Dan Nicholas naturalist earns certification

Michael Lambert, assistant naturalist at Dan Nicholas Park, has recently completed the North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program. The program is administered by the North Carolina Office of Environmental Education.

It involves attending at least seven instructional workshops, 50 hours of outdoor environmental education experiences and 30 hours of experiences that promote awareness of North Carolina’s environmental education resources.

Candidates must demonstrate teaching skills and complete a community environmental project that has a long term benefit. For his project, Lambert has implemented a used fishing line recycling program that can be seen at several boating access locations on High Rock Lake. This will benefit local wildlife by reducing their chances of becoming entangled in improperly discarded fishing line.

Lambert began his full time employment at Dan Nicholas Park in November 2005. He has great enthusiasm for educating folks about nature in general — and snakes in particular.

He is also an accomplished musician and often brings these talents into his programming as an added benefit to his audiences. Lambert assumes many different responsibilities at the Nature Center, including his role as the resident snake expert, aquarist, talent coordinator for the Simple Living Festival, coordinator of Music on the Mountain at Dunn’s Mountain Park, and Big Sweep coordinator for Rowan County.

He is a 1975 graduate of East Rowan High School and lives with his likewise musically talented wife, Gaynell, in eastern Rowan .