Presentations Posted from NC Outdoor Classroom Symposium

Many of the presentations and handouts from the First Annual NC Outdoor Classroom Symposium have now been posted. Just click here to take a look. The Symposium was a huge success, and we hope to host another one in Spring of 2011.

APNEP Demonstration Project Grants Open

The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program is seeking proposals for demonstration projects. Grants will be awarded by APNEP, which protects water quality and other natural resources in a 36-county area of northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia. Schools, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and institutions in the APNEP region are eligible to apply for grant money.

The projects must have a direct environmental benefit and occur on public lands in the APNEP region. They also must have a constructed component or vegetative planting on-site, feature a strong public outreach or education element, allow for permanent public access and have methods that may be applied in other locations. Past projects included outdoor classrooms, nature trails, rain gardens, green roofs and schoolyard wetlands.

Each project may receive up to $20,000 in funding from APNEP. The APNEP Citizen’s Advisory Committee will select the proposals to be funded and determine funding amounts. Prospective grant recipients are encouraged to partner with others to leverage additional funds. The application deadline is Dec. 31. Awards will be announced in January. All awards are contingent upon the availability of funds.

For more detailed information or to download an application, visit the APNEP Web site and click on “What's New - Request for Proposals.” If you have questions about the application or eligibility requirements, contact Lori Brinn, APNEP Community Specialist.

Not in the APNEP Region? Remember that more opportunities are listed on the Office of Environmental Education's Grants and Contests and Awards pages.

Register Now for the EENC Annual Conference, Nov. 5-8, 2009!

Green Spaces in Urban Places

19th Annual Conference of the
Environmental Educators of North Carolina
November 5-8, 2009 in Raleigh, NC

Environmental Education professional development at its finest! There are plenty of “mobile workshops,” workshops, and sessions to get you excited about this urban conference where we will explore Green Spaces in Urban Places. And if that’s not enough, the evening activities will be sure to impress! Come to Raleigh and explore environmental education opportunities in an urban setting!

For more information or to register, check out the EENC web site.

Update on the Office of Environmental Education

Gov. Perdue signed the state budget on Friday, August 7. The final budget includes the Office of Environmental Education; however, it eliminates the office’s administrative assistant, Sharon Springs. It also eliminates funding for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Library, which is housed within the office. This funding includes the department’s librarian, Mary Tucker. It directs the library collection to be transferred to the State Library.

These are dire economic times and though the office is devastated by the loss of these staff members, and of the library, we feel fortunate that the remaining staff and programs will stay intact.

There are no words to adequately express the thanks that we owe our constituency for your support during this budget crisis. Our office was overwhelmed by the outpouring of grassroots support from environmental educators, citizens and organizations throughout the state.

A recent op-ed piece in the New York Times eloquently addressed the lack of time Americans spend getting outside. The columnist wrote, “One problem may be that the American environmental movement has focused so much on preserving nature that it has neglected to do enough to preserve a constituency for nature.”

North Carolina is far from lacking a constituency for the environment. Along with the state’s diverse natural heritage, we have the strongest environmental education community in the country.

Our office looks forward to continuing its work for North Carolina’s environmental educators, programs, resources and facilities.Thank you for all you have done to support the N.C. Office of Environmental Education. We feel extremely fortunate that North Carolina has such a unique and dedicated environmental education community.

Sincerely,
The staff of the N.C. Office of Environmental Education
Lisa Tolley
Rachel Smith
Sarah Yelton
Marty Wiggins
Libby Wilcox

N.C. Outdoor Classroom Symposium

Please save the date for North Carolina’s first Outdoor Classroom Symposium to be held Friday, October 23, 2009 at the North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill, NC!

The symposium will focus on techniques for creating, maintaining and using outdoor classrooms and strategies for integrating outdoor learning into the curriculum. It will feature sessions on how to create specific types of school gardens and natural areas, how to start farm-to-school programs, and how to design and use your school grounds to enhance learning across the curriculum.

Pre-symposium workshops will be offered on Thursday and mobile workshops on Saturday will give participants the opportunity to visit school and community gardens. Other highlights will include a Friday evening reception, educational exhibits and many opportunities for networking and learning!

Symposium registration is scheduled to open in August 2009. Sessions will be appropriate for educators who already have an outdoor classroom and for those who are just beginning to develop their schoolyard areas for outdoor environmental learning. Teachers can earn CEU credits and participants can earn credit towards their N.C. Environmental Education Certification.

The symposium is a partnership between the N.C. Botanical Garden, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program; the Environmental Education Fund; the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and the Natural Learning Initiative, N.C. State University.

This will be a great opportunity for classroom teachers, teacher assistants, school administrators, parent volunteers, and non-formal educators and those involved in design of outdoor play and learning areas from across the state!

Be Part of the New North Carolina EE Plan!

The N.C. Office of Environmental Education is pleased to announce the release of the DRAFT of the North Carolina Environmental Education Plan, and we would like your input. The staff in the office collaborated with members of the N.C. Environmental Education Advisory Council over a 16-month period to draft the goals and objectives for the plan. The N.C. Environmental Education Advisory Council is made up of representatives from the academic, business, cultural arts, agricultural and environmental communities.

We want to make sure that the state plan is representative of the entire environmental education community so we are providing the draft of the plan for review and comment. The final draft will include a table of contents, acknowledgements and an evaluation section. It will also have captions and credits on some of the photos. The plan is scheduled to be completed by June 30, and we hope to meet that deadline. We will be accepting comments until June 1.

If you would like to provide comments on the draft plan, please:

Review the draft and complete the online survey by June 1, 2009

Thank you in advance for your assistance in this process. Your participation is critical for the successful development of the plan. Please contact me directly if you have any questions about this process. A special thanks to the many people who provided photos!

Earth Day Photo Blog!

EE Week/Earth Day Photo Blog

There were a wealth of great Environmental Education Week and Earth Day events this April! To bring to attention to the great things happening in environmental education in North Carolina, the N.C. Office of Environmental Education has started this EE Week/Earth Day Photo Blog that features stories and photos from events around the state during the month of April, 2009. We'll be picking some winners to feature in the next edition of EE News Tips and may even have some prizes! Remember, you can find EE workshops, events and activities on the EE Calendar. And don't let the outdoor fun stop in April. Make it Earth Day everyday!

Highlights from the Office of Environmental Education!

The Office of Environmental Education has continually provided quality environmental education resources, materials and services to North Carolinians since it's creation in 1993. 2008 was no exception, and we're excited to share our accomplishments!




BY THE NUMBERS...

