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Wekiva Island’s Environmental Home School Program

Learn about nature and experience it, too! Wekiva Island is proud to roll out its environmental education program for home school students in Central Florida. This unique two-day education program combines classroom learning from top experts with hands-on activities for a truly memorable educational experience. See below for a detailed itinerary and explanation of coursework.

 

Additional information

  • • Recommended for students 9 to 14 years old
  • • Rolling registration from October-November and January-February.
  • • New classes will be added when classes fill.
  • • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day
  • • Overnight opportunities available through Wekiwa Springs State Park (not included in program fees)
  • • This opportunity is offered in partnership with Eco Tierre LLC, The  Audubon’s Center for Birds of Prey, Wekiwa Springs State Park
 

Pricing

  • • $119 per child with chaperone (includes snacks, drinks, and lunch for both days)
  • • $99 per child with chaperone for more than 1 child in group (includes snacks, drinks, and lunch for both days)
Register Now
Registering denotes your interest. A coordinator will reach out to confirm and process your fee 

Questions? Contact Jo LaBorde, Event Coordinator, at jo@wekivaisland.com or 321-926-3059.

Day 1

  • • 9:00 – 9:45 Introduction: The Environment
  • • 9:45 – 11:30 Classroom Workshop
    •       Wildlife: Birds/Mammals
    •       Sponsor Visit: Audubon’s Center for the Birds of Prey
  • •11:45 – 12:15 LUNCH
  • •12:15 – 2:00 Classroom Workshop/Outdoor Field Activity
  •       Invertebrates/Reptiles/Amphibians
  •       Aquatics: Learning Florida’s Waterways
  • • 2:00 – 4:00 Dip netting

Day 2

  • • 9:00 – 10:45 Classroom Workshop
  •       Land Aspects: Florida’s Topography & Transitions
  •       Wildlife: Tracks/Scat
  • • 10:45 – 11:45 Outdoor Field Activity
  •       Pitfall Traps
  • • 11:45 – 12:15 LUNCH
  • • 12:15 – 2:45 Canoe Trip to Wekiwa Springs State Park
  •       Learning Activity with Park Ranger
  • • 2:45 – 4:00 Review, Overall Lessons Learned & Wrap Up

CONTENT OVERVIEW

This session covers wildlife natural history and modality. In this session we will discuss and review:

  • • Wildlife species
  • • Wildlife tracks
  • • Wildlife scat
  • • Implementation of pitfall catch buckets

 
Students will become familiar with the identification of wildlife. Detection and discernment wildlife markings, tracks, scat. This knowledge will assist them to interpret field activities.

Aquatics

This workshop covers Florida water ways, rivers, ponds, lakes and the biomass in and around them.

  • • Identifying native and invasive aquatic plants
  • • Identifying aquatic animals, nymphs, metamorphosis
  • • Control and protection of aquatic flora
  • • Trapping and release vertebrates/invertebrates

 
Students will become familiar with aquatic wildlife species identification and natural history. Learn and discuss the association between aquatic plants, animals

Land Aspects

In this workshop children discuss and review Florida topography zones and transitions.

  • • Xeric — dry
  • • Hydric — wet/swamp
  • • Mesic — moderately wet
  • • Pond — small body of water
  • • Ephemeral — temporary pond

 
Children will be familiarized with the biomass belonging to each zone, wildlife, topography and plants.