NEWS

Local residents who have an appreciation for nature – and a wish to share that appreciation with others – are encouraged to consider volunteering as tour guides for UNC’s N.C. Botanical Garden.

New tour guides will meet Tuesday afternoons from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 9 through Oct. 7 to learn the basics of being a guide, then join the morning meetings for more diverse subjects. Training sessions will provide information on the different garden areas, such as the carnivorous plants and the herb garden, as well as other topics.

The time commitment for volunteers is flexible, and docents may choose to work with adult or children’s groups.

Docents meet Tuesday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. during the fall and spring months, peak seasons for public programs in the planted gardens. A few topics planned for fall are forest lore, the poison garden, plant and animal interactions, pond life and aquatic plants and ferns.

The N.C. Botanical Garden’s mission is the conservation and propagation of research and education concerning the native flora of North Carolina and the Southeast. Since the 1960s, the garden has been a leader in conservation gardening and is recognized as setting the standard for similar gardens focusing on native plants rather than exotic plantings from other regions.

For more information, call Dot Wilbur-Brooks at (919) 962-9460, e-mail visitncbg@unc.edu or click on www.ncbg.unc.edu.

###

Professor named one of state’s 100 great nurses for 2003

Dr. Joyce H. Rasin, an associate nursing professor at UNC, has been selected as one of the state’s 100 great nurses for 2003.

Rasin was chosen by The Great 100 Inc., a peer-recognition organization based in Greensboro that annually recognizes 100 N.C. nurses for outstanding professional ability and contributions to the quality of health-care services in their community.

Rasin’s work centers on developing and evaluating strategies to enhance the skills of health-care providers serving older adults in community-based, long-term care settings.

After completing postdoctoral studies in the care of older adults and serving as a faculty member at the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Nursing, Rasin joined the UNC faculty in 2000. She also has taught at Delaware State College and the University of Maryland.

-30-

Photo note: To download a photo of Rasin, click on http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/faculty/rasin_joyce.jpg

News Services contact: Deb Saine, (919) 962-8415