North Carolina Office of Environmental Education Web site

• 385,822 Visitor Sessions in 2008, a 20% increase from 2007
• Over 1.7 million Page Views in 2008

North Carolina Environmental Education Email Listserv (NC-EE)
An email list moderated by the Office that serves as the primary means of communication for the NC environmental education community. Membership has increased over 30% since 2006, to a current total of 1,727. All subscriptions are by the individual's request.

North Carolina Environmental Education News Tips
A combination newsletter and press release with environmental education news, events and grant information. Published online once each month and distributed to all NC-EE listserv members and 541 additional subscribers and media contacts.

North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program
832 certified environmental educators and 766 currently enrolled in the program.

North Carolina Environmental Education Center Partners
A wide variety of environmental education facilities have been identified by the Office and have agreed to be listed on the Office Web site. These “EE Centers” work together as the NC Association of EE Centers and support and utilize Office of EE programs and resources.

• 187 EE Centers identified
• 20 million people visit NC EE Centers each year - a conservative estimate

Adult Education Materials
The following publications have been requested and distributed over the course of the Office of EE's Adult Education Program:

• More than 950,000 river basin publications
• More than 85,000 pet waste postcards, 17,000 ordered by vet clinics
• More than 32,000 local produce postcard
• More than 55,000 Discover Your World Outside postcards

Environmental Education Teacher Institute
A partnership with the non-profit Environmental Education Fund, Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program, UNC Superfund Basic Research Program and numerous other partners to provide a week-long professional development opportunity for K-12 teachers supporting their efforts to integrate environmental education into the curriculum.

• 228 K-12 teachers served in 60 North Carolina counties since 2002
• More than 111,000 students reached since 2002

Love-A-Tree Program
A partnership with the International Paper Foundation and the non-profit Environmental Education Fund that offers free learning resource packets to teachers.

• 3,500 resource packets were ordered and mailed in 2007
• 50,000 teachers served and more than 1 million students reached since 1996
• Students and teachers in all 100 counties have been served by the LAT program

Number of Office of Environmental Education Staff
7

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING...

About the River Basin Materials

• "As science department chair, I have found the River Basin materials to be indispensible!!! It is a required portion of the 8th grade curriculum and there is virtually zero material for us to teach local river basins with in our textbooks. Having this material has provided our kids with a wonderful tool that helps them to become more aware of the natural resources that North Carolina has to offer. The kids love this project, and it is funny…ask them about river basins before the project and they are clueless…after the project, they come to you and say “Hey guess what? We went to the mountains this weekend and I passed through 3 river basins” and then they list them for you! On my knees, I beg you all to keep these free materials coming. They are an incredible asset and are well used in my school.

NC Middle School Teacher and Science Department Chair

• "As a water quality educator and watershed manager, I would like to express the great value and importance of the NC River Basin packets that have been provided in the past by the NC Office of Environmental Education. These river basin packets provide information, maps, statistics, and photos in an engaging and easy-to-understand format that make them a terrific resource for a variety of audiences. I have suggested them to school teachers, non-profit groups, homeowners' associations, etc. As a watershed manager striving to motivate citizens from various walks of life to adopt Best Management Practices both at home and in their workplaces to improve and protect water quality, the first step is to improve citizens' fundamental understanding of watersheds -- the important connection between land and water. These resource materials have been a tremendous help in the past in communicating this important concept and in stimulating learners' interest in finding out more and feeling some responsibility for their local watershed. Having these resources available for free from the Office of Environmental Education is an important contribution to my local water quality protection efforts."

NC Watershed Coordinator

• "Because my school has such limited resources, the River Basin Map is the only large map of NC I have in my classroom! I don't know what I'd do without this!"

NC Elementary School Teacher

• "The River Basin Materials from the Office of Environmental Education have been fun to use, easy to understand, and immediately accessible. One of my river basin maps is permanently displayed, and the other is at hand to examine more closely when needed. I have class packs for the basins in which most of us live (Cape Fear and Neuse), and a few packs with all the basins, so I can pull out individual basin materials when we take a field trip or when an individual is traveling elsewhere in the state. My students know they are always in a river basin. My school could never afford to pay the retail value for these beautiful materials, and we are extremely grateful to have gotten them for free from the Office. Our students will graduate high school with this knowledge engrained.Thank you very much for providing these materials for our school."

NC High School Teacher

About the Love-A-Tree Program:

• I was able to use parts of this wonderful packet to go along with Earth Day activities that I had planned for my 4th and 5th grade science classes. I like the Lesson Plan Book because of all the info in it. I do like getting the package mailed directly to me. I hope this program continues!
  
• I used it this past week with Earth Day. The children loved it, especially the game on the handkerchief. We went outside and they had to collect the items like a scavenger hunt. Thank you again.
  
• We found them very helpful and were even able to share some of the information with the 2nd & 3rd grades who also study trees & plant parts. Thank you sooo much for this wonderful tool!
  
• The kit is wonderful!! I am using it with my gifted students. The vast amount of material in the packet is amazing. I am impressed with the level of critical thinking skills students get and also the joy of learning about their environment. I like the idea of the packet being aligned with the NC Standard Course of Study. The kids are learning a lot.
  
• I liked how perfectly it matched with the curriculum. I didn't feel like I was teaching something "extra." Also that it was meaningful to the students.
  
• [T]he lesson plan book was very beneficial. Most of the lessons fit my state objectives perfectly and those that didn't were great jumping off points for the needed objectives.
  I love the packet and have used all the materials in our classroom.
  
• Thank you so very much for the free materials. They were very useful and were wonderful teaching aids.
  
• Do you have ideas for next year's program? How can we improve it? Teacher: If you keep doing what you are doing that would be great.

About the Summer Teacher Institute

• “In July, I attended the Water Quality Institute led by the NC Office of Environmental Education. The educational opportunities offered during the institute were phenomenal. I learned more in one week than I could have learned in years on my own. Not only do I now feel much more confident with the content I am teaching, but I now have a plethora of activities and hands-on lessons to use in class. The activities that we performed are very easily adaptable to the 8th grade classroom environment, and my students are really enjoying learning science. The people that I met at the institute have been wonderful networking resources. The staff at the Office of Environmental Education is now familiar to me, and I have continued to call on them with questions or requests as necessary throughout the academic year. Not only has the institute proved invaluable in my classroom, but it has also encouraged me to pursue my Environmental Education Certification. I have continued to attend environmental education workshops that I have learned about through the institute, and I am beginning to see the “domino effect.” I now know how to find the information I need to better the learning experience for all of my students.” -8th Grade Science Teacher
  
• “By the end of the week, we, as teachers, felt empowered to return to our classrooms armed with the knowledge and experience we had gained through the week to make a difference in our classrooms; to relay the sense of empowerment on to our students; and to be an instrument of change. Seeing the broad spectrum of issues for water quality in NC showed me the importance of my position as a science teacher in teaching future citizens the science behind the issues. I’m planning to get students excited about water quality issues and then encourage them to gather and interpret data for graduation projects. I am excited for school to start! Finally, it wouldn’t have been possible but for the careful planning and orchestration of speakers and events by Sarah Yelton, Rachel Smith, and Libby Wilcox. They did an extraordinary job all week and should be commended for the best teacher workshop I’ve ever attended!” -High School Science Teacher
  
• “It provided me with a wealth of resources that are thought-provoking for my students. They get us "out of a textbook" and into the real world.”- Middle School Science Teacher “This institute was better in providing environmental knowledge than any college course taken.” -High School Science Teacher
  
• “We were taught (and engaged in) a huge variety of learning experiences that included investigation, analysis, assessment and a great deal of interaction - perfect recipe for thorough learning that we may now share with others.”-Middle School Science Teacher

National Environmental Education Week is April 12-18!

