inside of the plants they eat. These insects mostly stay undetected, but are very diverse and are often unknown to science. This webinar will address leaf-mining insects (and perhaps leaf-tiers and gall insects as well), some recent discoveries, and how you can discover these tiny creatures in your backyards and document them for science.

  Presenters: Tracy S. Feldman

  Tracy S. Feldman is an ecologist, educator, and Associate Professor of Biology at St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, North Carolina. He has worked on birds, insect pollination, fungal-viruses, and biodiversity, in diverse locations. He loves learning about natural history and enthusiastically sharing his discoveries with others.

  About the EENC Webinar Series
  Thanks to our amazing donors this spring, EENC is launching a webinar series to help environmental educators continue to build skills as we all negotiate the new normal with COVID-19. Throughout the series, we hope to cover a wide range of topics. Webinars may focus on lesson plans, curricula development, technology and virtual learning, naturalist skills/knowledge, educator self-care or environmental education operations such as communications, strategic planning for your program/department, risk management, or equity and inclusion.

  Webinar registration is free and open to anyone to attend, but is limited to 100 participants.  Click here to register.

  Webinar will qualify for Criteria III and continuing education for NC DEQ EE Certificate.  For this webinar, there will also be an option to claim Criteria II credit if you complete and submit an outdoor homework assignment after the webinar.

  A recording of the webinar will be sent to attendees afterward.  It will also be posted on EENC's members-only page - so if you're an EENC member and not able to attend during the scheduled time, no need to register!

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• Creative Solutions in Our Time of Crisis (Green Teacher Webinar)

  • When
    08 Jul 2020
  •  
    7:30 PM - 8:30 PM (EDT)

  Join fellow “green teachers” in this virtual group discussion and problem-solving session. On May 20th, we heard the inspiring stories of how four environmental educators have overcome pandemic-related barriers through innovation and creativity. We followed this with short group discussions that left everyone wanting more time. Enter this webinar entirely dedicated to discussion. We welcome back our presenters from May 20th to moderate discussions in breakout rooms. Each room will be dedicated to one “big question” facing EEs during this tumultuous time. You’re welcome to stay in one room or switch among several. At the end of the discussions, each breakout room moderator will summarize their group’s findings so that everyone can leave with realistic solutions that can be readily applied. Note: Though this is a follow-up to our May 20th webinar, you need not have attended it to benefit from this community discussion.      

  Click here to register.
  

  

  Dave Bauer is the founder of the Creative Nature Play initiative through which he has written and published the children’s story What’s Under That Rock, Papa? Throughout his career, Dave has taught environmental science, change leadership, and creative thinking. He engages with the outdoors through various forms of recreation and exploration.

  Jared Goodykoontz loves connecting with all life around him: feathered, furred, scaled, little, big, green, human, etc. He is blessed to be able to help hundreds of families in central Ohio connect with their local nature every week through his Little Adventures Big Connections nature program. He loves exploring the senses, tracking, bird language, and gardening with his school’s 2–6-year-olds. His main passion is fostering relationships: between him and his students, his students and their parents, and everyone with the plant and animal life around them. In addition to his weekly program, he has also written and illustrated three children’s books using bits of nature from around his own wooded property. He lives with his wife and daughter (and a daughter on the way!) in central Ohio.

  Shakira Provasoli is a K–5 environmental science teacher at PS 333 in New York City. Ms. Provasoli began teaching 21 years ago as an early childhood teacher before following her passion for the natural world to become an educator of the environment. Ms. Provasoli teaches a course on Sustainability for teachers, and she has written curriculum for New York Sun Works’ Greenhouse Project. Ms. Provasoli received a B.A. and an M.S.Ed. from Sarah Lawrence College and STEM certification from Teachers College. She was also honored at the White House, receiving the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Education. Ms. Provasoli is currently a Math for America fellow and a member of the New York City Elementary Science Leadership Team.

  EENC is a Green Teacher Webinar Partner.

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• EENC Community Call: EE Leaders

  • When
    09 Jul 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)

  Do you supervise environmental ed staff and make EE program decisions? Whether you’re a manager, director, supervisor, or any other leadership title, this call is just for you!  This call is an opportunity for EE leadership-level staff to discuss the unique impacts of COVID-19 related to your position.

