Renee Strand, NC Project Learning Tree Coordinator and an environmental educator with Extension Forestry at NC State University, has been honored as Tarheel of the Week by North Carolina’s largest daily newspaper, the News and Observer. Over her career, Strnad has evolved a part-time job as an environmental education coordinator into a position as a highly respected and well-known leader in environmental education policy and advocacy in North Carolina. Strnad has a passion for making sure children are exposed to nature and aware of its limited resources.
According to Lisa Tolley, program manager with the state office of environmental education and public affairs, “She is one of the strongest advocates for environmental education in the state. She’s reached a lot of people, and her passion for her work is contagious.”