2020–2022 Cohort
A big welcome to the PEEC Class of 2020-2022!
Our Instructors

Katie Altman
Water Resources Agent
Clemson University Cooperative Extension
About Katie
Favorite Hobby: Hiking, backpacking.
What does environmental education mean to me? For me, environmental education is all about connecting to, learning about, and protecting our home and its inhabitants.

E.V. Bell
Marine Education Specialist
South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium
About E.V.
Favorite Hobby: Macrophotography, anything on the water, shark tooth hunting, jewelry making.
What does environmental education mean to me? Environmental education to me means turning people on to their natural surroundings – increasing their appreciation of the environment by viewing it through new and different lenses.

Julie Binz
Marine Education Coordinator
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
About Julie
Favorite Hobby: Roller blading, hiking, biking, yoga.
What does environmental education mean to me? Environmental education is giving people a chance to experience nature, get some exercise, breathe fresh air, and learn about our connections to the plants, animals, and places.

Daniel Hill
Assistant Director
Kalmia Gardens
About Daniel
Favorite Hobby: Kayaking or being on the water.
What does environmental education mean to me? Trying to install an appreciation for the natural world by sharing its wonderful stories and showing our interconnectedness with those stories.

Beth Burkett
Stewardship and Interpretation Manager
Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission
About Beth
Favorite Hobby: Ceramics and other visual arts (drawing, painting).
What does environmental education mean to me? Environmental Education is facilitating lasting connections between people and the world that sustains us.

Jennifer Majors
Park Superintendent
Lynches River County Park
About Jennifer
Favorite Hobby: Nature photography.
What does environmental education mean to me? We absolutely must have an understanding of the world we live in. How can we live in this environment and not understand and respect the role that each species plays in it? I love to foster the natural curiosity that we have and show people all the cool things nature has to offer.

Whit McMillan
Science Program Manager
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center
About Whit
Favorite Hobby: Fly fishing and fly tying.
What does environmental education mean to me? EE serves as a vital link in connecting people to the world around them and to generations past and future. In some ways, modern conveniences have lessened our connections to the natural world, made us less aware of what is going on around us, and let us consider ourselves separated from nature. Environmental education can help to rebuild that relationship and remind us of our role in protecting the place we live and how to lessen our impacts. EE connects us to practices in the past, both good and bad, and reminds us that we are leaving a legacy for the future. Hopefully, that legacy is a healthy planet and an appreciation of the natural world with us as a part of it.

Lindsay Patterson
Environmental Education Coordinator
Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission
About Lindsay
Favorite Hobby: Clemson football and hanging with my hubby & 4-year old son.
What does environmental education mean to me? Environmental Education means a lot to me. It’s important to pass along knowledge about the environment to children. But you are never too young to learn so I am happy I get to teach adults as well. I want to foster learning and create Earth stewards that will love and respect this planet and its inhabitants a little bit more than when they first attended my program. I like to hope that if people know better, they’ll do better.

Lisa Pike
Professor, Biology
Francis Marion University
About Lisa
Favorite Hobby: Walking in nature, and wheel-thrown pottery.
What does environmental education mean to me? It means making environmental experiences a necessary and required part of life, so as to help everyone remember the joy, peace, and glory of nature and natural systems.

Meta Van Sickle
Professor, Teacher Education
College of Charleston
About Meta
Favorite Hobby: Walking along the river and singing.
What does environmental education mean to me? Environmental education is one of the things I love most and think is crucial for living in our world. It’s time to learn to care for the earth and each other. Harmony, health with humanity.
Our Students

Darlena Goodwin
Teacher
Montessori Learning Collective
About Darlena
Favorite Hobby: Working with the earth…farming, gardening.
What does environmental education mean to me? We live in such a robust eco-system and I crave to plunge myself into the depths of it: then to share this knowledge and understanding of life with everyone.

Cindy Lilly
7th Grade Science Teacher
Ocean Bay Middle School
About Cindy
Favorite Hobby: Pottery or shark tooth hunting.
What does environmental education mean to me? Environmental education means having the tools, resources, and knowledge to inspire and spark the love of outdoors in a child. We can’t make them drink from the pond but we sure can make them thirsty!

Nick Plaisted
Biology, Marine Science, and Environmental Sustainability
Spartanburg High School
About Nick
Favorite Hobby: Lacrosse.
What does environmental education mean to me? Environmental education to me is inspiring and equipping the next generation with the tools needed to understand our environments and how best to preserve them.

Kelly Billbrough
Architectural Design Instructor
Dorchester County Career and Technology Center
About Kelly
Favorite Hobby: Riding horses with my girls
What does environmental education mean to me? Environmental education means informing our peers, children and the community about our natural environment, the importance of this environment and how, to me, we need to preserve the environment.

Mary Hannah Lindsay
Community Outreach Coordinator
Richland Soil and Water Conservation District
About Mary Hannah
Favorite Hobby: I enjoy craft bartending, scuba, and interior design to bring out my creative side.
What does environmental education mean to me? Instilling a passion for taking care of our surroundings in those that surround me.