  What are you thinking about for fall with the potential A, B, and C plans for schools?  What new fundraising/revenue streams are you considering to keep your doors open?  What are you going to do about your staff?  Bring whatever questions, concerns, and resources you have to share with other program leaders.

  Conversation moderated by Lauren Pyle

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• EENC Community Call: Centering Equity and EE

  • When
    15 Jul 2020
  •  
    3:00 PM - 4:30 PM (EDT)

  This round table discussion provides a space for environmental educators to come together and chat informally for collaboration, support, and connection. All are welcome from any area of practice, experience, or interest, but this particular round table discussion will focus on how the relationship between environmental education and social/racial justice.   We don't have the answers, but we're hoping that together, we can create solutions!

  
  

  Depending on your knowledge/experience talking about justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, you may want to review a couple of articles listed on our "Making The Case For Equity and EE" library page before the call.

  Click here to register for this call.

  Conversation facilitated by Lauren Pyle

  Note: Unlike many of our other community calls, this conversation will not be recorded.  

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• EENC Webinar - Communication Skills

  • When
    16 Jul 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)

  Stellar interpersonal communication skills are one of the greatest assets an educator can possess. In this workshop, we'll tune up our communication skills and our relational intelligence. Learn about... 

  • Tried and tested relationship-building skills
  • How to insulate your relationships from the damaging effects of conflict
  • A communication aficionado's secret weapon: the Platinum Rule

  Presenter: Cait Charles
  A longtime workshop facilitator interested in social sustainability in eco-communities, Cait is currently enrolled in a self-designed master's degree from Prescott College in environmental studies (social sustainability). Cait enjoys visiting eco-projects around the world and has spent the last 10 years globetrotting and living in 8 different countries.

  
  

  About the EENC Webinar Series
  Thanks to our amazing donors this spring, EENC is launching a webinar series to help environmental educators continue to build skills as we all negotiate the new normal with COVID-19. Throughout the series, we hope to cover a wide range of topics. Webinars may focus on lesson plans, curricula development, technology and virtual learning, naturalist skills/knowledge, educator self-care or environmental education operations such as communications, strategic planning for your program/department, risk management, or equity and inclusion.

  Webinar registration is free and open to anyone to attend, but is limited to 100 participants. Click here to register.

  Webinar will qualify for Criteria III and continuing education for NC DEQ EE Certificate.  

  A recording of the webinar will be sent to attendees afterward.  It will also be posted on EENC's members-only page - so if you're an EENC member and not able to attend during the scheduled time, no need to register!

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• The Circular Economy: Creating the World We Want (NAAEE Webinar)

  • When
    16 Jul 2020
  •  
    3:00 PM - 4:15 PM (EDT)

  Speakers: Pramod Kumar Sharma, Foundation for Environmental Education and Bill Wescott, Brain Oxygen LLC

  The problems of climate change, contaminated air and water, and waste management have all been made worse by consumerism fed by a “take-make-waste” production model. How can improvements in quality of life and economic development be decoupled from the consumption of limited resources? The concepts of “circular economy'' address this question by taking inspiration from nature as a regenerative system (renews, restores, and grows on its own) with no concept of waste. The circular economy provides us with a conceptual framework to design our production and consumption systems to focus on the value provided while moving towards “zero waste” as key outcome. Assets are designed to provide service that can be shared, reused, and renewed with as little material and energy lost as possible. This system is how many societies have functioned in the past and even the present (e.g., repairing and reusing goods so they can continue to provide value to users) and includes aspects of the sharing economy.

  In this webinar, two international environmental experts will demystify the concept of the circular economy to show how it directly addresses the major environmental challenges we face, ways to advance it through education, and how it can strengthen STEM teaching.

  REGISTER HERE

  EENC is a proud affiliate and co-host of NAAEE's monthly webinar series.

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• EENC Webinar - Effective Group Management for Today's Students

  • When
    24 Jul 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)

  If you are to teach successfully in any setting, formal or informal, you must have the circumstances that make it possible for you to teach and your participants to learn. These circumstances are set by you and do not just happen by chance. Developing a group management or discipline plan is every bit as necessary as your lesson plan; without it, the participants will not acquire anything from your program and will become disruptive. Social and emotional learning is the new way of thinking about group management as old discipline approaches are found to be less effective. By the end, you will come away with starting your journey to a better way of connecting with your participants and being able to handle any group management issue that may arise.

