Muddy Sneakers plans expansion to Eastern NC

Students in Eastern North Carolina will soon have the opportunity to experience the benefits of outdoor science education as Muddy Sneakers opens a third field office in the region. This new development marks a continuation of expansion efforts we began three years ago with the opening of our Piedmont field office in Salisbury. Muddy Sneakers is committed to realizing a vision of becoming statewide, providing nature-immersive education to students from the mountains to the sea.

That dream is scheduled to become a reality in 2020 as we begin programming in 15 schools in seven eastern counties, serving more than 1,000 students. Schools in the following counties have already signed up for their fifth-graders to take part in our outdoor learning program: Beaufort, Cartaret, Craven, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, and Pamlico.

We have our sights set on New Bern as the new field office location, a resilient and growing community that will allow us to reach the diverse ecosystems of the near-coastal region. The area features an abundance of protected lands where students can explore pine forests, estuarine environments, bottomland hardwood swamps, and river systems. 

This fall, we are looking regionally to hire our Eastern NC staff, including a field office director, program director, and multiple field instructors. We look forward to working with local land partners such as the NC Coastal Land Trust, U.S.Forest Service (Croatan NF), NC State Parks (Goose Creek SP), municipal Departments of Parks and Recreation, and Weyerhaeuser.

Currently, Muddy Sneakers is included in the North Carolina state budget for the fourth year in a row, and should the budget pass as proposed, our eastern expansion plans will continue as scheduled. We are thrilled to deepen our connections with the dynamic and evolving communities of Eastern North Carolina and introduce more students to the special environments in their backyard.