DNR @ Work
Stacy Epperson Aquatic Resources Education Specialist

By Karis King

Who wouldn’t like teaching others about their passion? “That’s the wonderful thing about my job – I spend the day doing what I love, educating students and teachers about the natural environment, says Stacy Epperson, Aquatic Resources Education Specialist.

Stacy’s passion is immediately apparent. “Come look at these guys, she says excitedly, guiding me to a tank containing five horseshoe crabs of various sizes and introducing me to her favorite, and the largest, named — what else? — Fluffy.

“Would you like to hold him?” Hesitant, I hold out my hand, accepting the slimy, wet critter. Stacy assures me that I’m not the first to be taken aback, “Most people think they’re scary monsters with big stingers and claws. I was that way too!”

Chesapeake and Coastal Services, the unit where Stacy works, has multiple tanks containing horseshoe crabs that range in size from 1/8 inch to almost a foot in length. These crabs play a large part in the curriculum, Raising Horseshoe Crabs in the Classroom, an animal husbandry program for upper elementary to high school level classes, which began in 1999. Between 60 and 100 schools now participate in the program each year.

At the beginning of the school year, DNR provides teachers with everything they need: crab eggs, a training course, an informational binder and experiment ideas. Stacy says the program’s goal is not to resupply crabs, but to educate youth on their life cycle and value. At the end of year the students release the crabs at a field day event at Sandy Point State Park.

“It’s so much fun,” says Stacy. “All the kids say their goodbyes, usually along the lines of ‘don’t get eaten by the turtles. They learn it may be the outcome for many of the crabs.

Stacy also teaches Green Eggs and Sand, a tri-state horseshoe crab and shorebird resource management workshop for teachers (see Hands on Learning in this issue). Additionally, Stacy develops material for the Maryland State Envirothon aquatic ecology section and assists with youth outreach at events such as the Maryland Seafood Festival and State Fair.

Before joining DNR over two years ago, Stacy served in the Marine Corps for seven years as an air traffic controller, graduated from Towson University with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and became the Aquatic Facility Manager for Loyola College.

“In 2008 I decided I wanted a complete career change. I wanted to do something outdoors and natural resource related, like become a park ranger or teach outdoor recreation, Stacy says. So she resigned from Loyola and started at the bottom again as an intern at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center. A year later she began working at DNR. “I needed a change but ironically I’m back in the aquatics field, only in an entirely different way.

Stacy says another thing she really loves about her job is her coworkers. “They give me the respect, freedom and encouragement to do what I want in my work environment — like improving and creating programs and lesson plans.

Stacy says one of her major goals is to revamp the current curriculum to incorporate pressing issues such as climate change, State regulation and invasive species so that the students can understand their affects on the future of natural resources.

When she isn’t working, Stacy admits, “I’m definitely an outdoors woman. I hike, backpack, kayak and participate in volunteer activities. I’m secretary of the Anne Arundel County Bird Club and just started heading the recruitment committee to increase youth birding in the county. I’m also a watershed steward for the county and a Sierra Club leader.

How does she find time for everything?

“I don’t watch TV,” Stacy says.

Karis King is a Communications Specialist with DNR s office of Communication.

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