  Presenter: Corey Sperling
  Corey L. Sperling has a Master's of Education in Environmental Education, licenses in middles school, high school and early childhood education plus 13+ years of non-formal teaching experience. He has presented at many local, state and national conferences believes in sharing his knowledge and expertise to benefit students and teachers.

  About the EENC Webinar Series
  Thanks to our amazing donors this spring, EENC is launching a webinar series to help environmental educators continue to build skills as we all negotiate the new normal with COVID-19. Throughout the series, we hope to cover a wide range of topics. Webinars may focus on lesson plans, curricula development, technology and virtual learning, naturalist skills/knowledge, educator self-care or environmental education operations such as communications, strategic planning for your program/department, risk management, or equity and inclusion.

  Webinar registration is free and open to anyone to attend, but is limited to 100 participants. Click here to register.

  Webinar will qualify for Criteria III and continuing education for NC DEQ EE Certificate.  

  A recording of the webinar will be sent to attendees afterward.  It will also be posted on EENC's members-only page - so if you're an EENC member and not able to attend during the scheduled time, no need to register!

  Show details
• EENC Webinar - Small-Scale Rainwater Harvesting

  • When
    28 Jul 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)

  Using rainwater harvested from rooftops and gutters can potentially decrease municipal water bills, mitigate soil erosion, reduce stormwater runoff that pollutes our streams and rivers, and create a reserve for watering flower beds and gardens when the weather becomes hot and dry. Explore different ways to safely and efficiently store water for later use, including rain barrels, cisterns, and creative gutter solutions.

  Presenter: Phyllis Baker Smith
  Phyllis Baker Smith has been a Certified Environmental Educator for 19 years. She has taught Environmental Education, Biology, and Anatomy and Physiology on high school and college levels. She served as the Director of Nature Education for Forsyth County's Tanglewood Park for 15 years. She currently works for N.C. Coopertive Extension, Forsyth County Center, as a Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Agent.

  About the EENC Webinar Series
  Thanks to our amazing donors this spring, EENC is launching a webinar series to help environmental educators continue to build skills as we all negotiate the new normal with COVID-19. Throughout the series, we hope to cover a wide range of topics. Webinars may focus on lesson plans, curricula development, technology and virtual learning, naturalist skills/knowledge, educator self-care or environmental education operations such as communications, strategic planning for your program/department, risk management, or equity and inclusion.

  Webinar registration is free and open to anyone to attend, but is limited to 100 participants. Click here to register.

  Webinar will qualify for Criteria III and continuing education for NC DEQ EE Certificate.  

  A recording of the webinar will be sent to attendees afterward.  It will also be posted on EENC's members-only page - so if you're an EENC member and not able to attend during the scheduled time, no need to register!

  Show details
• EENC Webinar - Getting Your Ducks in a Row: Organizing!

  • When
    05 Aug 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)

  Organization is the key to excellence at Agapé. We strive to give the students the best field trip experience possible, and to that end – everyone needs to be prepared; school group leaders need to feel properly informed – good communication. Learn tips, tricks, and strategies to help you efficiently organize field trips, your staff, and your facility indoors and out.
  

  Presenter: Mir Youngquist-Thurow
  Mir Youngquist-Thurow is the Environmental Education Director at the Agapé Center for Environmental Education. Degrees: BA in Biology and Education, MA in Environmental Education. Experience: She taught high school biology, physiology, and chemistry for three years. She has 37 years of experience serving as a naturalist in a state park and three outdoor ministry locations. Mir has developed two successful environmental education programs: Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program (LEEP) in Pennsylvania and ACE Education in North Carolina.

  
  

  About the EENC Webinar Series
  Thanks to our amazing donors this spring, EENC is launching a webinar series to help environmental educators continue to build skills as we all negotiate the new normal with COVID-19. Throughout the series, we hope to cover a wide range of topics. Webinars may focus on lesson plans, curricula development, technology and virtual learning, naturalist skills/knowledge, educator self-care or environmental education operations such as communications, strategic planning for your program/department, risk management, or equity and inclusion.

  Webinar registration is free and open to anyone to attend, but is limited to 100 participants. Click here to register.

  Webinar will qualify for Criteria III and continuing education for NC DEQ EE Certificate.  

  A recording of the webinar will be sent to attendees afterward.  It will also be posted on EENC's members-only page - so if you're an EENC member and not able to attend during the scheduled time, no need to register!

