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Green Spaces in Urban Places

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

Click here to download a detailed overview of this report

Thursday, 11/05/2009

Evening Social Networking

Evening

Join us at the Sheraton (and/or another location TBD) in Downtown Raleigh for an evening of social networking (no, not on facebook… in person). Talk to old friends and meet new ones!

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Friday, 11/06/2009

Mobile workshops and sessions

Full Day

Habitats and History

• Field and Farm – Prairie Ridge Ecostation, Historic Yates Mill and Historic Oak View County Parks, 8:30 – 3:00, includes box lunch

  Visit Prairie Ridge, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ field station in west Raleigh. Prairie Ridge features nearly 40 acres of Piedmont prairie, forest, ponds, a stream and sustainable building features integrated with a wildlife friendly landscape. On site, we will be working with museum staff as they showcase varied habitats and describe their ongoing citizen science research projects. Following lunch we travel to two of Wake County historic interpretive parks; Yates Mill and Oak View. These two sites are dedicated to preserving the agricultural heritage of North Carolina Piedmont farms and pasture lands. At Yates Mill we will travel back in time to 1860 to see an operating mill and interpret artifacts found on the property. Our final stop is just down the road at Oak View where we will get a glimpse of farm life in 1860 touring the farm house and grounds. Leaders: Kim Smart, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Kaytee Holcombe, Historic Yates Mill County Park and Sara Drumheller, Historic Oak View County Park.

• River and Stream – Neuse River Canoe, 8:30 – 3:00, includes box lunch, Wake County

  Named in 1584, the Neuse is one of the oldest surviving English place-names in the United States. We will embark on a 4 hour canoe trip to discover the natural and cultural history of the river that quenches the thirst of the Triad. Water quality test will be conducted by the participants. This trip is designed for the novice as well as the accomplished paddler. Canoes, paddles, and all safety gear are included. Leaders: Tom Shepherd, High Point Parks and Recreation

Urban Environments

• Building and Garden – Centennial Campus, North Carolina Botanical Garden and Private Garden, 8:15 – 3:30, includes box lunch

  We will take a green building tour of the Centennial Campus Center for Wildlife Education, which is housed in the headquarters building of the Wildlife Resources Commission's on NCSU's Centennial Campus. We will explore two large rain gardens and a detention wetland, which are filled with native plants that attract wildlife. Landscape plans and a list of native plants will be provided. We'll discuss how the site is used for educational programming and investigate environmental issues. The fieldtrip continues at the North Carolina Botanical Garden where we will have lunch and be introduced to the regional gardens and discuss management of open green spaces. Our final stop will be at a nationally recognized private theme garden, where over the course of 30 years the caretakers have collected dozens of species of dwarf varieties and created unique niches and coves that show gardens can take us to wherever we want to be. Leaders: Marti Kane, EENC Past-President and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Grant Parkins, North Carolina Botanical Garden and John Dilley and Willie Pilkington, Private Garden.

• Urban Wetlands and Diverse Audiences – Carnage AG Middle School and Walnut Creek Wetland, 8:30 – 1:00, includes box lunch

  Visit an on-campus study pond to experience what one teacher has done to bring wetland education to her students. Then cross the street and “sink” into a local wetland and experience innovative programs that expose the complex and essential role wetlands play in urban environments. Leaders will also present information and discuss new approaches to EE concepts for programming with diverse audiences. Leaders: Jodi Knapp, Carnage GT Magnet Middle School and Ross Andrews, Walnut Creek Wetlands and Education Center

Cultural History

• Seagrove Pottery, 8:00 – 3:30, includes box lunch, Seagrove, North Carolina

  Long before the American Revolution, a farmer tossed a ball of clay onto a kick wheel and turned out a milk crock or whiskey jug. Today, more than 90 potters call Seagrove home, making it the traditional pottery center of North Carolina. We will be guided through Seagrove to several studio’s and shops by the area’s premier potter who has been keeping his family’s tradition alive and produces stunning art pieces made from North Carolina clay. Plenty of time has been allotted for browsing and shopping. Leaders: Phil Morgan, Phil Morgan Pottery, Host: Lois Nixon, EENC Past President

Half day – Friday Morning

Natural History

• Birding Field Experience – Hemlock Bluffs, 8:00 – 12:00

  Protecting a disjunct population of Eastern Hemlock, Tsuga canadensis, and other vegetation uncommon to the Piedmont, Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve is a 150 acre oasis in town of Cary. We will visit the Stevens Nature Center and then hike the trails to survey the winter birds. We could ask for no better guide than the staff Naturalist to guide us on our hike. Bring binoculars and bird field guide and dress for the weather. Leader: Mark Johns, Stevens Nature Center.

• Solid Waste Management – Raleigh MRF and South Wake Landfill, 8:30 – 12:00

  We will trace the trail of trash from dumpster to its final resting place, guided by a host of dedicated personnel. An on-site visit to the Raleigh Material Recovery Facility and then a tour of the working face of the Wake County Landfill are the highlights of this half day fieldtrip. Leaders: TBD.

