Pathways: Spring 2023 Newsletter

NOTES FROM THE FIELD > SPRING 2023
PATHWAYS
As you will see in this newsletter, our team is nurturing new
growth - from new leadership and partnerships to fresh
perspectives and career cultivation.
We are vigorously pursuing statewide awareness to not only
ensure North Carolina’s youth are deeply rooted into the
natural landscapes of their communities, but also to
rejuvenate our teachers through the restored relationships,
enlivened curiosity, and teaching confidence gained through
the holistic Muddy Sneakers experience.
After just a few months as Executive Director, I have seen
these - and more - impactful results from our program. I hope
you share my excitement and optimism for the future of
North Carolina’s public education system as we spread our
roots deeper, and further across the state and explore ways to
bring hands-on experiential science education to more
communities than ever before.
Thank you for being a part of this journey!
David Webb, Executive Director
Director's
Note
Dear friends,
As Spring approaches,
Muddy Sneakers is
embodying the spirit of
regeneration with
opportunities for expansion!
Living Our Core
Values: Well-being
The third of five stories in a series highlighting the Muddy
Sneakers Core Values in action.
Biologist E. O. Wilson called it
“biophilia,” the idea that
humans are innately drawn to
nature.
Thirty years later, when
American childhood had
become an increasingly
indoor and screen-based
experience, Richard Louv
called it Vitamin N, the
essential impact of nature on
our overall well-being.
Alarmed by the impacts of
indoor childhood, Louv coined
the phrase Nature Deficit
Disorder and helped launch a
sweeping movement to get
young people back outdoors.
Muddy Sneakers was born
from this movement, and
over fifteen years, we’ve
shared formative nature
experiences with nearly
28,000 students in NC – over
half a million hours spent
learning and thriving on our
state’s protected lands.
The intrinsic connections
between nature, curiosity, and
wonder are apparent on every
Muddy Sneakers expedition.
So too are the links between
time spent in green spaces
and an ever-growing list of
positive effects.
The less structured outdoor
environment allows students
to tap into their creativity and
imagination, develop peer
social skills, and discover new
interests and abilities.
Children who have regular
access to green spaces score
higher on tests of cognitive
development, confidence,
and overall mental health.
After several COVIDimpacted
years of disruption
and stress, educators are
trumpeting the positive
impacts of outdoor time for
students, and the evidence
continues to grow.
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Widely published data about
the influence of nature
exposure on children
encountering Adverse
Childhood Experiences
(ACES) has shown:
reduced stress and
anxiety,
improved mood and
mental health,
increased family bonding
and communication,
improved self-regulation,
increased coping skills and
resilience, and
increased sense of
permanence, security,
belonging, and identity.
Students need this more than
ever.
NC State University
researchers' recent evaluation
of our program shows
students who had completed
a year of Muddy Sneakers
reported significant gains in
critical thinking, connection to
nature, and measures of
science learning, interest, and
confidence (see chart below).
An amazing 94% of students
said Muddy Sneakers
expeditions took them
somewhere they’d never
been before, right in their own
communities. Most of them
said they plan to go back,
where nature and its countless
healing gifts will be waiting for
them.
After Muddy Sneakers, students reported:
50%
INCREASE
75%
INCREASE
Critical
Thinking
Skills
Learning
About
Nature
100%
INCREASE
400%
INCREASE
Science
Knowledge
Science
Confidence
Revolution Academy
students present their
nature boat creation during
a Fall 2022 expedition.
New Leaders
After three years as Muddy
Sneakers' Board Chair, leading
our organizational transition
towards greater state impact,
Chase Pickering has passed
the role to Betsy Jordan. We
are forever grateful to Chase
for all he has done for Muddy
Sneakers!
Betsy, a retired lawyer with a
great passion for getting
children outside, has served
on the Board for five years,
and exuberantly picks up the
leadership role, working in
partnership with Executive
Director, David Webb, to
increase efficiencies while
building infrastructure and
community to reach more of
our state's public schools.
Muddy Sneakers has also
promoted Nikki Jones and
Region Directors: Cody Bliss & Nikki Jones
hired Cody Bliss to direct our
regional work in WNC and
the piedmont respectively.
As Region Directors, they will
oversee program execution
and advancement to provide
consistent exceptional
results for students and
teachers. They'll also deepen
relationships with school
administrators, advisory
councils, and land agencies.
This work will ensure our
mission-aligned services
evolve to meet vital needs.
New School Partners
Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools Receive
Full Muddy Sneakers Scholarships
Muddy Sneakers has what
some might consider a ‘good
problem’ - each year, dozens
of schools express interest in
participating in our outdoor
education program.
However, privately fundraising
75% of the partnership costs
annually means that,
depending on levels of
community support, some
schools remain on our waiting
list. Responding to interest
from Winston-Salem Forsyth
County Schools, we decided
to completely fund two yearlong
partnerships during the
2022-23 year.
After a competitive
application and interview
process, the Downtown
School and Rural Hall
Elementary received the
scholarships, growing our
network to 239 students and
ten educators in the county.
A Rural Hall Teacher shared,
"It’s an excellent way for
students to get out and
experience nature. Many
students typically don’t go out
and interact with nature at
home. So Muddy Sneakers is a
way to give them this
opportunity and help support
the curriculum taught in the
classroom in a fun way!"
If you are interested in
supporting more schools in
Winston-Salem and beyond,
please contact us today!

