Forestry Extension Environmental Educator Recognized for Outstanding Service by Environmental Educators of North Carolina

Posted on November 30, 2009 by kmfaber2

News Release – November 30, 2009
Media Contact – Elizabeth Burke, 703.281.6626

The Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) recently honored Renee Strnad, Environmental Educator for Extension Forestry, with one of the organization’s two awards for Outstanding Service. Strnad was recognized for her efforts to support EENC’s annual conference, assisting with conference logistics and providing professional development opportunities. The Environmental Educators of North Carolina is the state’s professional organization representing environmental educators including classroom teachers, state and national park rangers, museum educators, county extension agents and other educators working in non-formal settings.

In addition to being the state coordinator for Project Learning Tree (multi-disciplinary environmental education program for educators and students in PreK-12), Strnad supports 4-H natural resource programs statewide. She is also a liaison between the College of Natural Resources at NC State University and environmental educators, sharing relevant information between the two groups. She is currently working with Wiley Elementary School in Raleigh, where students in grades 3-5 get their first glimpse of being a forester, through tree measurement classes facilitated by NC State forestry students.

Commenting on the value of environmental education, Strnad notes, “I feel like most youth today have lost their connection with the natural world, which can be detrimental as they become older and have to decide how to manage our natural resources. EE gives them that link to the natural world, and helps them perform authentic field studies that address state learning objectives across the curriculum. I think it is really amazing how students react to, and are inspired by, classes that take place in a natural setting or include the natural environment around them.”

Strnad is a graduate of Kansas State University with a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology and Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. She’s been with NC State University since 2000, and has been involved in environmental education since 1997.

“I am honored to receive this award. I truly enjoy being an advocate of EE in North Carolina and so glad that EENC members played a vital role this past fall to encourage the legislature to continue funding for the State Office of Environmental Education. Because of our members, EENC continues to be recognized as an exemplary professional organization for environmental educators throughout North Carolina”, she noted.

The second Outstanding Service Award was presented to Shelby Gull Laird, a Ph.D. candidate in the Forestry and Environmental Resources Department at NCSU.

For more information about EENC membership, please visit our website at eenc.org.

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Below: Renee Strnad (right) accepts her Outstanding Service Award from North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. June Atkinson
Renee receives award from June Atkinson

Environmental Educators of North Carolina Recognizes Forestry Graduate Student with Outstanding Service Award

Posted on November 30, 2009 by kmfaber2

News Release – November 30, 2009
Media Contact – Elizabeth Burke, 703.281.6626

The Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) recently honored Shelby Gull Laird, Ph.D. candidate in the Forestry and Environmental Resources Department at NCSU, with one of the organization’s two awards for Outstanding Service. The Environmental Educators of North Carolina is the state’s professional organization representing environmental educators including classroom teachers, state and national park rangers, museum educators, and educators working in other non-formal settings.

Laird has served as EENC’s policy chair and is currently the organization’s president-elect. She has also been instrumental in creating EENC’s successful bid to host the 2011 conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). This conference, calendared for October 11-16, 2011, will bring 1,200 of the world’s environmental educators to North Carolina for a professional development conference highlighting the best of our state’s natural and cultural resources.

The NAAEE conference includes a research symposium, promising a mix of plenary presentations by well-known researchers, discussions about the future of EE research, and submitted presentations from the North American and broader international EE research community, and provides opportunities for graduate student professional development.

Over the past eight years, Laird has had the opportunity to promote environmental education in two related roles. For four years, she taught earth/environmental science at Garner Magnet High School. Subsequent to that, she developed the highly regarded “It’s Our Water” professional development program, working with the nonprofit North Carolina based Environmental Education Fund.

Commenting on her commitment to environmental education, Laird sees it as an effective tool for helping children achieve benchmarks established in North Carolina’s Standard Course of Study. “For example,” she notes, “teachers can take their students outside to monitor water quality or conduct wildlife inventories on their own school grounds. These lessons promote retention better than reading from a textbook.”

She emphasizes that environmental education isn’t just about achieving science standards. “Environmental education can be a part of every subject area, from language arts to social studies.”

“In receiving EENC’s Outstanding Service Award, I am proud to serve Environmental Educators across North Carolina to help get our citizens of all ages outdoors.”

EENC’s second Outstanding Service Award was presented to Renee Strnad, the state coordinator for Project Learning Tree (multi-disciplinary environmental education program for educators and students in PreK-12), and a liaison between the College of Natural Resources at NC State University and environmental educators.

For more information about EENC membership, please visit our website at eenc.org.