Be part of the nation's largest organized environmental education event...National Environmental Education Week! EE Week is meant as a way to get inspired by participating in environmental learning and service before Earth Day on April 22nd. EE Week runs from April 12th through the 18th, and you can join the thousands of schools, EE Centers, museums, zoos and aquariums who have made a commitment to participate this year. Educators and EE organizations can go to http://www.eeweek.org/ to register as a National EE Week Partner!

Looking for events and activities in your community? Check out the Office of Environmental Education's online calendar! As you know, in North Carolina we celebrate the entire month of April. The calendar is full of festivals, events, workshops, hikes and more, all of which will surely inspire you!

As always, our web site offers information on the more than 180 EE Centers across the state, resources for teaching, information on EE grants, tips for being an informed consumer, and much more. Visit http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/!

Register NOW for Summer Water Quality Teacher Institute - July 12-17

Environment & Health: Making Connections through Water Quality Investigations
July 12 – 17, 2009 at the Trinity Center in Salter Path, NC

If you are a science teacher in 8th-12th grades, then check out this FREE professional development experience! This week-long teacher institute will provide you with an in-depth investigation of the diverse environmental science, health and civics issues related to water quality in NC. By using the interdisciplinary approach of environmental education, you will learn how to address important water quality issues with your students both in the classroom and in outdoor wetland environments. Hands-on, real world experiences will be emphasized--be prepared to get wet, sandy and re-energized!

You'll have incredible experiences with a variety of outstanding environmental educators, researchers and scientists, come home with a wealth of new ideas and instructional resources including curriculum-related materials, enjoy excellent food and lodging at beautiful Trinity Center in Salter Path, NC, and complete CEU and Environmental Education Certification Credits. Content and activities are aligned with the NC Standard Course of Study for Earth/Environmental Science (Goals 1 and 4), AP Environmental Science (Goals 4 and 5) and 8th Grade Science (Goal 3).

You will be expected to commit to the entire institute, share your experiences and mentor other teachers in your school or system and incorporate learned skills and experiences into your lesson plans and teaching. Participants should be in good physical condition, as activities will include hiking, walking, wading and other activities in hot, humid conditions.

To apply, fill out the Online Application (www.eenorthcarolina.org/summer_form.html).

Please note: Because there are a limited number of seats available for this Institute, we require a $100 deposit to reserve your slot once your application has been accepted. Your check will not be deposited unless you cancel without a suitable replacement. It would then be considered a tax-deductible gift to the Environmental Education Fund. The check will be returned to you upon check-in at the Trinity Center on July 12.

The institute is made available by the Environmental Education Fund, with funding provided by the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program and the UNC Superfund Basic Research Program. Institute administration provided by the NC Office of Environmental Education.

For questions and additional information, contact Sarah.Yelton@ncmail.net, call 1-800-482-8724 or visit our web site at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/.

Bulk Digital Subscriptions to Green Teacher Magazine

For eighteen years, Green Teacher magazine has provided teacher educators, teachers and other youth educators with the resources they need to enrich and enhance environmental learning. More than 15,000 educators across North America now read this award-winning, non-profit magazine. Green Teacher recently launched a digital edition of the magazine and inexpensive bulk subscriptions are now being offered to schools, school districts, and colleges and faculties of education. Green Teacher’s digital edition has several advantages over the print edition. Digital issues arrive earlier than the printed copies. The electronic format enables readers to search for key words. And every website listing in the magazine is hot-linked, providing quick access to additional information about a topic or a new educational resource.

To peruse a sample issue, visit http://www.greenteacher.com/.

Complete Details for Schools & School Districts

Complete Details for Colleges & Faculties of Education

Add Eco-Smart Consumer to Your Web Site!

Now you can add the Eco-Smart Consumer blog to your Web site through what's called a widget. It sounds complicated but couldn't be easier.

Just click on "Get Widget" on the bottom of the image you see here. You will be given some html code to copy and paste into your own Web site wherever you would like the Eco-Smart Consumer blog information to appear. It will look just like what you see here, and will automatically update each time a new blog post is added.

It's informative, it's fun, it's easy, it will spruce up your site...and you'll be totally techno-savvy!

U.S. House Passes No Child Left Inside Act

On September 18th, H.R. 3036, the No Child Left Inside of of 2008, passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 239 to 109! For more details visit the No Child Left Inside Coalition Web site.

Graduation Project SUPPORT!

Students: Find a Mentor for your Environmental Graduation Project!

Students and teachers interested in completing an environment-related graduation project should check out the NC Graduation Project Support page for a listing of potential mentors and project ideas, as well as information about interactive networking opportunities. Community members interested in becoming a mentor can also complete a short survey in order to have their information listed on the mentor pages.

N.C. State Parks Survey

The N.C. Department of Parks and Recreation wants to hear from you! In order to develop a new five-year system-wide plan, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation is seeking public input. The survey is open until November 7, 2008.

Let them know what you think...

Informed Consumer Update

Many of you have been using our Informed Consumer resources online. We're happy to announce that the Infomed Consumer sections have been given a makeover! They now are easier to navigate and have even more information to help you make informed consumer decisions. We will continue to add to these pages and welcome any comments you may have.

Explore the new Informed Consumer here!

Check out our RSS Feeds

We update several of our online news sections daily, but there was no way for us to let you know which sections had been updated except for occasional e-mails with huge lists of news items. That has all changed!

We have set up all of our news sections as RSS feeds, so now you can be alerted to new stories and resources as they are added. Also, now you can focus on the news sections that are of particular interest to you and won't have to sift through all of the other sections.

Go to http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/rssfeeds.html to get your environmental education and informed consumer news the new, easier way! Even if you do not have RSS feeds set up, you can still view current news stories for each topic by clicking the orange RSS button under each heading.