  Show details
• EENC Webinar - Leave No Trace Awareness

  • When
    13 Aug 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)

  Join Anna Kellner, a certified Leave No Trace Trainer, in an hour-long Leave No Trace Awareness Workshop to learn about the Center for Outdoor Ethics' mission and develop your own personal set of outdoor ethics. Engage with other professionals in your field and dive into the best practices for enjoying the outdoors. Anyone interested in decreasing their impact during outdoor work or recreation will benefit from this webinar.
  

  Presenter: Anna Kellner
  Anna Kellner is a budding Environmental Educator, having worked with Muddy Sneakers, AmeriCorps, and the Student Conservation Association (SCA). She holds certifications as a Leave No Trace Trainer and NAI Certified Interpretive Guide, as well as a B.A. in Maritime Studies with minors in Communications and Anthropology from the University of West Florida.

  
  

  About the EENC Webinar Series
  Thanks to our amazing donors this spring, EENC is launching a webinar series to help environmental educators continue to build skills as we all negotiate the new normal with COVID-19. Throughout the series, we hope to cover a wide range of topics. Webinars may focus on lesson plans, curricula development, technology and virtual learning, naturalist skills/knowledge, educator self-care or environmental education operations such as communications, strategic planning for your program/department, risk management, or equity and inclusion.

  Webinar registration is free and open to anyone to attend, but is limited to 100 participants. Click here to register.

  Webinar will qualify for Criteria III and continuing education for NC DEQ EE Certificate.  

  A recording of the webinar will be sent to attendees afterward.  It will also be posted on EENC's members-only page - so if you're an EENC member and not able to attend during the scheduled time, no need to register!

  Show details
• EENC Webinar - African-American Outdoor Experiences

  • When
    21 Aug 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)

  Outdoor experiences should be provided with equitable access for all. However, we often see disparities in activities and programs participated in by people of color. In this presentation, we examine the history and barriers to outdoor experiences in African-Americans, and discuss ways the "great outdoors" is different for all members of our communities. Attendees will leave with some suggestions on how to make the outdoors more equitable for all.
  

  Presenter: Diquan Edmonds
  Currently, Diquan is the Program Coordinator for the North Carolina Recreation and Park Association where he oversees the associations’ commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In addition to his work with the North Carolina Recreation and Park Association, Diquan serves on the board of directors of the North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Coalition, and on the Next Generation Advisory Council for the National Parks Conservation Association. He received his Master of Science degree from North Carolina State University in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism management in 2019.

  
  

  About the EENC Webinar Series
  Thanks to our amazing donors this spring, EENC is launching a webinar series to help environmental educators continue to build skills as we all negotiate the new normal with COVID-19. Throughout the series, we hope to cover a wide range of topics. Webinars may focus on lesson plans, curricula development, technology and virtual learning, naturalist skills/knowledge, educator self-care or environmental education operations such as communications, strategic planning for your program/department, risk management, or equity and inclusion.

  Webinar registration is free and open to anyone to attend, but is limited to 100 participants. Click here to register.

  Webinar will qualify for Criteria III and continuing education for NC DEQ EE Certificate.  

  A recording of the webinar will be sent to attendees afterward.  It will also be posted on EENC's members-only page - so if you're an EENC member and not able to attend during the scheduled time, no need to register!

  Show details
• Using a school-community partnership to cut Greenhouse gases (Green Teacher Webinar)

  • When
    26 Aug 2020
  •  
    7:30 PM - 8:30 PM (EDT)

  Since 2012, public transit ridership in Kingston, Ontario has increased by more than 87%! The Kingston Transit High School pilot has contributed significantly to the success and has also morphed into a standard institution whereby the city’s high school students receive discounted transit fares and hands-on orientation to public bus use. So how did this all come to be? Partnerships. In this latest interactive webinar, Dan Hendry explains how to forge and maintain community partnerships. From there, join a digital breakout room to problem-solve in a small group. Finally, Dan hears your ideas and takes any final questions.

  Click here to register.

  
  

  Dan Hendry’s concern for the environment is what drives him to promote sustainable initiatives for the Limestone District School Board as well as sustainable solutions within the Kingston, Ontario community. His combined interest in sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, student mentorship, and community have been well integrated into his personal, academic, and professional experiences. He has also collaborated with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to create a guide for using city-school partnership to inspire youth to choose sustainable transportation. This program has turned into an international success, with other jurisdictions inquiring about how it is influencing their current and future ridership.

