About the author of this site
Kristian Cole graduated Stetson University with a BBA in General Business in 1989. While attending Stetson, Kristian participated in the Stetson University Pigmy Rattlesnake Research Program and completed over 30 hours in biology courses. He has been acknowledged in several publications for work contributed in pigmy rattlesnake research. Kristian finished his Master's in Educational Leadership July 26th, 2002. Kristian has also worked for Merrill Lynch, Coldwell Banker, and ran his own sports card business.
In the fall of 1997, Kristian won Winter Springs High School's first ever Teacher of the Week Award. He also continues to strengthen his qualifications through training sessions with St. John's River Water Management officials and Seminole County Natural Lands representatives. Kristian has attended 2 Summit for Environmental Action Through Learning and Service Training Sessions (November 5-7, 1998 & November 13 - 14, 2000). On May 22, 1999 Kristian was named Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District's Teacher of the Year. Kristian was listed in the 2000 edition of "Who's Who Among America's Teachers"; he won Teacher of the Month (January 2000) for WSHS; and he helped the program win the Office of Environmental Education's highest award - Program of Excellence.
His achievements in 2001 - 2002 included another “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” Award, and coaching the Bear-A-Cudas to the Regional Envirothon Championship.
Kristian's achievements in 2002 - 2003 included coaching another team of students to a Regional Envirothon Championship (a series of 5 tests based on Florida's Sunshine State Standards). The team won a state championship in the Soils Division for the Envirothon. Also in 2003, Mr. Cole's students were selected by the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation to make a video about scrub jays which was distributed to middle schools across the nation.
In 2003 - 2004, Kristian teamed with Trent Daniel, Brian Urichko, Jack Dearing, and Jim Marshall to win a Disney Teacheriffic Award for "Going Batty". In the project, high school students traveled to elementary schools educating younger students about the important role bats play in our environment. In addition, Kristian coached an Envirothon team to a Regional Championship for the third straight year; and a State Championship in the soils division for the second straight year.
Kristian had the highest Advanced Placement Environmental Science pass rate in Seminole County for the 2001, 2003, & 2004 Exams while also beating the national average.
Kristian's students were one of the driving forces behind the move to get Florida's state bird changed from the mocking bird to the Florida Scrub Jay in 1999 & 2000. This led to several students testifying on behalf of the bill before Florida's House of Representatives & the Florida Senate. While the legislation was unsuccessful, the students learned a tremendous amount of information.
Kristian was an assistant basketball coach for the Winter Springs High School
Lady Bears when they became the first school in Florida history to win a state
championship in their second year as a school. They won the state championship
again the following year.
In 2005, Kristian joined Seminole High School as the AP environmental science
teacher. In 2006, Kristian started coaching girls basketball again leading the
Junior Varsity Girls to a 12-7 record.
In his spare time Kristian coaches powder-puff football; coaches basketball; spends time with his family; catches lizards, frogs, snakes, turtles, newts and other critters (its not that weird); and assists his wife Dana Cole with her real estate career. That's right, she is the boss.
Below are links to a few of the newspaper articles and television appearances Kristian and his students have been involved with.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES (These are just a few of the dozens of articles my students and I have done. I have to admit, I never thought my students or I would ever make the front page of The Orlando Sentinel as shown in the fourth article - wow!)
Orlando Sentinel - Animals go to school - by Dennis Wall - April 24, 1998 (D-4)
TELEVISION APPEARANCES (These are just a few of the scores of interviews my students and I have done.)
April 22, 1998 WESH News Channel 2: Animals Go To School - by Dave McDaniel
September 17,1999 WESH News Channel 2: C.E.R.T Training (Community Emergency Response Team) - by Kathy Marsh
May 1999, WESH News Channel 2: Scrub Jay for Florida's State Bird - by Laural Porter
April 10. 2002 WESH News Channel 2: Seminole County Natural Lands Field Trip - by Dave McDaniel
Mr. Cole's AP Environmental Science Notes (student use only)