Environmental Education and Communication

Kids Working Together - Areas of Research - Parks Recreation and Tourism Management NC State

Cultivating Environmental Awareness

While technical innovations are needed to address grand challenges such as climate change, environmental health and shrinking biodiversity, their adoption relies on people who understand the science behind complex environmental challenges, care about the issues, and are motivated and equipped to work toward solutions. Our faculty work to build environmental literacy in a host of contexts, bringing together faculty from across campus to study how to connect children to nature, integrate nature-based learning in our schools, leverage citizen science to inspire people to connect with the natural world, and empower youth to inspire communities toward sustainable solutions.

March 27, 2024

Immersive VR Tours Promote Inclusive Recreation

Using student-created virtual reality (VR) tours to explore recreation activities throughout North Carolina, this grant helped promote VR experiences as a fun and engaging form of recreation.

October 18, 2023

Greener Neighborhoods Can Protect Us – at the Cellular Level

A new study finds that greenspace in urban environments has a positive impact on a key genetic marker associated with exposure to stress.

August 25, 2023

Survey: Tourists’ Long-Term Plans More Uncertain Under Climate Change

Findings from a new study suggest that climate change could impact not only the total number of tourists visiting a place, but also the timing and duration – factors that could be important for tourism-related staffing and revenue.

Meet Our Experts

At the College of Natural Resources, our faculty are at the forefront of education and research in the field of environmental education and communication.