{"id":731,"date":"2014-04-04T14:01:21","date_gmt":"2014-04-04T18:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?page_id=731"},"modified":"2018-08-07T14:57:21","modified_gmt":"2018-08-07T18:57:21","slug":"people-places-taking-kids-outside-matters-promoting-environmental-literacy-in-north-carolina","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/previous-issues\/2013-2\/autumn-2013\/people-places-taking-kids-outside-matters-promoting-environmental-literacy-in-north-carolina\/","title":{"rendered":"PEOPLE & PLACES: Taking Kids Outside Matters: Promoting Environmental Literacy in North Carolina"},"content":{"rendered":"
EDITOR’S NOTE: Kathryn Stevenson is a doctoral student with the Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology program at North Carolina State University. She worked for two years as a marine science instructor on Catalina Island in California. She also spent six years in the classroom as a high-school biology teacher before coming back to graduate school. Stevenson’s dissertation research includes the studies discussed in this article.<\/em><\/p>\n “Did you see that fish?!!” the 15-year-old girl exclaims. Her eyes are as big as saucers through her face mask.<\/p>\n Her nervousness of being in the ocean forgotten, the Chapel Hill native from Woods Charter School splashes her face back in the water, still squealing with glee through her snorkel. Back on shore, she excitedly compares her list of fish, snails and algae with those of her classmates.<\/p>\n Not all outdoor education experiences involve getting wet. But students learn while having fun \u2014 snorkeling, hiking, canoeing, walking in the woods, beachcombing, you name it. More than the simple enjoyment that these activities provide, outdoor education is an important component in learning about the environment.<\/p>\n