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| Ray Novotny – A Nature Teaching Hero |
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| Teaching Nature Journal - Teaching Nature v1 n1 | |||||
Ray is the Manager of Ford Nature Center in Youngstown, Ohio. The Center serves as environmental education program headquarters for Mill Creek MetroParks, which was established in 1891 as Ohio's first park district and was an early leader in nature education in the 1930’s. Today Ford Nature Center offers a wide variety of outdoor-based programming for all ages.  Since 1985 Ray has directed, coordinated, and presented nature education, interpretive, and recreation programs. Currently he is the Center’s only full-time staff, supervising five part-time naturalists who present nature center-based and school-based programs to over 5,300 students in pre-K through fifth grade each year. Ray credits his many coworkers of the last near quarter-century for the success of their programs and singles out two: his original inspiration, his predecessor Bill Whitehouse, and his park supervisor Tom Bresko.The Center offers public programs every weekend; in 2008, 4259 people participated. Some of the programs Ray led that year were Ice-making by Mother Nature, The Snow Moon, Spring Wildflowers, Let's Go Timberdoodlin', Year of the Frog, Old-Fashioned Crayfish Hunt, Thunder Moon Kayak, Picture Frame Hike, and Long Night Moon. Since 1987 Ray has directed an alternating biennial Reptile & Raptor Exhibit and Bug Day. These events allow close-up, firsthand experiences with herps, birds, and arthropods and have become extremely popular, drawing crowds of nearly 5,000 and vast media coverage. In 1992 the Ohio Park & Recreation Association honored the Reptile and Raptor Exhibit with its Program Development Award.  Early this year Ray worked with RTPI Special Collections Curator Marlene Mudge to create a RTP Centennial program featuring Dr. Peterson’s Youngstown connections.But Ray’s tireless work interpreting nature for public and school groups doesn’t end when his day is done at the Ford Nature Center – in fact, it was his “hidden” career in nature education that first attracted our attention at RTPI in 1995. At that time we had a “Nature Educator of the Year” award program that included a special citation for lifetime achievement in nature education. Ray nominated Roger Conant (1909 – 2003), author of the Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern/Central North America and one of the great nature educators of the 20th century, to receive the award. We were delighted and honored to do so. The following year Ray nominated Forest Buchanan (1905 – 2002), a famous and beloved Ohio nature educator, to receive the award. Ray distinguished himself with the thoroughness and care with which he prepared his nominations. Because of Ray we were able to meet both Roger Conant and Forest Buchanan here at the Institute and pay homage to their leadership as nature educators. Later we discovered that an important part of Ray’s “life work” is to boost not only his mentors but also his peers by nominating them for a wide variety of awards and recognitions at the regional, state and national level. Indeed, his resume of awardees is nothing short of phenomenal: since 1985 some 60 awards bestowed on 36 nature educators. So much of what nature educators do goes unrecognized. As a profession we tend not to blow our own horns. Ray sees to it that the people in his sphere of influence get the recognition he believes they deserve. Ray is a one of a rare breed we would love to see more of. |