Never heard of RSS and not sure about this new-fangled technology? It's really EASY to use and can save you lots of time. Go to http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/rssfeeds.html for an explanation of RSS News Feeds and how to get started. There is even a 3-minute video that is free of geek speak to help you out.

Eco-Smart Parent Guide

Check out the new Eco-Smart Parent Guide from the NC Office of Environmental Education! It's a helpful brochure meant to highlight some of the environmental and health issues surrounding your choices as a parent. It provides a top-ten list of helpful resources to get you started learning about the issues and how we can make choices that we feel good about for ourselves and our families. Feel free to print the guide and distribute it wherever you think it may be helpful. As with any of our publications, we're open to feedback on the guide. Enjoy!

Get ’em Outside: A Celebration of Environmental Education

Get ’em Outside is a 5½-minute video that captures the joy and excitement of environmental education. Students, teachers and principals describe the value of learning outdoors, and vivid photography depicts kids leaning about everything from migrating butterflies to the path pollution takes into local waterways.

Get ’em Outside will appeal to students, teachers, parents, elected officials and anyone who cares about teaching young people about their natural world.
The video was commissioned by the No Child Left Inside Coalition, a coalition of hundreds of environmental, educational, public health, recreation and business organizations – all committed to expanding environmental education.

Click here to see the Get 'em Outside video.

Send Your Kids to an EE Camp!

From 2007 - Do you want your children to get some quality time outside this summer? Well, you're in luck! There are plenty of opportunities in our state for environmental education camp experiences. Day camps, overnight...there are camps for everyone! Click here to learn more!

Check Out Our Eco-Smart Consumer Blog

That's right...we're blogging! Our Informed Consumer Initiative gives you the information you need to be smart, buyt smart and know your choices. Stay up to date, find eco-consumer news feeds and learn more about the choices you can make every day on the Eco-Smart Consumer Blog!

Get the Skinny on Water Conservation!

North Carolina is currently experiencing its worst ever recorded drought. Two-thirds of our 100 counties are considered to be in "Exceptional Drought," the most severe rating possible on the Drought Advisory Council's scale. Whether you are a concerned citizen or local business, click here to find out how you can help conserve water.

No Child Left Inside Legislation

Companion bills, proposed reauthorization of No Child Left Behind Act and other proposed legislation could garner federal support for environmental education

Senator Reed Introduces "No Child Left Inside" Act

On August 3rd, Senator Jack Reed introduced a Senate version of the "No Child Left Inside Act" as a companion bill to the House version that was introduced by Representative John P. Sarbanes in July. The introduction of this Senate Bill is a positive indication, since it would allow both bills to be considered simultaneously by the House and Senate.

This legislation is supported by a coalition of groups, including the Sierra Club, the National Wildlife Federation, Audubon and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Updates and more information can be found on the No Child Left Inside Coalition Web site.

For updates on Congressional Action...
H.R. 3036 currently has 17 co-sponsors, but the companion bill, S.1981 currently has none. For updates on the bills and a list of the co-sponsors, go to the H.R.3036 and S.1981 Summary pages on the U.S. Congressional Library THOMAS site.

Draft of Reauthorized No Child Left Behind Act includes Environmental Education Provisions

Another promising development is the possible inclusion of environmental education in the reauthorized federal No Child Left Behind Act. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 is the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Authorization Act of 1965. It is the principal United States education law and sets strict accountability standards. It also mandates that all students be taught by a "Highly Qualified" teacher. However, many in the formal and non-formal education and environmental education fields believe that NCLB has reduced environmental education and outdoor opportunities for students. NCLB is currently up for reauthorization, and the current discussion draft includes several provisions from H.R. 3036 (the No Child Left Inside Act). More information, as well as the draft, is available on the US House Committee on Education and Labor Web site. The environmental education provisions are on pages 121-134 of the draft http://edlabor.house.gov/bills/MillerMcKeonNCLBDiscussionDraftIII.pdf

There are also other bills and budget items that could affect or impact environmental education, including NOAA's Environmental Literacy Grants and the EPA Office of Environmental Education. You can find out more on the Campaign for Environmental Literacy Web site.

Discover the World Outside Postcards Now Available

An increasing amount of research shows that spending time outdoors has many benefits to both the mental and physical health of adults and children. The Office of Environmental Education wants to share this information and make spending time outside easier for people in North Carolina.

Our new Discover the World Outside postcards relate the many physical and mental benefits of spending time outdoors. Some of these cards are targeted towards parents and highlight the specific benefits for children. Others are aimed at reaching the adult population in our state. All of the post cards share recent research findings and direct people to the statewide EE Calendar, the online EE Centers database and many other resources that can help them Discover the World Outside wherever they live!

View all 4 postcards available below and then scroll to the bottom of the page for the order form (the postcard shown above is on the back of the adult-focused postcards).

Front of parent-focused postcards :

Front of adult-focused postcards:

Back of parent postcard:

Click here to order your postcards!

Presenting Climate Change - Some messages about global climate change could be counter-productive

Professor Mike Hulme is with the Tyndall Centre in the United Kingdom. Here he has been conducting research on people's attitudes to media portrayals of a catastrophic future. Those who are involved in educating people about global climate change may be interested in his findings.

Hulme compared the responses of people from two groups. One group was shown sensational media coverage on global climate change, while the other group was provided with information from scientific reports. The initial findings suggest that those exposed to the sensational media perceived the problem to be further in the future than the other group. Perhaps more importantly, they also beleived there was little they could do to address the problem.
Social marketing experts do sometimes use "fear appeals" to try and change people's behavior. They are quick to point out, however, that this tactic works best when it is accompanied by solutions that are effective and easy to perform. A good example of such a fear appeal is an anti-smoking campaign for young teens. It could work to use lung cancer and tracheotomy patients to scare the audience. They can simply avoid this fearful scenario by not taking up smoking as a habit.

The solution to issues concerning global climate change are not so simple. Until they are, Hulme's research suggests that the "fear appeal" might not be the way to go.

Check out the BBC News Article about Mike Hulme's research.

Science & Children Focuses On EE

The April/May 2007 issue of the National Science Teachers Association's journal Science & Children focuses on environmental education. Science & Children is NSTA's peer-reviewed journal for elementary teachers. Be sure to check it out at http://www.nsta.org/main/news/stories/journal_archive_date_list.php?category_ID=86&issue_ID=1013

This quote from the Editor's Note will likely resonate with many environmental educators.

"In the past, there’s been some tension between environmental education and science education. Environmental education includes social sciences, natural sciences, as well as emotions involved in making decisions. As the first Earth Days were germinating, there tended to be a tendency for action before knowledge. Some extremists even blamed science and technology as the agent of environmental destruction. Science educators misunderstood the inherently interdisciplinary nature of environmental education and accused it of being “fluffy.” But the times for polarity are over. We can no longer afford to be ignorant of the consequences of our actions. This issue pays tribute to our acknowledgement of the importance of environmental education and its role in helping us develop our students into caring, knowledgeable citizens."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves!