SITE SPOTLIGHT:
The Downtown School (WSFCS) visits
Pilot Mountain State Park for a Living
Systems expedition.
Investing in New Pathways
to Our Natural World
We’re honored to announce
two major grants that are
laying a trail to serve more
students and bring new field
instructors to our team.
A multi-school-year
commitment from the
Dogwood Health Trust allows
us to support approximately
1,200 more western NC
students during the 2022-23
and 2023-24 school years.
Pilot Mountain State Park
Since 2016, Pilot Mountain
State Park has been delighting
Muddy Sneakers students
with its variety of ecosystems.
From grasslands and forests,
to rivers and mountains -
including its namesake, the
iconic 2,241-foot geologic
knob - the park offers spaces
perfect for creek exploration,
hiking, journaling, and more!
WANT TO GO?
A National Recreation
Foundation grant enables the
creation of an apprenticeship
program to hire and train staff
without previous formal
training, creating more
equitable pathways for
anyone seeking an
Instructor Spotlight
Julie Thomson, WNC Field Instructor
Julie has been a Muddy
Sneakers Field Instructor since
August 2021 and recently
completed her Certification in
Environmental Education. In
addition, she's an author! Her
passion for connecting with
nature and community is
Muddy Sneakers' Logistics
and Community Programs
Coordinator, Em Hitzfelder,
says, “We have especially
enjoyed learning about Living
Systems here. There are hills
to climb that really get our
hearts pumping during our
pulse experiment and so
many connections to be
made from the living systems
we observe in nature.”
1721 Pilot Knob Park Rd., Pinnacle, NC
ncparks.gov/state-parks/pilot-mountain-state-park
These funds will empower us
to respond to requests in 11
districts throughout WNC,
growing our reach by 55%
over the 2021-22 school year.
environmental education
career. The program will offer
opportunities to keep local
talent at home and introduce
students to instructors who
share their experiences.
Please join us in thanking these
Muddy Sneakers partners!
evident in her book, "Saving
the Eno: Margaret Nygard
and the Eno River
Association," and the weaving
exhibition she’s currently cocurating
at the Black
Mountain College Museum +
Arts Center.
Seeking
Alumni
Stories
Where are they now?
Upon 5th grade graduation, we
tend to lose touch with our
students. We never stop
thinking about them, though.
What are they doing now?
What do they remember about
Muddy Sneakers years later?
Looking back, were there any
key Muddy Sneakers moments
that helped shape their future?
We now have systems in place
to better track our more recent
students, but we welcome
your help finding some of our
early participants.
If you are - or know - a Muddy
Sneakers alumni, please let us
know. We would love to learn
about your experiences and
share your story.
Scan the QR code or email
info@muddysneakers.org to
join our alumni community!
“I'm always impressed when students ask to do a Silent Hike on a
trail or in the forest towards the end of the day. One student
commented that it gave her "space to hear my own thoughts."”

WNC OFFICE
P.O. Box 146
Brevard, NC 28712
828-862-5560
PIEDMONT OFFICE
P.O. Box 2151
Salisbury, NC 28144
704-209-4009
www.muddysneakers.org
#muddysneakersnc
SEEKING
VOLUNTEERS
Our volunteer program is
growing! Current opportunities
include:
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR:
Recruit, coordinate, and empower
Muddy Sneakers' volunteer team.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Shadow and
document Muddy Sneakers
expeditions via photo and/or video.
CONNECT KIDS
TO NATURE
Become a role model
for future generations.
FLEXIBLE TIME
COMMITMENT
One hour or one year;
what works for you?
STATEWIDE
OPPORTUNITIES
Travel to new places or
stick close to home!
Please support our work!
Visit muddysneakers.org to
give a meaningful gift today.
Muddy Sneakers
at Home
Signs of Spring Scavenger Hunt
EVENT VOLUNTEER: Plan, set up,
clean up, and represent Muddy
Sneakers at festivals and events.
Email info@muddysneakers.org
to get involved.
How many signs of the
season can you observe?