Environmental Nature Center

TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATION THROUGH HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH NATURE.

IN 2021 THE ENVIRONMENTAL NATURE CENTER (ENC)ACQUIRED TUCKER WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, A 12 ACRE SANCTUARY LOCATED IN MODJESKA CANYON. THE PROPERTY INCLUDES A NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, TRAILS, AND BIRD OBSERVATION DECK. THE ENC SPENT SUMMER 2021 MAKING UPGRADES TO THE ENC TUCKER WILDLIFE SANCTUARY - INCLUDING INSTALLING ADA COMPLIANT RESTROOMS AND MAKING REPAIRS TO SOME STRUCTURES. IN SUMMER 2022 WE PILOTED OUR FIRST PROGRAM AT TUCKER, SUMMER NATURE CAMP. 30 CAMPERS PARTICIPATED IN THIS INAUGURAL CAMP. MOVING FORWARD THE ENC WILL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES SIMILAR TO THOSE AT THE ENC - FIELD TRIPS FOR SCHOOL AND SCOUT GROUPS, NATURE CAMPS, SERVICE LEARNING, COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, AND MORE.DURING 21-22 PROGRAM YEAR OVER 19,000 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN ENVIRONMENTAL NATURE CENTER (ENC) PROGRAMS. ENC STAFF NATURALIST PRESENTED OVER 38,000 HOURS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. OUR NUMBER SIGNIFICANTLY RECOVERED THIS PAST YEAR, WITH EXTREMELY DENSE PROGRAMMING IN THE SPRING DUE TO MANY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS RECEIVING THE GREEN LIGHT TO PERMIT FIELD TRIPS AGAIN.THE ENC NATURE PRESCHOOL OPERATED AT FULL CAPACITY IN 2021-22, SERVING A DIVERSE POPULATION OF 72 CHILDREN DAILY. SCHOLARSHIPS WERE PROVIDED TO FAMILIES EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. WE CONTINUED OUR LIASON PROGRAM THIS YEAR, WITH OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIALIST HAVING EVEN MORE OF A ROLE IN PROVIDING RESOURCES AND ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR PRESCHOOL STUDENTS AND STAFF.ON SITE FIELD TRIPS REALLY REBOUNDED IN 2021-22. 199 PROGRAMS REACHED 10,472 STUDENTS. WE WERE BACK TO OFFERING TWO PROGRAMS DAILY BY FEBRUARY AND THIS PATTERN CONTINUED UNTIL MID JUNE.WITH THE HOPE OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE IN PERSON FIELD TRIPS AGAIN, MOST SCHOOLS OPTED OUT OF DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS IN 2021-22. WE STILL OFFERED A HANDFUL OF PROGRAMS TO SCHOOLS THAT DID NOT RECEIVE APPROVAL TO GO IN PERSON AND TO A COUPLE OF LIBRARIES. WE DONT ANTICIPATE INCREASING THESE NUMBER IN THE COMING YEAR BUT WILL KEEP THIS TECHNOLOGY ON RESERVE IN THE EVENT THAT WE NEED IT. IN 2021-22 8 DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS REACHED 264 STUDENTS.WITH THE OPTION TO HAVE IN PERSON FIELD TRIPS AGAIN, MOST SCHOOLS OPTED TO USE SCHOOL FUNDS ON THOSE TYPES OF PROGRAMS INSTEAD OF IN-SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS. HOWEVER, WE BOOKED UP QUICKLY FOR FIELD TRIPS, AND BY LATE MARCH OUR FIELD TRIPS CALENDAR WAS COMPLETELY FULL. SCHOOLS THAT WERE LATE TO THE GAME ENDED UP SCHEDULING TRAVELING NATURALIST PROGRAMS AS AN ALTERNATIVE. IN 2021-22 180 TRAVELING NATURALIST PROGRAMS REACHED 5,110 STUDENTS.IN 2021-22 750 CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS, INCLUDING WINTER CAMPS, PRESIDENTS WEEK CAMP, SPRING BREAK CAMP, AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CLASSES (TINY, MINI AND LITTLE NATURALIST PROGRAMS) CONTINUE TO BE VERY POPULAR. 