Students at the Blue Ridge Outdoor Education Center in rural Georgia learn about nature through hands-on experiential education, living and studying in the surrounding forests, streams, and wetlands. Activities include catching and studying fish, wading through wetlands to observe plant and animal life, and nocturnal owl prowls. The multi-day programs immerse students in outdoor skills while fostering appreciation for the environment.

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At anoutdoor education
center,studentslearn
about nature by living in it.
I By Joe Edwards/ StatfWrlter
I PhotographybyWllllamOakes
Henry David Tltoreauoncewrote tlratthe nrarriageof one'ssoulwith naturemakestle intellectfruitful and givesbirth to
inragination. r'a.
Nearly l-50yearslater,ferv would arguetlra(an educationrlprograinin rural NortheastGeorgiahasembraceda simild
idea.Tuckedawayat thebaseof theAppalachimswhcretheI'iedrnontgivesway to mountainridgesof rich biodiversity,thdy'
Blue RidgeOutdoorEducationCenteris providinguniqueopportunitiesfor thousandsof studentsin grades4 through12.
Althoughl{ollywood might lahelit "closeencountersof thenaturalkind." thecurriculumis officially known asexperien-
tial environmenlaleducation.Classesfrom throughoutthe Soutlreastfind themselvesin the midstof foresttrails.mountain
streamsandrvetlands.Ilands-onactivities,ctrupledrvithtraditiolralteachingmeth-
ods,enablestudetttsto explorcvariousecosysternsfronra freshperspective.
'"llre
studentsiue free frorn Iinritationssetby cla.ssroornrvallsbecausethcy're
actuallyable to seethings that nranyof themhad only read about,"said Rick
Fisher,directorof thenon-profitcentersinceit openedlastyear.
During an aquaticportion of the program,visitors begin to understandthe fragility andimportanceof watersystemsby catch-
ing andcatalogingfish from the cold watersof a rnountainstream.Nearby,an 8-foot, 3O0-gallonaquariumprovidesa represen-
tativecross-sectionof streamhabitat.notto lnentionaninrpressivefish-eyeview.
Oneof 0remorepopularactivities,espcciallywitlryoungcrchildren.ilrvolvesrvadingin tlreshallorvsol a 2'-acrcrvetlmd.

2. BlusRldlo
camp0t8
Gr08S0Y0r
wood0n
brldgeIn
pursultof
lholrnoxl
understoodfor many
put to betteruse.
"In;eality, theseaquatic-terrestrialtransitiorrz.onesareimponmt waterfiltersandprovidea nurseryhabitatfor manyorgan-
isms,"Fishersaid.
The wetlandwas oncc a recreationallakeat the 478-acreMikell Canrpand ConferenceCenter.notcdli.obinDake,a staff
memberandmarketingcoordinator.Studentsnow ventureinto theprotectedarearvithstrainersuscdto find ',rdpoles.srnallfish
andinsectlarvaelike dragorrflynynrplrs.
"I thinkit's theirfirvoritethingto gctin {hervatcrandrnutl."l)akechucklcd."Whiletlrr.'y'rein tlrcretlrcirrstructorsgivctlrerl
lessonson why theorganisnrslivc herearrrlrvhattheydo lrere."
* ..,;"S,qgdentsalsotestthewetlandfor oxvgcn.clarity;rn<ltenrperaturc.r'onrparingil ttr51u4ie,;conductedin tlrerrcirrhy(routstl.ealll.
' '[he
classesaretaughtby stall nrclnl)erscer-ti{ledby theNatirrrrallvildlifeFederationwhomeet(ieorgincrrrriculurnstandards
aswell.
"The teaclrerstell us thattheygo backandhavea cornpletelvdiffcrentrclation-
shiprviththcirkitls,"Dakesaid."l nrean,whenthckrdssectlrcirlcircherin I wct-
landup to herknees,it changesthciroutlookandonly ernplrasizcstheirnportance
of leamitrg."
Alreadyholrrcto beaver,bassandheron,thewetlandis heirrgrcstorcdin lropes
ofattractingrvoodcluck,osprcy.kingfisherandotherrvildlifc.Arrovcrflowrelease
rvjll laisethe*'ltc-rlevclsub.stzuttiallyrutda 750-flrotfloatingbotrdualk is expect-
edto beconrplctedhy theendof thesummer.
