Q&A With Molly Ferrell, Teacher at Wetlands Edge Environmental Center
Q&A With Molly Ferrell, Teacher at Wetlands Edge Environmental Center
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What is Wetlands Edge Environmental Center?
WEEC is the culmination of a partnership between IVXP and Decatur City Schools (DCS) to offer DCS students a chance to learn about nature “up close and personal.” Located on 500+ acres of IVXP’s award-winning Certified Wildlife Habitat, WEEC offers students and teachers the opportunity to experience the joy and excitement of studying environmental-based concepts across the K-12 curriculum in a non-traditional setting using the outdoors as the classroom.
The property contains several different habitats, including a wetland swamp, a marsh, a pond, grasslands, bottomland hardwoods, upland species, a young stand of pines, and an oak grove climax community, all of which enhance the study of biodiversity.
Inside the Center are two classroom labs and more than 30 living habitats, including two floor touch tanks – one marine, and the other freshwater. Many of the exhibits contain flora and fauna native to North Alabama and to the entire state of Alabama.
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Who do you serve and what is your mission?
WEEC’s mission is to provide meaningful, broad-based instruction on relevant environmental topics that are designed to address the global interrelationships and interdependency of our environment and the way we individuals impact it, both negatively and positively. My own mission as a teacher is to nurture and cultivate student sensitivity to the frailty of our planet by offering multiple opportunities to develop an environmental ethic. -
Why is it unique to Decatur?
As every facet of our society becomes increasingly aware of the environment, its related social and economic issues, its widespread misuse, and the global impact of its abuse that we all must face, it is only logical that schools and industry, two major players in this arena of concern, step forward to offer solutions. Schools bring impressionable young people and the tools and techniques to educate, while industry can offer facilities, technology, and other corporate resources. Combining the efforts of such diverse groups for a common cause places our community on the cutting edge of environmental education and its goal of “thinking globally, acting locally.” -
How does the work you do impact education in Decatur?
The use of living organisms enhances regular classroom instruction and makes the topics more relevant and meaningful to students. WEEC provides an opportunity for students to focus on the beauty and treasure of the natural resources in our state. Through the live displays inside, students get the opportunity to study other important ecosystems they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to see or visit, such as the ocean. -
Do you have a favorite program? Why?
My favorite program to teach is my 5th-grade class focusing on ecosystems because students really get to see first-hand the interrelationships and interdependency of our environment. As we move from observing individuals to the broad picture, the ecosystem, students begin to understand that each organism is important in nature. We observe tiny creatures, such as a roly-poly, and a big organism, such as a 350-year-old white oak tree, and discuss how the two organisms are connected and rely on each other indirectly.
What can kids/families do at home to explore/learn about the environment? Do you have an activity or experiment you can share?
Scavenger hunts. My own children and I started doing these during the COVID lockdown, and I now use scavenger hunts in some of the lessons I teach because they give kids a reason to get out and observe. I began by making a list of finding certain colors, shapes, and textures in their surroundings.
Another easy activity is one I call “Pick Up”. It is an excellent way to focus or refocus a group -by just asking them to pick something up and hold it in the air. I begin the observation process by asking, “What do you notice about it?” I usually try to get students to pick out 4 things, using their eyes, ears, nose, and touch. Then ask, “What do you wonder about it?” This makes them think about their observation and develop a mindset of curiosity. Lastly, ask “What does it remind you of?” to help students connect with the object. It could be another object that it reminds them of or a place or event in their life. This simple routine can help students get beyond seeing nature as a “green blur,” and lead them to never be bored in nature again.
In your opinion, what makes Decatur special? Why did you stay in Decatur to pursue a career?
One thing I never knew as a child growing up in Decatur, Alabama, was how biodiverse our state is. Alabama is the 4th most biodiverse state! For some reason, I always thought to study wildlife, I was going to have to go to out west or to another country. What we have here, the flora and fauna of Alabama, is so unique and so amazing. More than anything, I want to share that with the students in Decatur, who may be like I once was. We need more stewards of our natural resources.
Molly Wallace Ferrell
Molly Wallace Ferrell was born and raised in Decatur, Alabama, graduating from Decatur High School in 2003. She left Decatur to attend college at Auburn University, where she received her B.S. in Wildlife Science. She spent a few years living in south Alabama, but felt a calling back to north Alabama to teach. She received a Master of Education degree in secondary biology from the University of North Alabama in 2012. Within the same year, she married her husband, who is also a Decatur native, and she began her teaching career at Wetlands Edge Environmental Center, where she still teaches today. Molly is also a mom to two beautiful girls.