2006 State of the Environment

It's the end of the year, which means it's time again for Jack Betts of the Charlotte Observer to share his 2006 State of the Environment. We'll start with the bad news, or as Betts titles this section, "Essential Conflict: Growth vs. Green." The biggest environmental challenge currently facing North Carolina is its outdated energy policy. Other significant challenges facing the state are hog waste, climate change, gentrification of the coast, political interference, landfills, air pollution, declining wildlife refuges and national parks, polluted runoff and the loss of forests, traditional viewscape and natural areas. But there is some light on the horizon. Betts follows his report on North Carolina's challenges with a report on the state's successes. Here he mentions the Catawba Lands Conservancy and the Nature Conservancy protecting substantial tracts of land, oyster bed restoration by the Coastal Federation, mercury controls for coal-fired power plants adopted by the Environmental Management Commission and the city of Charlotte being highlighted by the Sierra Club as an environmentally friendly place to live.

Why Zoos and Aquariums Matter

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Institute for Learning Innovation and the Monterey Bay Aquarium have collaborated to better understand the role that zoos and aquariums play as facilitators of free-choice learning. The study conducted sought to determine why visitors come to these institutions, what they already know when they come and what they learn while they are there. The study found that people's motivation to visit zoos and aquariums generally place them into one of the five following categories: explorer, professional/hobbyist, experience seeker, spiritual pilgrim or facilitator. Click here to see the results of the study. The information is applicable not only to zoos and aquariums, but also to nature centers, museums and parks!

Barbie Picks Up Sfter Pooch!

She has everything...the looks, the clothes, a cool car and a pooper scooper. Wait a minute...what? It's true! Barbie has a new dog named Tanner. Tanner likes to go for walks, play fetch with her bone and eat doggie biscuits. She's your typical retriever, and like any typical retriever, she poops (although unlike your typical retriever, only after you press down on her tail). And Barbie is a model citizen who realizes the impact that dog waste can have on water quality, so she picks up after Tanner using her turquoise pooper scooper! That's why she dumped Ken, you know...he didn't care about fecal coliform levels and stormwater pollution. You go, girl! Click here for more.

The Omnivore's Dilemma

What will you eat for dinner? This is the question that Michael Pollan's latest book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, sets out to answer, and the answer turns out to be quite complex. It turns out that Pollan's skills in investigative journalism are necessary to get to the bottom of it. Pollan traces three food chains - industrial, organic and hunter/gatherer - back to their sources. The result is a rivetting tale that takes us across the globe, to small farms and large farms, to fast food meals on the highway and to much more. Pollan quotes Wendell Berry, who wrote that, "Eating is an agricultural act." Pollan adds that it is an ecological and a political act as well. He does an excellent job of uncovering the many layers of the deceivingly simple-sounding question, "What will you eat for dinner?"

Michael Pollan is a New York Times bestselling author. He has been a contributing writer to New York Times Magazine since 1987 and served as executive editor for Harper's for many years. His numerous awards include the James Beard Award for best magazine series in 2003 and the Reuters-I.U.C.N. 2000 Global Award for Environmental Journalism. He is currently the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley.

Click here for a New York Times review of The Omnivore's Dilemma

Urban Wildlife

We mean it...you really don't want to miss this! John Simmons, photographer for the Charlotte Observer, has done an incredible job capturing images of wildlife that can be found in and around Charlotte, NC. In Our Urban Wildlife, his photos interpret the lives of these animals that are caught up in urban growth. Learn about how some animals have adapted to this change as well as which ones are struggling with it, learn about the jobs and research of folks who work with wildlife on a daily basis, and be awed by the skill of Simmons' images. Bruce Henderson, environmental writer for the Charlotte Observer, has worked with Simmons and wrote two articles for the project. One looks at how animals are responding to expanding urban areas, and the second looks closely at those who understand this plight well, wildlife rehabilitators.

Environmental Tipping Points

Environmental issues are often overwhelming, and it can be difficult not to feel powerless when it comes to dealing with them. Read about environmental tipping points (ETPs) and be rejuvenated! Ecologist, researcher, author and professor Gerry Marten; award-winning business reporter Steve Brooks; and researcher and journalist Amanda Suutan have been investigating and educating about ETPs to find out how they work and how they can be used.

So, what is an ETP anyway? "An 'environmental tipping point' is a point in a linked eco-social system where a small action can catalyze major changes in the system's health." They are often the cause of environmental problems, but as Marten, Brooks and Suutan have found, they can also be the solution. Go to http://www.ecotippingpoints.org/ to learn about how ETPs have been successful, from rural India to New York City, in improving the environment and people's lives.

Office of EE and EENC Adopt National EE Guidelines (News Release)

February 20, 2006
NORTH CAROLINA’S LEADING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AGENCIES ADOPT NATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
RALEIGH – In a joint announcement today, the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and the Environmental Educators of North Carolina formally adopted the North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE) national Guidelines for Excellence in Environmental Education. NAAEE is the country’s leading environmental education organization and boasts membership across North America and in 55 other countries. It has been actively supporting quality environmental education since 1971.

Through the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education, the NAAEE has taken the lead in establishing guidelines for the development of balanced, scientifically accurate and comprehensive environmental education programs. Quality environmental education programs facilitate the teaching of science, civics, social studies, mathematics, geography and language arts. These guidelines will help educators develop meaningful environmental education programs that integrate across and build upon the high standards set by the core disciplines.
By adopting the national guidelines, these organizations will apply the guidelines in the development of their organizational programs and services, promote the guidelines among members and constituents and support the implementation of the guidelines in the education field.

The guidelines provide a set of recommendations for developing and selecting environmental education materials, for the preparation and professional development of environmental educators and for developing and administering high quality nonformal environmental education programs. The public can view the guidelines on the NAAEE Web site (http://naaee.org) under “EE Guidelines.”

“For several years, our office has been employing the NAAEE guidelines when evaluating environmental education workshops for the North Carolina Certification Program,” said Lisa Tolley, director of the N.C. Office of Environmental Education. “We hope that formally adopting the guidelines will encourage other agencies and organizations to use the guidelines in developing and assessing their environmental education materials and programs.”