By studyinglakeplanktonundernricroscopesat anindoornnturecenter,visitors
alsoleinr aboutfood chainsand the links thatconnectall creatures.At l5 work
stationstheyareinlroducedto rnultirnediacomputers,exhibitsarrdlive animalsin
a controlledenvironrnent.Tlreactivi(iesaredesignetlto isolatekeyconceptsof the
naturalworld andenforcestudents'rvorkin thefield.
ComputerproSramsaboutworld ecologyofferinsightinto rnankind'srole in theglobalenvironment,while fieldjournals
andnolesprovidea recordof eachstudent'sexperiences.
Groupsfrom Florida,GeorgiaandtlreCarolinashavealreadyvisitedthecenterduringits firstyearof operation.
'The
kids werevery excitedwhen theyfoundout aboutpartsof the programlike the owl study,"saidPennyBrown, a
chaperonefor a groupof fourth-gradersfronrGwinnettCounty.Threeof herown childrenwerealongfor a tkee-day excur-
sion.u'hichincludedthepopukuov.,lprorvl,astudyof life rfter thcsunqoesdown.
Within hoursof theirarrivaltheylistenedtoscreechowls,barredowls andgreathornedowlscall into thenight.Later,they
gazedinto theheavensduringanasronomylessonandsatby a ca:rrplireeagerlylisteningto a CherokeeandanAppalachian
storyteller.
"lt's reallyncatto beout herelike this,"9-year-oldAdrunBrorvnsaid."There'sa lot ofstuffout here."
After their nighttinreprowl for owls, thevoungstersretumctlto tlreclassroonrto dissectowl pellets,fte fur and skeletal
remainsof preythatorvlsinstinctivelyregurgitate.
'l-lre
groupspenlln hourreconstructingthebonesto leamthatat leastone
owl hatlntousefrrrdinner.
'l1re
follorvingday.thestudentscorrrbctltlrrouglra largeportionof uplarrrlforcst,takingnoteson itsdiversefloraandfauna.
Althoughforestecologywastlrecorcof thelesson.(lreuniquegcologyandlandfonnsof theareawerealsoexamined.
"Thistripisallhe'stalkedaboutforaweek."BohBartersairlof lrissolr,Keith"lt'sagoodexperienceforbotlrofus."
A three-day,trvo-rrightprogrnnrcosts$79perstudentandinclutJcsl<xlging.nreals.instructionand lab fees.An extended
five-daytrip, calledEco-Ven(ures.costs$209perstudentand includcslodging,nreals,instructionandtwo off-campusfield
Inps.
l'he choiccsi
h i k i n g o n
A p p a la ch ia n
ca n o e in g th e
Cha tta h o o ch e e
River.whiterva-
Sludonlsfrom
thet{esbll
Elementary
School,
Gwlnnett
County,sludy
swampllfo
with
Inslruclor
Glna
Provenzano.
ter raftingon the ChattoogaRiver antl stutlyingthe highest
waterfallsin the lri-stateareaof North Carolina.South
CarolinaandGeorgia,
Studentsstayin six domritory-stylecabitrsanduc served
buffet meals.In additionto hikes,bird rvalksand orlrer.
typesof aclivities,orgirnizerlrecrcaliorrpcriodsarc hclcl
durinf,tlre<l;ry.Raskcth;rll.rtllcylr:rll:rrrrllrrrst.rlrocs,,," L,
. tr.
F

3. l r l l l t ' l l l l l ( - ] . l l C l l l l l l X l t l ! ( - t l l ( r I l l t l l l l l l l c l l l i l ( ( r l l l l t ( l l ( I , C I l l l t l l , l l l t l l l r ( r l l l l l l l ' l l t r l
ir (onlt()llc(lctrvir()t)n)clll.l'ltc;rclivttics;rrc'rlcsigttcrlto isollrtckcv tottct'1tlsol tlrc
natural world iurtl eufrrrce studcnts' rvork in the fiekl.
Computerprograrnsaboutworld ecologyofferinsightinto rnankind'srole in theglobalenvironment,while fieldjoumals
andnotesprovidea recordof eachstudent'sexperiences.
