Alumnus donates book collection to NRM Program
Joshua Arrants of Camden, an alumnus of Central Carolina Technical College, has donated 19 high-quality natural history books to the Natural Resources Management Program at CCTC. “This is the beginning of a library and a resource for the students in this program. Hopefully it will inspire them to get out and research beyond the classroom. We recognize and thank Joshua for this great contribution to our program,” says CCTC’s Department Chair for Environmental and Natural Resources Program Josh Castleberry.
Arrants graduated magna cum laude from CCTC in 2002 with an associate degree in Natural Resources Management. In 2014, he was recognized as an Outstanding Alumni award recipient for the college. Joshua started his career in 2001 as an intern at Shaw Air Force Base where he worked with the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Joshua is now a naturalist at Arrants Outdoors, LLC which specializes in offering full-spectrum ecological and environmental property consultation for private landowners, industries and public lands. “I have my education at Central Carolina Technical College to thank for my internship at Shaw Air Force Base. That is where my career started. I do not take that for granted,” says Arrants. “I want to help students in this program. A real, updated catalog of books covering the entire natural history of this area will benefit the program. Students can access this encyclopedia of books to research their findings. This is my way of giving back to the program that helped me get my start. I know without a doubt that I would not be where I am today had I not been a student at CCTC.”
The Environmental and Natural Resources program offers associate degrees in Natural Resources Management and Environmental Engineering Technology. The program also has certificates in: Environmental, Health and Safety, Water Operator, and Wastewater Operator. Most classes are conducted at the Natural Resources Management Center, located at 735 Brewington Road in Sumter. This 105-acre outdoor laboratory includes agricultural fields, wooded and natural areas, and ponds, all of which are used for instructional purposes.