Sessions

• Environmental Grant Writing, Convention Center, 9:00 – 10:00

  In order to create a green space, money is needed to build and then teach students or the community about those spaces. Grant writing is an excellent way to obtain money to build the green spaces everyone is after. Plus it helps to fund scientists or your method of presenting/teaching about those topics to people. Information on the types of grants that are available, experiences with grants and how to write them to, get them. Presenter: Sarah Fuller

• Mountain Top Removal Film, Convention Center, 10:00 – 12:00pm

  Film followed by Q & A with director Mike O'Connell. O'Connell a fellow North Carolinian, was presented the award for the best documentary at the 2008 Nashville film festival by Al Gore. Among the many other awards the film has earned it also won the 2008 reel current award from Al Gore. The film focuses on the story of Wiley. A grandfather who is concerned about his granddaughters school positioned directly under a mountaintop removal site in West Virginia. The town's elementary school seats a few hundred yards under a artificial "coal slurry" lake.

Half day – Friday Afternoon:

Sessions

• SchoolYard All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, 1:00 – 3:00

  An introduction to the Smokies All Taxa Biodiversity (ATBI) project followed by hands-on work as well as demonstrations of how to conduct an ATBI at your school. Presenter: Todd Witcher

• Exploring the Future of Energy: Evaluating Alternative Energy Options to Promote Critical Thinking Among Students, 1:00 – 3:00

  Hear an energy expert address the fundamentals of energy, energy sources used by society and emerging technologies and careers. Participants will be provided with lesson that promote critical thinking and are aligned with the NCSCOS. Presenters: Dr. David Mcnelis and Dana Haine

• Green Initiatives at the Raleigh Convention Center, Convention Center, 1:00 – 2:00

  The Raleigh Convention Center is actively seeking LEED Certification. Some of the steps taken to receive this accreditation have been: *Highly efficient HVAC System reduces energy by 20%, Energy efficient exterior wall and roofing systems, Occupancy sensors in restrooms to reduce lighting energy, 5% recycled content has been incorporated into the building, i.e., 100% of the Center's steel is recycled product, and many more! Join a representative of the RCC to show you the ins and outs of what makes the RCC so green!

• Community Service Project I, Weeding and Mulching the Butterfly Garden at Durant Nature Park, 1:00 – 3:00

  Gardening for butterflies makes the weeding worthwhile! Join us for some weeding and mulching in Durant Nature Park’s Butterfly Garden and learn a bit about the host and nectar plants that are planted here. Dress for the weather and bring gloves.

Friday Section Meetings, 3:15-4:00pm

Join your section to find out what events are happening in your area, suggest an event or just get to know your local resources.

Friday Dinner Optional Events…

Friday night dinner is on your own, but EENC would like to invite you to participate in our optional dinner events. First, you can choose to participate in a walking tour of downtown Raleigh (will require walking for approximately 2 miles), stopping to eat all along the way. This tour will end at the Museum of Natural Sciences just in time for our evening event. Dinner tickets are $35, limit 2 per person. Tour meets at the Sheraton at 3:30pm.

You may also choose to participate in a Dinner Group on Friday night to a local restaurant where each participant will pay on their own but you will be with others from EENC.

Keynote Speaker & Silent Auction
Friday Night, 11/06/2009, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Dessert and Wine Bar by Green Planet Catering

Ms. Akiima Price - Chief of Education and Programs with the New York Restoration Project
Akiima Price is the Chief of Education and Programs at the New York Restoration Project (NYRP). NYRP restores, develops, and revitalizes underserved parks, community gardens, and open spaces throughout New York City. For the past 14 years Akiima has worked with numerous environmental organizations throughout her hometown of Washington DC, creating and implementing innovative programs that connect low income residents with the natural environment. Akiima was brought on board in September 2007 to redevelop the direction of education and community programs at NYRP.

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Saturday, 11/07/2009

Workshops

Full Day Workshops

• Waldo & the Green Growth Toolbox, Centennial Campus Center for Wildlife Education, 9:00 – 3:00, includes lunch

  Waldo and his box turtle companions live in a 90-acre green space not far from downtown Raleigh. Use radio telemetry to track Waldo and learn how the Green Growth Toolbox can help save priority habitats as our urban spaces expand. Presenters: Staff, CCCWE

• Project Learning Tree: Places We Live, Exploris Middle School, 8:00 - 3:00, includes lunch

  All communities- urban, suburban, small town, rural- are experiencing growth and change, which has impact on each community's environment. PLT's module, Exploring Environmental Issues: Places We Live, provides educators with a useful tool for place-based education to help create a bond between young citizens and their communities. The curriculum will include the PLT K-8 guide as well as the secondary module appropriate for middle and high school. Presenter: Renee Strnad

• Interpretation for Young Children, Exploris Middle School, 8:00 – 3:00, includes lunch

  This workshop is especially designed for naturalists and environmental educators who are interested in learning more about how and why young children think and act and how this information can be used to design developmentally appropriate programs and activities. Presenter: Kelley Thompson

• Winter Tree ID, NCSU Centennial Campus, 8:00 – 3:00, includes lunch

  This program introduces the peculiar traits of dormant woody plants in winter. Just like the leaves of summer, bare twigs, bark, and other plant features can be used to identify trees and shrubs during winter. This program will teach basic terminology of twig features and the use of identification keys followed by identifying trees along a trail. Presenter: Emily Hill

• Community Service Project II, Tree Planting at Anderson Point Park, 10:00 – 3:00, includes lunch

  Plant trees at Anderson Point to provide shade for the walking trail and playground and help enhance the appearance of the park by planting native trees and shrubs at the park entrance. The trees will also provide more habitats for animals living in the park and will help to restore some natural history of the park by replacing oak trees that once grew there. Dress for the weather and you may want to bring garden gloves.

