Environment DEC
From the July 2007 issue
DEC Environmental Educator Receives National Award
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is proud to announce that Environmental Educator Laura Carey recently received the Project WILD Coordinator of the Year Award. Nominees are considered on the basis of extraordinary efforts in communication, leadership, initiative and innovation in the advancement of environmental education through Project WILD. Ms. Carey, a staff member at Rogers Environmental Education Center, is the current statewide coordinator of Project WILD and was the regional coordinator for central and western New York from 1987 until 2000.
Laura Carey (far right) at a Project WILD teacher institute
Project WILD
Project WILD is an interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education program emphasizing wildlife for K-12 students. Activities raise student awareness and knowledge about wildlife and the environment and help develop problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Each year in New York State, more than 2,000 educators are trained in Project WILD, where pre-service teachers at 20 colleges and universities across the state, as well as in-service teachers and non-formal educators, learn about New York's wildlife and natural resources. They also receive materials to help them form a strong stewardship ethic in their students. Since the program began in 1984, more than 50,000 educators have been trained statewide.