“Our members strive to uphold the highest standards in environmental education,” stated Laura Webb Smith, president of Environmental Educators of North Carolina. “The guidelines provide a comprehensive set of tools for our educators to use in crafting meaningful learning experiences.”
The North Carolina Association of Environmental Education Centers (NCAEEC), a volunteer organization that promotes and encourages cooperation among North Carolina’s 188 environmental education facilities, is taking this announcement as an opportunity to recognize the importance of the guidelines in designing quality environmental education programs and resources. “We have a diverse membership across the state of North Carolina that serves a wide variety of educational needs,” noted Amber Parker, NCAEEC president. “We hope this announcement by the Office and EENC will bring attention to the NAAEE guidelines as a development and assessment tool and we will encourage our member centers to consult them when developing their own environmental education programs.”

The N.C. Office of Environmental Education (www.eenorthcarolina.org) is a state office that serves as a clearinghouse for all the environmental education resources, programs, materials and facilities in North Carolina, and sponsors the work of the NCAEEC in its mission to promote environmental education facilities. Environmental Educators of North Carolina (www.eenc.org) is a volunteer-run, membership-based professional organization for environmental educators and the state affiliate of NAAEE.

Elephants and Ivory Soap

Save the Elephants - Don't Buy Ivory Soap: Burdening Kids With Issue They Can't Understand Creates Confusion, Not Future Environmentalists

In this Newsweek article, Katie Johnson Slivovsky gives great examples of how poor quality environmental education can do more harm than good. Educators must remember the cognitive abilities of the age group they are teaching. Sometimes it's better to leave the lesson plan behind and just spend some quality time outside. Click here to read the article.

NC's Environmental Success Stories

From 2005 - While North Carolina faces an array of environmental challenges to protect its land, water and air, it's also fortunate to have developed an environmental preservation ethic that has led to a growing list of success stories. Here are a few:

1. The Land Trust movement
The Piedmont Land Conservancy in Greensboro is one of a couple of dozen nonprofit groups, including the Catawba Lands Conservancy, working to preserve the state's land, waters and natural heritage through a variety of means. Land trusts sometimes buy land, help arrange conservation easements and management plans that will protect it from development and sometimes broker donations of property for parks or refuges.

Since its founding in 1990, the Piedmont Land Conservancy has protected about 11,300 acres in nine central Piedmont counties -- 6,000 acres donated and 5,300 acres either purchased or acquired at below appraised value. One of its most compelling stories is its decision to pursue the creation of a farmland preservation corridor in an area between Liberty and Randleman, south of Greensboro. Working with owners whose families have farmed the land for generations, the conservancy has put together funding from local governments, foundations and state and federal trust funds to protect 1,000 acres of beautiful, rolling farmlands in a fast-growing section of the Piedmont. The project keeps family farms whole, protects the scenic landscape and helps keep waterways clean. For more, visit the group's Web site at www.piedmontland.org and follow the links to other land trusts in North Carolina.

2. N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund
The N.C. General Assembly sometimes deserves criticism for its failure to act proactively on environmental protection, and sometimes it deserved rave reviews. It deserves special thanks in 2005 for fully funding the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund for the first time with a $100 million appropriation.Run by former Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Bill Holman, the fund works across the state to help identify, design and help pay for land and water acquisition projects. It helps provide buffers, set aside natural areas and preserve wetlands that help filter runoff and keep surface and groundwater clean.

3. Military cooperation
In a state that is economically dependent upon large military bases, North Carolina has a big stake in maintaining good relations. Unlike Virginia, which allowed residential development near Naval Air Station Oceana until the Base Closure and Realignment Commission began to talk of relocating the base, N.C. environmental interests put together some creative funding to buy 37,500 acres of buffers around Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune. Those buffers provide wildlife habitat and ensure that residential development would not be an immediate problem.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld took note of the state's cooperation with the military in a speech in August, quoting the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources as saying that "military bases are now among that state's most environmentally conscious communities."

4. Local government leadership
Environmentalists point to a number of local governments that are providing leadership to reduce pollution, ameliorate anticipated effects of global warming and use resources more efficiently.Outgoing Asheville Mayor Charles Worley signed the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement committing the city to pursue more fuel-efficient staff cars and design more efficient buildings. Meanwhile, the city of Charlotte decided to add two dozen hybrid electric vehicles to its fleet, expanding on an earlier decision to reduce fuel consumption and emit fewer pollutants.

5. The Coastal Federation's wetlands and oyster restoration
The N.C. Coastal Federation has long combined education, advocacy, policy development and preservation projects to help restore and preserve the state's coastal region.
One of its most admirable efforts is its project to restore wetlands to the North River Farms area of Carteret County as a prelude to fostering a return of the oyster population. When the vast acreage was cleared for agricultural production, wetlands largely disappeared, and storm runoff in the area sent oyster beds into further decline. The federation has acquired acreage and begun to restore the wetlands that filter storm runoff and reintroduce a forest of bald cypress, water tupelo, Atlantic white cedar, black gum, green ash and silky dogwood. The federation hopes to plant 6,000 trees as part of the 5,100-acre project. For more information about paying for one or more of those trees, go to www.nccoast.org.

6. N.C.'s Ecosystem Enhancement Program and other efforts
State agencies have success stories, too.One is the Ecosystem Enhancement Program, which combined efforts by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Transportation to mitigate the loss of wetlands. Instead of delaying highways and other transportation projects because of environmental concerns, the program protects natural areas and creates new wetlands to compensate for the potential loss of wetlands from forthcoming projects. Since 2003 it has created 7,600 acres of wetlands with another 1,500 in the works, without delaying any of the $1.9 billion in transportation projects that required wetlands mitigation.

State regulatory efforts evidently have reduced nitrogen in the Neuse River -- thought to be related to fish kills on that river, and to a reduction in agricultural nutrients that degrade waters in the Tar-Pamlico basin. These are remarkable reductions that either meet or exceed the targets set by the state in major river basins feeding Pamlico Sound.

The state is also expanding its parks system, adding more than 300 acres to Mayo River State Park just last week. It is also developing the Haw River State Park north of Greensboro, the Hickory Nut Gap park east of Asheville and the Carvers Creek park in Cumberland County, significant expansions of the state system.

7. Private donations of important lands
Every so often a private donor makes available a biologically diverse tract of land or waterway, and groups like The Nature Conservancy are there to inventory it, receive it and make sure it's handled appropriately. The Nature Conservancy was given the 1,380-acre Long Valley Farm in the Sandhills area of Harnett and Cumberland counties when James Stillman Rockefeller, the great-nephew of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, died at 102. The tract, near Fort Bragg, is a heavily wooded farm that includes longleaf pine and a cypress swamp with canopy trees 100 feet tall.