489 CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS PARTICIPATED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CLASSES. 212 CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN THE AFOREMENTIONED ENRICHMENT CAMPS. AFTER SCHOOL NATURE PLAY CLUB, WHICH REPLACED AFTER SCHOOL NATURE CAMPS FROM THE PRIOR YEAR, IS ALSO CONSIDERED AN ENRICHMENT PROGRAM. 49 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN 2021-22.OUR SUMMER NATURE CAMPS SOLD OUT IN RECORD TIME IN 2022, FILLING ALMOST EVERY SESSION OF NATURE ADVENTURE CAMP ON THE SAME DAY THAT REGISTRATION OPENED. WE ATTRIBUTE THIS SURGE IN REGISTRATIONS TO OUR STELLAR REPUTATION AND A FEELING OF READINESS AMONG CAMP FAMILIES TO FINALLY SIGN THEIR CHILDREN UP FOR SUMMER PROGRAMMING AFTER 2 YEARS OF HESITANCY AND ISOLATION.2022S SUMMER NATURE CAMP REGISTRATION FILLED TO CAPACITY WITH 752 CAMPERS (INCLUDING 480 IN NATURE ADVENTURE CAMP, 192 IN LITTLE NATURALIST CAMP, 80 IN SCIENCE EXPLORER CAMP, AND 30 IN THE NEW CAMP AT ENC TUCKER WILDLIFE SANCTUARY). EVERY WEEK OF CAMP HAD A WAITLIST, AND FOR THE 5-8 YEAR OLD GROUPS THE WAITLIST EXCEEDED 100 PEOPLE EACH WEEK! OUR POPULARITY IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM AND KIDS THAT WANT TO RETURN YEAR AFTER YEAR. OUR SCOUT PROGRAM MORE THAT REBOUNDED IN 2021-22 - WE ACTUALLY SCHEDULED MORE PROGRAMS THAN WE DID IN THE YEAR BEFORE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN. 750 SCOUTS ENJOYED AN ENC SCOUT PROGRAM DURING THE 2021-22 PROGRAM YEAR. WE CONTINUE TO OFFER A DIVERSIFIED MENU OF PROGRAMS FOR SCOUTS AND COLLABORATE WITH SCOUTS ON EAGLE SCOUT AND SILVER AWARD PROJECTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.BEARTHDAY PARTIES ARE EDUCTATIONAL AND PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE PARTICIPANTS ABOUT WAYS TO CELEBRATE WHILE COMPLYING WITH THE ENCS ZERO WASTE POLICY. THEY ARE ALSO A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO THE NATURE CENTER FOR FAMILIES THAT ATTEND AS GUESTS! 42 BEARTHDAY PARTIES WERE CELEBRATED IN 2021-22, EDUTAINING 532 CHILDREN.COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO CONNCT TO NATURE. THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY. IN 2021-22 1420 COMMUNITY MEMBERS VISITED THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, INCLUDING A PLANT BASED EATING SERIES, PLEIN AIR PAINTING OPPORTUNITIES, BIRDING HOURS, OUR TEACHERS NIGHT OUT SERIES, QUARTERLY NATIVE PLANT SALES, CAMPOUTS, NATIVE PLANT USES WALKS, FORAGING WALKS, AND MORE!OUR ARRAY OF ENRICHMENT AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FACILITATES AN INTRODUCTION TO AN AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE, SO THAT PROPLE LEARN TO NOTICE, CARE FOR AND RESPECT THE NATURAL WORK, AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS INTEGRAL TO OUR HEALTH AND ECONOMIC STABILITY AS WELL AS OUR GREATEST RESOURCE FOR REJUVENATION, DELIGHT, RESEARCH AND INGENUITY. OUR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY AND HABITAT FOR ANIMALS. LONG TERM IMPACTS INCLUDE EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER CHOICES AND LIFELONG ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND STEWARDSHIP.