  EENC is a Green Teacher Webinar Partner.

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• EENC Webinar - EE, the 5Es, and Evaluation: How does it all work?

  • When
    02 Sep 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)

  Engage your sense of wonder at the world of student-centered program evaluation, Explore research-based pedagogy, Explain how you can use it, Expand your knowledge of how students learn in your programs, and how you can Evaluate program effectiveness despite different teaching styles. We'll go over how to use Formative Evaluation in EE programs, how this evaluation measure can be used with a 5E learning cycle, how a 5E learning cycle can be used in an EE program, and how we can bring it all together to better understand how our programs are impacting the students we serve and the educators who lead them.
  

  Presenter: Michelle Pearce
  Michelle has a Master's of Arts in Education with a focus in Science Education. Her passion is empowering educators with tools that will help them provide equitable and inclusive learning. She is a long time member of EENC and a past board member. She currently works at The NC Arboretum as the School and Public Programs Coordinator, and the state coordinator for Outdoor Wonders and Learning.

  
  

  About the EENC Webinar Series
  Thanks to our amazing donors this spring, EENC is launching a webinar series to help environmental educators continue to build skills as we all negotiate the new normal with COVID-19. Throughout the series, we hope to cover a wide range of topics. Webinars may focus on lesson plans, curricula development, technology and virtual learning, naturalist skills/knowledge, educator self-care or environmental education operations such as communications, strategic planning for your program/department, risk management, or equity and inclusion.

  Webinar registration is free and open to anyone to attend, but is limited to 100 participants. Click here to register.

  Webinar will qualify for Criteria III and continuing education for NC DEQ EE Certificate.  

  A recording of the webinar will be sent to attendees afterward.  It will also be posted on EENC's members-only page - so if you're an EENC member and not able to attend during the scheduled time, no need to register!

  Show details
• Nature-Based Biology Activities from a Distance (Green Teacher Webinar)

  • When
    16 Sep 2020
  •  
    7:30 PM - 9:00 PM (EDT)

  Cathy Law, a veteran of 14 years of nature-based learning, will share her greatest hits of activities that biology students can perform outside while maintaining a safe social distance in the schoolyard, nature preserve, or at home. Getting kids outside to learn science couldn’t come at a better time now that we all need to be cautious about working in groups. Outdoor learning activities based on inquiry and discovery make your students’ learning experience both meaningful and memorable, but most importantly, FUN! Join in on the adventure and preview labs for yourself and see how you can bring excitement into your classroom by not using one! These activity ideas work really well for students under quarantine, too. Separately but together, students will enjoy learning in the finest class setting of them all — Mother Nature.

  Click here to register.

  
  

  Cathy Law teaches Biology, Earth Science, and Field Biology at New Paltz High School in New Paltz, New York. She and her students started the Courtyard Gardens over twelve years ago; it features over 200 different kinds of plants in 15 themed garden zones. The mission of the garden is to create an outdoor learning center dedicated to understanding and improving the environment and to enable learning that is problem-based and interdisciplinary. Cathy presented our wildly popular webinar The Joy of Garden-based Education during Earth Month 2020.

  EENC is a Green Teacher Webinar Partner.

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• Early Childhood and Materials Guidelines for Excellence Workshop - Asheboro

  • When
    03 Oct 2020
  •  
    9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    NC Zoo
  • Spaces left
    18

  Register

  The Guidelines for Excellence is a series of materials to help environmental educators hone their practice and programs to national standards for high-quality EE programming.

  This workshop will specifically support Early Childhood educators! It will focus on the "Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs" and "Materials" Guidelines.  For more information on the Guidelines for Excellence, please visit https://naaee.org/our-work/programs/guidelines-excellence.

  During the workshop participants will explore the Guidelines through a series of activities. Some activities will show participants how they can use the guides in their program development, while other activities will demonstrate how participants can use the guidelines to evaluate the programs and resources they are currently using or presenting.

  Workshop led by Beth Folta and Linda Kinney of the NC Zoo.  Contact elizabeth.folta@nczoo.org or linda.kinney@nczoo.org for workshop content questions.  Please send registration questions to Lauren Pyle, eencexecdirector@gmail.com.

  Qualifies for 7 hours of Criteria I Credit.

  Lunch is included.

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