SRU student Hailey Minard is sophomore dual-majoring in anthropology, along with parks and resource management.
Minard is the current president of the Environmental Education and Interpretation Club (EEI) at SRU.
“The Environmental Education and Interpretation Club blends together the classroom and the outdoors by educating Slippery Rock students, faculty and the community about the world around them. The goal behind the club is to educate the community about the outdoor world around them through volunteering, teaching and field trips,” Minard said.
Minard has been involved in the organization since her first semester at SRU. She found out about the organization through the Involvement Fair.
“I was seeking a nature club to join and EEI looked like the perfect group,” Minard said.
Minard discussed some of the activities that EEI participates in.
“The club goes on a variety of trips to local parks and sites such as Moraine State Park, Phipps Conservatory and the Pittsburgh Zoo. We also teach students at Moraine Elementary School about different aspects of environmental science,” Minard said. “The most recent lesson the club taught was about macroinvertebrates, where we brought the outside world into the school. This allowed students to view macroinvertebrates up close, such as crayfish, some insects and even a few salamanders.”
“The club also goes yearly to the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators conference (PAEE), where club members can network with a variety of environmental educators or people just with an interest in nature. This year, the club is heading to Gettysburg for the conference,” Minard said.
Minard shared that her favorite part of the organization is all the people she gets to meet.
“From club members to environmental educators, I really enjoy hearing about everyone’s background, how they got into the outdoors in the first place, and their reasons for pursuing a career in environmental education,” Minard said.
Minard shared what students can expect from joining EEI.
“People joining the club can expect a calm group of people all with the same interest in the environment, even if we all have varying backgrounds. The club has a very casual environment, so no one should feel nervous to ask any questions to any of the officers or myself,” Minard said.
Minard shared that “Students can benefit from EEI by gaining experience in both the educational and environmental fields through volunteering at Moraine Elementary, going on field trips at different environmental sites, and just meeting new people with similar interests.”
Meetings are held biweekly on Tuesdays during common hour in room 132 at the ATS Building.
Students can get involved by joining on CORE and following the organizations Instagram at sru_eei.
Minard shared that “EEI has ties with the Macoskey Center, who have also been going to PAEE with the club to participate in activities at the conference. The MC and EEI have been working together for a while now, so say hi to our friends there as well.”