BY JACK BETTS jbetts "at" charlotteobserver.com

NC's Environmental Challenges

State of the environment - North Carolina's most urgent environmental challenge
JACK BETTS jbetts "at" charlotteobserver.com
From 2005



Not long ago, Environmental Defense wrote about Caroline Tyler, born in Charlotte in 2001, in an update on climate change. "When she was one year old, she took her first trip to the Outer Banks, where her mom and dad helped her build sand castles and chase crabs," the report by the nonprofit, science-based organization said. "When Caroline turns 30, the beaches she visited with her family may very well have disappeared. That's because sea level is likely to rise by about six inches by 2030, destroying much of the coast we know now. By the time Caroline's grandchildren are grown, sea level in North Carolina is expected to have risen by 19 inches."



If these and similar projections from coastal geologists, meteorologists and other scientific experts are even remotely accurate, North Carolina is in for significant change within our lifetimes -- all related to global climate change. And once again, climate change tops the list of the Observer's annual assessment of North Carolina's environment. The eastern face of the state -- battered by increasingly intense storms, ongoing pounding by tides and currents, and rising sea levels related to climate change -- will break up in spots we have long taken for granted. One estimate says 770 square miles of the coast -- about the size of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park -- could submerge.



Agriculture and forestry faces changes just as dramatic in what can be grown and where. Air quality may worsen as temperatures rise, and the health of many citizens could decline. Some will die of heat stroke. That's why the N.C. General Assembly created a global warming commission to assess the likely impact of dramatic climate change on North Carolina. Among its missions is figuring out how North Carolina should respond.



Environmental Defense, among others, has suggested a series of strategies the state should pursue to limit the harmful impact and prepare its residents to make some money off the changes in store. These are among the reasons the Observer's editorial board ranks climate change as the state's most pressing challenge in its 10th annual assessment of North Carolina's environment. The list changes each year as new problems arise and old ones ameliorate.



This year, air quality drops out of the top 10 problems because there were fewer bad air days than in years; scientists and regulators think one reason for fewer problems is that controls on smokestack pollution have begun to take effect. Each of these annual assessments is subjective, not scientific. Anyone who spends time pondering the subject could come up with a different set of challenges.



That's what the Observer aims to do each year -- promote debate and focus thoughtful attention on what steps the state ought to take in dealing with North Carolina's top environmental challenges.

The others:
2. Water
The online North Carolina Atlas notes a curious circumstance: While there is no discernible trend in annual rainfall, writes Peter Robinson, "the consistent annual totals mask an important change: summers have been getting drier, while falls have been getting wetter. As a consequence, North Carolinians tend to have less water available for their use than they did 100 years ago."The recent droughts in the Piedmont tend to confirm what many have long expected: a future with insufficient water in some areas as the state continues its dramatic urbanization.



Raleigh, the state's second-largest city, has problems with one of its key reservoirs, Falls Lake, which supplies water to at least eight other Wake County towns. For the past month or more, the lake has been well below normal level, forcing Raleigh to think about asking for an interbasin transfer from Kerr Lake on the Roanoke River near the Virginia border. Concord and Kannapolis have sought permission to drain some 38 million gallons a day from the Catawba River in another interbasin transfer. Worries about water quality continue to mount. Storm runoff, nutrients and sediment remain a top concern. The problem, says Bill Holman of the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund, is that development is overwhelming the ability of regulators to keep pollution out of water supplies.



The state has taken steps to preserve water quality, he writes in an upcoming issue of Warren Wilson College's journal "Heartstone," but "we're losing the war to protect water quality and the environment in North Carolina and America. The rapid pace of development is transforming our landscape."

3. Inappropriate growth
Rapid growth and inappropriate development embody every significant environmental problem North Carolina faces and has been near the top of this list for 10 years. Residential growth consumes farmland, green space and forests, putting new strains on air quality and water quality. Marion Cowell, retired vice president of First Union Corp. and a member of the state Board of Transportation, takes pride in the dynamic growth that has come to Charlotte. "But I've also become concerned that air pollution, along with traffic congestion, sprawling low-density development and related quality-of-life concerns, could interfere with our future prosperity," he wrote in the forward to a Southern Environmental Law Center report about air quality in Charlotte.



The fast pace of development is forcing a rethinking about zoning controls in mountain counties that long resisted government regulation of lands. But even in counties with zoning plans, surging population has led to inappropriate development. Growth and development has even threatened places where no one ever imagined overdevelopment. Because of residential encroachment around a jet base near Norfolk, the Pentagon wants to put a $186 million practice landing field next to the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, winter home to hundreds of thousands of large tundra swans and snow geese. Defenders of Wildlife, a national conservation group, calls the Pocosin Lakes refuge one of the nation's 10-most endangered.



4. Coastal overdevelopment
In 1994 Gov. Jim Hunt appointed a special commission to examine North Carolina's landmark 20-year-old Coastal Area Management Act and make recommendations for the future. But a growth surge in coastal counties has caused problems."Population growth is exploding, and the land use planning program for the coast is totally broken," says Todd Miller, founder and executive director of the N.C. Coastal Federation. "It's probably time to do away with this program" and replace it with a system that gives incentives only to counties that enforce their plans. Michelle Duval, a scientist with Environmental Defense, calls it " `death by a thousand cuts' of our diverse coastal economies -- the working waterfronts that used to define the N.C. coast. Unfortunately, as land values increase and the McMansion economic model expands, this diversity is lost. The very people who depend on waterfront availability for their economic survival can no longer afford that access."



5. Energy
Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast -- and brought to North Carolina a vivid reminder of the absence of adequate, sustainable energy sources. Molly Diggins, state director for the N.C. chapter of the Sierra Club, ranks energy as North Carolina's top problem. "How North Carolina will meet its escalating energy needs at an affordable cost will dominate all other debate affecting the environment in 2006 and beyond," she said. While utilities are interested in building more nuclear plants, they involve both significant costs and environmental risks. Pressure grows for the state to rescind its official opposition to offshore natural gas exploration. Michael Short, senior policy analyst at Environmental Defense, believes North Carolina must make"huge investments in energy efficiencies," including more incentives to use advanced technologies such as hybrid cars.



6. Fish and shellfish depletion
While some fish stocks have made admirable recoveries in N.C. waters, others have declined in alarming ways. Observer outdoor writer Jack Horan reported in October on the virtual free-fall in river herring, once a staple of the Carolina coastal diet in late winter: "The silvery fish have become so depleted that, for the past four years, catches have failed to reach a quota limit." Biologists recommended a moratorium on all fishing, but the state Marine Fisheries commission rejected it.State officials also remain concerned about the stocks of southern flounder, spiny dogfish, Atlantic sturgeon, tautog and weakfish, all listed as "overfished" by the Division of Marine Fisheries. The division also lists oysters, bay scallops and blue crabs as species of "concern" because of low catches.



