May 20, 2018 4 min read

A Carmichaels Area High School teacher was recently honored for his exemplary conservationist work with his students.

Kevin Willis, a Carmichaels High School chemistry teacher who has been with the school for the past 22 years, was awarded the Coldwater Conservationist of the Year from the Chestnut Ridge chapter of Trout Unlimited March 24.

Willis has made sure to include several outside experts and excursions in his teachings, from trout in the classroom, fly fishing demonstrations and the Envirothon.

“For students at Carmichaels Area, the Envirothon has become more than just a competition – it has become a vehicle to prepare them for an environmental-related career,” said Dale Kotowski, president of the chapter who presented the award to Willis. “It is the real-world experiences and unique learning opportunities that Kevin Willis provides for his students that is the real reason for the award.”

Carmichaels students consistently sweep the competition. They took the top three spots at the county level earlier this month. Their top team is set to represent Greene County at the state Envirothon Tuesday and Wednesday at Susquehanna University and Camp Mount Luther. Carmichaels students also consistently place in the top five at the state level.

“Our students are so much more than just a competition,” Willis emphasized. “The students work very hard, but they work hard at a lot of environmental projects.”

Their work is not just about preparing for the Envirothon. Competition can only get them so far. It’s about preparing students for future careers, he said.

Willis has worked with Trout Unlimited on several projects, completing surveys of tributaries of the Youghiogheny River, learning about area trees and wildlife and raising native brook trout in the classroom that are released to Meadow Run at Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County.

Willis said he brings in so many outside educators that are willing to volunteer their time and effort to teach his students because he used to think he could do it all. He quickly realized that wasn’t the case and field experts could provide an incredible benefit to the classroom.

“These are experiences that just cannot be replicated in the classroom,” Willis said. “Through our field experiences, our students are challenged to acquire the knowledge and skills they will need as they prepare for environmental-related careers and become informed citizens.”

Willis has amassed a network of state employees, collegiate-level instructors and business and industry experts to help supplement his curriculum.

When his students see people working in environmental careers passionate about what they do, that energy is infectious, Willis said. It also makes it more realistic for students that they could have a career like that someday. They’re motivated by these role models and mentors.

His networking with area conservationists and environmentalists leads to both planned and unplanned outings and experiences. Willis said some of the unplanned opportunities are his favorites. Willis also often incorporates other disciplines in these activities, like the school’s life skills students and fitness.

Willis said he doesn’t like to do just field trips, but experiences where students can get their hands dirty: exploring native species’ habitats and restoring those habitats, for example. Students have worked to restore butterfly habitats at Ohiopyle’s new visitor center, at the school’s campus at the new library addition, at Wana-B-Park and elsewhere.

“Through these hands-on experiences, students gain confidence interacting with the natural environment and strengthen their appreciation for the world around them along with developing skills that could lead to a lifelong passion for the environment,” Willis said.

A Carmichaels graduate himself, Willis wanted to come back to his alma mater and is passionate about making sure his students are prepared when they leave school. He competed in the Envirothon as a student.

“All I wanted ever since I was done, I wanted my students to compete,” he said.

Now, he’s living out that dream.

Along with teaching chemistry and science, Willis has a four-credit college-level course through Carlow University, is the advisor of the ChemClub and National Honor Society and coaches the Envirothon team. Willis has also received an honorable mention recognition for the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators and Greene County Conservation District Special Recognition Award in 2012.