Lisa
Zinn
Environmental Science Educator
Contact
info
Office: Merry Lea
Phone: (260) 799-5869
E-mail: lisarz@goshen.edu
Education
and professional experience
B.A. Houghton College, 1992
M. En. Miami University, 2002
My undergraduate degree was in Biology with a concentration in environmental
studies. My master’s degree is in environmental studies with a concentration
in Conservation Biology. I have also worked for ten years in different
areas of environmental education at both here at Merry Lea and at Au Sable
Institute of Environmental Studies in Mancelona, Michigan. I am currently
pursuing an Ed.D. in Science from Ball State University with a major in
Natural Resources and Environmental Management.
How
I became an environmental educator
I have always had a passion for both the environment and for teaching.
I have taught science at the high school level, but I love the freedom
that post-secondary education gives me to take students outdoors and
to do research.
Ideas that matter to me
I believe that God is the creator of all things and that to learn of
the creation is to learn of the Creator. It is also, then, our responsibility
to care for this precious creation in which God has allowed us to be
a part.
I feel that “the unknowing eye cannot see,” and that
it is important to help students to open their eyes to the marvelous,
interconnected world around them. The more their eyes are open, the
more they will begin to cherish and protect what they are learning
to see.
The classes I teach:
I
teach Research Methods and Measurements for Environmental Education
in the Master's in Environmental Education program. I
also teach a graduate class for high school teachers called Instrumentation
and Curriculum for Environmental Science. This course provides
instruction in the use of environmental monitoring equipment and
demonstrates ways that teachers can incorporate fieldwork into
their curriculum. This class is completely “hands-on,” as
the students learn to use the equipment in the field and then develop
a curriculum for their classroom.
In addition to these graduate classes, I also have the opportunity
to teach in our K-12 programs on a regular basis. This is a
great way to rekindle the excitement and enthusiasm that the
natural world can bring to people both young and old.
My role in Merry Lea’s new graduate
program in Environmental Education:
I am very excited about the Master’s program in EE. Having
worked in environmental education for many years, I would have
loved to have this kind of training and education to bring
to my teaching.
I am teaching a class called Research Methods and Measures.
It is a class designed to give students a good, practical understanding
of how to conduct research and use testing equipment. Students
will learn common techniques for collecting data. They will
become familiar with common measuring instruments and learn
how to analyze data with statistical methods. Students will
also learn how to conduct research to assess the effectiveness
of educational programs and techniques.
In addition, I will advise students, supervise research projects
and teach integrative sessions.
Research Interests
I have a particular interest in how humans affect ecosystems.
My main research focus has been birds. In my master’s
thesis, “Avian response to lakeshore cottage development
in northwest lower Michigan,”
I looked at how lakeshore bird communities responded to the
development of houses and cottages along the shorelines.
I am currently very involved in a nationwide research project
called “Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship” which
uses consistent effort mist netting and banding birds to study
bird population trends.
I
am also doing research on constructed wetlands that are used for wastewater
treatment. I am interested in how well these wetlands are at removing
pharmaceuticals and personal care products. My current research
is examining how well constructed wetlands remove the chemical Triclosan. This
is the active ingredient in antibacterial soap.
I have supervised students who explored bird community response to surrounding
habitats, the response of Yellow Warblers and Common Yellowthroats to the
presence of roads, and monitoring small rodent populations in prairie restoration
areas.
Presentation topics
Birding hikes
Bird banding or research talks
Edible Plants
General natural history hikes
Water quality testing demonstrations
Water quality and macroinvertibrates
Endangered species and wildlife protection
How to conduct basic ecological or environmental research studies
History of the environmental movement
Environmental ethics
Christian environmental ethics
Christianity and the Environment
Creativity, imagination, and the environment
Tolkien and Lewis and the environment
Song writing and the creation
Incorporating the creation into leading worship
Musical performance – Songs of Creation
Selected Publications:
Designer
and editor for Let Them Praise: Developing an Environmental Education
Program that Honors the Creator. Au Sable Institute of Environmental
Studies, 1998.
Weber, A., and L. Zinn, The Effects of Nearby Habitat on Avian Populations
- abstract. 2005. Indiana Academy of Science Proceedings. 121st Annual
Meeting.
On Earth as in Heaven. Cassette of recordings of original
songs in celebration of the creation. Written and performed by Lisa
Zinn.
“...
I will say this: the rule of no realm is mine…great or small.
But all worthy things that are in peril as the world now stands,
those are my care. And for my part, I shall not wholly fail of my task…if
anything passes through this night that can still grow fair or
bear fruit and flower again in days to come. For I also am a steward. Did you
not know?”
--J.R.R. Tolkien