7. Waste disposal
A 1991 law sought solid waste reduction by 40 percent by 2001, but population growth has increased the amount going into landfills by more than 18 percent, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said in March. At the same time, the state might begin importing garbage in landfills proposed for sparsely populated areas of eastern North Carolina. The Sierra Club's Molly Diggins says these "massive new landfills in sensitive areas" are a distinct environmental threat. Meanwhile, the state continues to search for solutions to large-scale hog farm waste, typically held in open lagoons that can spill over into the state's waterways before it is sprayed onto nearby fields. Researchers have identified promising technologies to replace lagoons, but the state appears to still be years away from making a transition.

8. Loss of scenic landscape
Just as city folk longing for a place in the hills have bought cottages clinging to mountainsides that once were part of the uncluttered view along the Blue Ridge Parkway, so have thousands more bought up the shoreline along the Intracoastal Waterway and built out-of-scale mansions to replace the modest fish camps and clapboard cottages that once dotted the coastal area inside the Outer Banks.Even in the urbanized areas of the west, Piedmont and the east, the loss of natural areas to upscale residential developments has changed what we North Carolinians see from our windows. Litter accumulates in startling volume along our highways, costing the state millions of dollars in collection costs and providing volunteers with more work than they can keep up with in many areas. Utility poles and wires mar the viewscape, too. Some urban areas have launched plans to replace overhead wires and traffic signals with buried utilities and less-obtrusive signs featuring fiberglass poles and efficient LED lighting, but the job has barely begun.



9. Ecosystem management
Environmental leaders have been thinking about environmental protection in a new way. Dave McNaught, senior policy analyst for Environmental Defense, puts it like this: "The frame of public discourse about matters environmental is consistently flawed" because it fails to consider long-term implications of decisions and doesn't recognize the "inherent interdependence of conservation and development." Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Bill Ross hopes to kindle public interest in rethinking why we want to protect the environment, along the lines of Gretchen Daily and Katherine Ellison's 2002 book "The New Economy of Nature." "We still think of conservation basically as something to do for moral or aesthetic reasons -- not for survival and certainly not for profit," they wrote. "Nevertheless, the record clearly shows that conservation can't succeed by charity alone. It has a fighting chance, however, with well-designed appeals to self-interest."



10. Loss of natural areas
North Carolina has more than 17 million acres of forests -- fourth-highest in the nation -- and large stands of trees in national and state forests, parks and wildlife reserves. But once the area was part of a nearly unbroken canopy of forestland that extended from the coast to the Mississippi River. The huge stands of hardwoods and regal longleaf pines are now a small fraction of what they once were. That's why many worry about the Bush administration's efforts in 2005 to open some national forests to logging in roadless areas, including in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests in North Carolina. In a state where development has gobbled up an average of 100,000 acres of forested lands and natural areas per year, recent legislation may make it harder for local governments to preserve land at a time the state's population continues to grow -- and consume more natural areas.

Last Child In the Woods

Richard Louv's book, Last Child in the Woods, describes the phenomenon of "nature deficit disorder" among today's children and examines how our children's lack of personal experiences in nature will affect our environment and their learning. He explores the connection between this deficit and some of our most troubling threats to childhood health including obesity and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). You'll enjoy this review of his book from one of North Carolina's environmental educators, Parks Chief Naturalist Marti Kane!

What is more frightening to an environmental educator than global warming? I’ll tell you what it is – no children playing in the woods! Many of us can remember a time not too long ago when, as children, we played in the woods, made forts and tree houses, and explored nature in her wildest forms. But, as journalist Richard Louv documents in his new book, Last Child in the Woods, this type of natural play is endangered and, perhaps, on the verge of extinction.

There are many reasons why this is so. The death of the family farm and the lack of natural places in which to play have certainly contributed. Larger homes, air conditioning, TV, videogames and computers make the indoors a more inviting place. And then there is fear – the fear that parents feel about allowing their children to roam anywhere these days unsupervised. Human predators seem to lurk everywhere. Messages of “have you seen this missing child?” show up on our milk cartons and in our mailboxes. And what about deadly diseases such as rabies and bird flu that we might catch from wild animals?

Louv addresses these fears and presents strategies for overcoming the barriers that prevent children from experiencing the natural world. As environmental educators, we can employ Louv’s strategies in our work. For example, we could examine the educational services we offer to determine how well we are allaying fears. Those of us fortunate enough to be working at Environmental Education Centers could take the lead in developing partnerships with schools, scouts and other youth organizations.

Why is it so important to save our children from nature-deficit disorder? So what if children don’t play in the woods anymore? Well, we are in the midst of a childhood obesity crisis, for one. Louv also quotes studies, such as “Closing the Achievement Gap” from the State Education and Environmental Roundtable, that show remarkable improvements in the test scores of children involved in environment-based education. Other studies demonstrate that natural play can be used successfully as therapy for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In fact, the absence of nature in the lives of children may aggravate symptoms of ADHD.

Even more important is this question that Louv asks: “Where will future stewards of nature come from?” As the number of children with hands-on emotional attachment to nature decreases, can we expect that they will advocate in the future for the protection of habitats, biodiversity or the natural processes on which the health of our ecosystem depends? Probably not. If we care about sustaining life on planet Earth, we had all better be concerned about the environmental education of our children. If we are to survive and thrive here, then no child can be left behind!

-- Marti Kane, Parks Chief Naturalist, N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation

Also by Louv:

"Nature Deficit." Orion Magazine. July/August, 2005. http://www.oriononline.org/pages/om/05-4om/Louv.html

Union-Tribune columns: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/louv or http://www.thefuturesedge.com/

In addition to Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods, the following books, also available at the DENR Library, may also be of interest:

Kahn, Peter H. Jr. and Stephen R. Kellert, eds. Children and Nature: Psychological, Sociocultural, and Evolutionary Investigations. MIT Press, 2002. Env Ed BF353.5 .N37 C47 2002.

Lieberman, Gerald A. and Linda L. Hoody, Closing the Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning. State Education and Environment Roundtable, 1998. Env Ed GE70 .L54 1998. (The executive summary for this study is available online at: http://www.seer.org/extras/execsum.pdf.)

Nabhan, Gary Paul. The Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places. Beacon Press, 1994. Env Ed BF353.5 .N37 N32 1994.

Sobel, David. Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education. Orion Society, 1996. Env Ed LB1585 .S583 1996.

Grist Magazine

Has reading about environmental issues got you down? Than you need to check out Grist Magazine - Environmental News and Commentary! Grist is the self-proclaimed "beacon in the smog," or "gloom and doom with a sense of humor." The content will leave you informed, and the article titles will leave you laughing. From environmental headlines to environmental advice, it definitely has a lot to offer. Check out their Web site when you need to be informed, or sign up for free, daily environmental news by e-mail.