Haley Marie Parent
Water Resources Agent
Clemson University Cooperative Extension
About Haley Marie
Favorite Hobby: Exploring SC’s water features by foot or kayak!
What does environmental education mean to me? Connecting practical lessons for students of all ages to the natural world. This form of education can inspire a sense of place, stewardship of our natural resources and respect for all people that inhabit them.

Tara Caron
3rd Grade Teacher
Hilton Head Island School for Creative Arts
About Tara
Favorite Hobby: Sitting outside, paddle boarding, yardwork/gardening, cooking, making bracelets out of poptops and beads out of paper.
What does environmental education mean to me? Sharing a love for the natural world. The more we know about something, the more we tend to care for it which promotes Conservation. As a result, individuals develop a deeper understanding of environmental issues and have the skills to make informed and responsible decisions.

Shana Bury
Owner
Buddy’s Place
About Shana
Favorite Hobby: This may seem a bit strange since my favorite hobby is also my “job” and I love what I do, so I will have to say spending time with friends since I don’t get to see them often!
What does environmental education mean to me? To me, environmental education means growing our next generation of scientists and leaders to do right by the world we live in. We only have one planet that is inhabitable by mankind, and we must do what we can to protect it for generations to come.

Michelle Harrison
2nd Grade Teacher
Holy Trinity Catholic School
About Michelle
Favorite Hobby: Gardening, followed by cooking and sharing the harvest with my friends and family.
What does environmental education mean to me? Sharing my love of Mother Earth with my students. Hoping to spark their awareness of the importance of God’s creation from the smallest worm to the ecosystems of the ocean. Wishing they gain the knowledge to make choices that will positively impact their world.

Wiltress Felder
Teacher
Lugoff-Elgin High School
About Wiltress
Favorite Hobby: I love cooking and trying new recipes, taking walks with my two dogs (Behr and Pnut).
What does environmental education mean to me? It means a way to ensure a future for our earth through educating students about the earth. It means providing a better future for those to come through education. It means hands on education to excite and get students excited about taking care of the earth locally and nationally though adulthood.

Karen Penale
Spanish Immersion and Environmental Learning
Cross Schools
About Karen
Favorite Hobby: Swimming, kayaking, and gardening.
What does environmental education mean to me? Environmental education means children and adults learn about good and bad environmental issues occurring in our world today. They then learn various conservation projects they can work on to help improve conditions in our environment.

Bree Lauffer
STEM Lab Teacher
Okatie Elementary School
About Bree
Favorite Hobby: Puzzling and going on hikes.
What does environmental education mean to me? The environmental concerns for the 21st Century learner require a more holistic approach to education. Schools should strive to create environments that nourish the emotional, social, and ecological intelligences of our students. Environmental education means a chance to develop these skills by providing learning that fosters shared experiences that encourage exploration and help students discover value in the natural world. With exposure to quality environmental education, I believe that students can develop the knowledge, empathy, and empowerment needed for practicing sustainable living.

Patricia Whitener
4-H Extension Agent
Clemson University Cooperative Extension
About Patricia
Favorite Hobby: Kayaking, Dog walking, Taking pictures.
What does environmental education mean to me? “There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot.” “I am glad I will not be young in a future without wilderness.” ― Aldo Leopold
These two quotes from Aldo Leopold’s classic, A Sand County Almanac, really capture the essence of the vital role that environmental educators hold in our society. My purpose as an environmental educator is to interpret information, and tell the story of natural things; to connect people with, and spark interest in, the natural world so that they are inspired to explore and protect their environment. Everything that I do, personally and professionally, is powered by this intention and filtered through the lens of connection.

Pat Pierce
Informal Educator
State Master Naturalist
About Pat
Favorite Hobby: Weaving mountain baskets.
What does environmental education mean to me? Learning how to protect, preserve and present the natural world to others not just lecture or printed document forms, but how it all fits to keep our planet and its people healthy. Environmental education is about using tools like our eyes, brains, and energies to sustain us in a healthy and safe manner, even when the choices are tough. Environmental education encompasses good stewardship, protecting spaces for our grandchildren and their grandchildren. Practicing sustainability, finding other sustainable means for all plants and animals is a part of environmental education, too. It is all about learning and practicing living together in harmony, as. much as possible, on this planet. Environmental education is helping others with different needs to live and sustain as much as possible. We should always be together in this effort.

Rob Carter
Education Program Manager
York County Museum
About Rob
Favorite Hobby: Hiking, birdwatching.
What does environmental education mean to me? Taking the outside world to the inside world.

Ashley Jenkins
Recycling Coordinator
Beaufort County Government
About Ashley
Favorite Hobby: Watching movies, gardening, and spending time with family.
What does environmental education mean to me? To me, environmental education means the ability to engage, connect, and explore the environment. Also, connecting with the environment for enjoyment and learning while taking action to improve our world. Lastly, it means taking steps to explore and appreciate the beautiful surroundings right outside your door because the world is full of possibilities of learning something new every day!
Administration

Morgan Treon
Lead Education Aide
Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC)
About Morgan
Favorite Hobby: From hiking to kayaking I love to be outside exploring and learning about the natural world.
What does environmental education mean to me? As an environmental educator, my goal is to foster an empathy and understanding of the natural world by providing a safe space for students to engage and learn with nature.