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Below: Shelby Gull Laird accepting her award from North Carolina Superintendent for Public Instruction, Dr. June Atkinson
Shelby accepting her award from June Atkinson

NC State GIS Expert Helps Students Map the Way to Good Food

Posted on November 30, 2009 by kmfaber2

News Release – November 30, 2009

Charlynne Smith - GIS Research Associate at NC state University Charlynne Smith, GIS research associate with the Recreation Resources Service at NC State and a graduate of NC State's Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management program put her geographic information science knowledge and mapping expertise to work recently as part of a partnership with Advocates for Health in Action.

In a project funded through the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, Smith developed a community asset map for Wake County.

The purpose of the interactive map is to show existing infrastructure that provides opportunity for physical activity and healthful eating choices. The mapping tool developed by Smith was used by area teens to display data they collected about the availability of healthful foods in their community.

“The students are excited about learning to use geospatial technology and that the information collected adds value to our spatial database." according to Smith. "One goal of the project is to improve awareness of and access to affordable healthful food and physical activity for children and families in Wake County. By using mapping technology to identify the distribution of current assets, plus the added student evaluation of those assets, we are helping the partnership better design an advocacy agenda and the students are making an impact to improve their community.”

At least 30 North Carolina teenagers are involved in the current project, including 4-H teams in Wake Forest, downtown Raleigh and northern Wake County, in addition to Fuquay-Varina.
GIS Map detail showing healthy food options at grocery store To collect the data, teams of teens fanned out, armed with GPS devices and a survey to assess healthful food items in the stores. Users will be able to click on numbered locations, and see a picture of the store and a rating of its healthy selections.

The first phase of the map was unveiled in on November 21, 2009. Additional features, including trails, parks and recreational sites, will be added later. All will be available to the public at the advocacy group's Web site at www.advocatesforhealthinaction.com.

Read the recent article about the project in the News and Observer

Related Links

NC Recreation Resource Service

Geospatial Information Sciences at NC State University

Grant supports recruiting of high quality, diverse park & recreation management graduate students

Posted on November 30, 2009 by kmfaber2

Challenging curirculum prepares students for exciting careers in park and recreation management On November 5, 2009 the NC State University Graduate School announced that the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Graduate Program received a grant to implement a campaign to recruit outstanding students from under represented populations in the disciplines of park and recreation management. The department received a grant of $1,400 to assist in developing recruiting materials and to cover travel costs for potential graduate students to meet PRTM faculty and students and tour the campus. According to the National Recreation and Parks Association, racial and ethnic minorities account for less than 20% of professionals in the recreation and parks field.

All three departments in the NC State University College of Natural Resources are committed to helping make natural resource careers available and welcoming to a diverse population. Visit the website for the College’s Community for Diversity in Natural Resources to learn what we are doing to increase diversity in all related natural resources disciplines.

Learn more about graduate education in the NC State University Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management.

Roll into Fall with Rolleo 2009

Posted on November 10, 2009 by kmfaber2

Media Contact: Graham Ford, Vice President NC State University Forestry Club
practice for Rolleo
On Saturday November 21, 2009, the NCSU Forestry Club will host Rolleo at the Schenck Memorial Forest in Raleigh. Rolleo is the Forestry Club's annual forestry and timbersports competition. It is a long-standing tradition with the club, and this year will prove to be one to remember. The Virginia Tech, Haywood Community College, and Montgomery Community College Forestry Clubs will all be coming to compete.

Rolleo consists of technical and physical events that are designed to pit the competing schools' forestry skills against one another. Technical events include dendrology, timber volume estimation, pole classification, photogrammetry and others. Physical events consist of crosscut sawing, underhand log chop, log role, pole felling, and others.
Allison and Liz - log roll at Rolleo
Rolleo is a great time for all the competitors and spectators. Technical events will begin around 8 am and go until lunch time, and physical events will begin before lunch. There will be competitions between faculty, grad students, and alumni as well!

All are welcome and encouraged to come and check out the events and support the NCSU Forestry Club! Supper will be catered by McCall's Seafood and BBQ after the events are finished on Saturday. Mark your calendar! All are Welcome!

Mike and Korey log chop Technical Events begin 8:00am
Physical Events begin 10:30am
Attendance is free
Lunch 12:00pm
Dinner 4:30pm
There will be a reasonable fee for meals, or pay only $20 and receive lunch, dinner, AND a Rolleo 2009 T-Shirt!

For more information, contact NCSU Forestry Club President Logan Scarborough or Vice President Graham Ford.

Schenck Memorial Forest Location on Google Maps
Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607