Half day – Saturday Morning

• Bringing Integrated Pest Management to Life, Exploris Middle School, 8:00 – 12:00, includes lunch

  Come learn about Integrated Pest Management as it applies to the school environment! IPM is a practical and very immediate application of many ecological principles. Under the School Children's Health Act adopted in 2006, North Carolina public schools are required to use IPM, but what does that really mean, and why is it important? Students can take many valuable lessons from an exploration of IPM in their school about environmental health, sustainability in everyday life, and even promoting positive environmental changes in their own communities. The presenter will introduce you to Toxic Free NC's IPM curriculum for high school-level science classes. Additional guest speakers will round out the day. Already confirmed is Dennis Osborne, Environmental Health & Safety Supervisor for Wake County Public Schools, who will take our participants on an IPM tour of the school. Other special guests TBA. Presenter: Billie Karel

Half day – Saturday Afternoon

• The Diverse World of Environmental Education, Convention Center, 1:00 – 3:00

  This program will explore cultural diversity and how we can better prepare the next generation based on the environmental issues important to them. This workshop will look at both diversity in formal classrooms as well as non-formal education. Presenters: Steven & Kelly Hoke

Saturday Brainstorming/Networking Session, 3:30 – 5:30pm

All participants are asked to participate in a Networking / Brainstorming Session in the Convention Center. We’ll be exploring how EENC can expand their services, meet new people, and exploring our options for the 2011 NAAEE Conference. More info soon!

NC Environmental Education Awards Banquet
Saturday Night, 11/07/2009, Marbles Museum
Vegetarian Dinner by Green Planet Catering

Dr. June St. Clair Atkinson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Dr. June St. Clair Atkinson has served as the North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction since August 2005 and re-elected in 2008. Dr. Atkinson is the first woman elected to the post of State Superintendent. She oversees more than 1.46 million students in almost 2,500 public schools.

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Sunday, 11/08/2009

Mobile Workshops

Environmental Concerns

• Renewable Energy Resources - North Carolina Solar House, 9:00 – 11:00

  In 1981, the North Carolina Solar Center started the Solar House to research and demonstrate the benefits of passive and active solar power. Now, the center has expanded to cover all renewable energy areas including wind and biomass. We will get a personal guided tour of the facilities and get up to speed the wave of the future. Leader: Brian Miles, North Carolina Solar Center

Natural History

• Birding Field Experience - Blue Jay Point County Park, 9 - 11 AM, includes shade-grown coffee and snack

  Blue Jay Point County Park is on the NC Birding Trail and offers opportunities to view woodpeckers year-round including Pileated Woodpeckers as well as a variety of other migratory birds. The park is located on a 236-acre site adjacent to Falls Lake. The park was once primarily agricultural land but the majority of this acreage is now second-growth forest lands. This easy hike will explore birds in a few different habitats within the park. The Blue Jay Center for Environmental Education has been a regional leader in environmental learning for 17 years. The park offers a wide variety of educational programs in natural history and the natural sciences to groups and the general public. Leaders: Tom Shepherd, Piedmont Environmental Center and Deborah Robertson, Blue Jay Point Park Manager.
  
  Please note: If using a car navigation system, please verify that directions indicate Six Forks Road. In most cases, mention of Falls of Neuse Road indicates faulty directions.

Urban Environments

• Garden - JR Raulston Arboretum, 9:00 – 11:30

  The JC Raulston Arboretum is a nationally acclaimed garden with one of the largest and most diverse collections of landscape plants adapted for landscape use in the Southeast. Plants especially adapted to Piedmont North Carolina conditions are collected and evaluated in an effort to find superior plants for use in southern landscapes. We will tour the grounds in small groups lead by horticultural specialists from the arboretum corps of volunteers. Leaders: JC Raulston Arboretum staff and volunteers

• Wiley Elementary's Natural Learning Garden, 9:00 – 11:00, includes box lunch

  2000 sq. foot native plant garden provides a wild place on an urban school campus for formal and informal learning and pleasure. Includes 615 gallons of rain catchment, composting, student-made stepping stones, and a soil exploration box. Garden planner and Environmental Educator Sarah Palmer will tell you how she coordinated volunteers, secured grant money and in-kind donations, and made this former barren space into a delightful oasis for students, staff, and community members. Leader: Sarah Palmer