Groupsfrom Florida,GeorgiaandtheCarolinashavealreadyvisiledthecenterduringitsfirstyearofoperation.
"The kids were very excited when they found out aboutpartsof the program like the owl study," said Penny Brown, a
chaperonefor a groirpof fourth-gradersfronrGwinnettCorrnty.Tlrrecof hcrown childrenwerealongfor a three-dayexcur-
siotr.uhiclrirtcltrtletllhelxrprrlnror..,lpr,rrvl,lsturlvoflift';rltcrlhcs(urqocrthxvn.
Withinlroursof thcirarrivaltlreylistenedtoscrcechorvls,trarrctlow'ls:urdgrca(lrorrrcdowlscallintothenight.Later.they
gazedinto theheavensduringanastronomylesson:rndsatby a canrplireeagerlylisteningto a CherokeeandanAppalachian
storyteller.
"It's reallyncatto beout herelike this,"9-year-oltlAdrunBrorvnsaid."There'sa krtof stufiout here."
After theirnighttinreprowl for owls, theyoungstersreturnetlto the classroonlto dissectowl pellets,the fur and skeletal
remainsof preythalorvlsinstinclivelyregurgitate.The groupspcntanhotrrreconstructingthebonesto leamthatat leastone
owl hadnx)uscfor dillner.
1'hefollorvingday.(hestudentsconrhedtlrrouglra largeporlionofuplalrrlforest,(akingnoteson itsdiversefloraandfauna.
Althoughforestecologywasthecoreof thelesson,tlreuniquegcologyandlandfonnsof theareawerealsoexamined.
'"I-his
trip is all he'stalkedaboutfor a week,"Bob Ba,rtersaiclof hisson,Keith "lt's a goodexperiencefor bothof us."
A three-day,trvo-uightprogriul costs$79perstudentand irrcludeslodging,meals.instructiona.ndlab fees.An extended
five-daytrip. calledEco-Ventures,costs$209perstudentandincludeslodging,meals,instructionandtwo off-campusfield
lnps.
'l'he
choicesinclude
h i k i n g o n t h e
Ap p a la ch ia n T ra il.
ca n o e in g th e
Ch a tta h o o ch e e
River, whiterva-
Sludcntrfrom
lhel{esblt
Elemenlary
School,
Gwlnnett
Gounty,sludy
swampllfr
wllh
Inslruclor
Glna
Provenrano.
BlueRldoo
camp0n
cr0880v0r
woodon
brldgeIn
pursultol
thohnon
ocolo0y
adYonluro.
Rlghl,broth-
orsAdamand
lanBrown
erplorScrook
wlldlllo.
ter raftingon the ChattoogaRiver anrl stutlvingtlrehiglrest
waterfallsin the tri-stateareaof North Carolina.Sourh
CarolinaandGeorgia.
Studentsstayin six dornritory-stylecabirrsandruc servcd
buffet meals.In additionto hikes,bird rvalksand other
typesof activities,organiz.edrecreationperiodsare held
during the day. Basketball,volleyballarrrlhorseshoesare
offered,aswell assupervisedswinrsin a.5O-ftxrtpool.
In fact,learningtakesplacethroughoutthe entiretrip,
saidLeigh Kingsbury,an instruclor.Studentsgain a bet-
ter appreciationfor group cooperationand comrnunity
involvenrentby living togetherandsharingcabinrcspon-
sibilities.
"It's a goodfeelingto seetheireyeslight up whenthey
leam sonrethingnervaboutnature.but il's alsogrxrdto
know t hat t hey' r e gr owing in ot her wa ys," sa id
Kingsbury,who livcswith olherstal-frnenrtrersin a cabin
on campus.
The Blue RidgeOutdoorEducationCenterwasdcvel-
opedwith thesupportof theEpiscopalDioceseof Atlanta
andtheMikell CampandConferenceCenterof Toccoa.It
is alsofundedthroughprivategrantsand donations.The
centeroperatesduringthc springarxlfall f<rrschoolgroups.
Weeklongstaffdevelopnrentworkshopsfor teachersbegin
in June.For moreinformation.call (706)8tl6-0656.