Krista Fleming earns top EPA environmental award

Krista Fleming earns top EPA environmental award

Gulf Shores High School enviornomental science teacher Krista Fleming has earned the Presidential Innovation Award for environmental educators in recognition of the oyster restoration program she initiated as part of her immersive environmental science curriculum.
Fleming was one of only nine teachers in the country who won the EPA honor. She was recognized for facilitating learning by immersing her students in the Gulf Coast’s unique coastal environment. Her oyster gardening unit is particularly successful, with students paying weekly visits to Little Lagoon for research and restoration work in conjunction with the Little Lagoon Preservation Society, and Auburn University. Students in the program employ modern tools and methodologies to draw insightful conclusions from the data they gather.
“To my knowledge, she is the first teacher from around here to receive the award,’’ said LLPS president Dennis Hatfield. “It really is an honor for her.’’
Her students ahve also participated in dune restoration projcets with Gulf State Park and Dune Doctors.
She shares her lesson plans with teachers worldwide through webinars, which often feature guest speakers. Many students have chosen post-secondary studies in fields that she introduced them to, and enrollment in the her AP environmental science class has doubled and her students have won more awards in state competitions.