February Greetings from the Executive Director |
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February 11 & 12 - Our Valentine's Day canoe event! Glide through the enchanted mangrove forest lit with lights.
Treat your someone special to Valentine's Day falling in love with the beauty of nature!
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Starting February 11, every Thursday through March
Want to take a trip through Montana, Ohio, New Mexico, and Florida? Explore these landscapes through readings in natural history! This virtual event is a series of five online meetings with nature centers from these four diverse states.
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GALENTINE'S WORD ON THE WATER WELLNESS WORKSHOP |
February 13 - Join a group of "Gals" for this kayaking experience guided by Wellness Wonder Woman, Sonya Louise, and Eco Educator, Jennifer Satterly.
This is a day of nature and self-exploration the includes exploring the "feminine" side of Nature, yourself, and the world of Word.
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SIP & SHOP AT J. MCLAUGHLIN |
February 6th
Treat yourself or that someone special in your life and shop for a good cause at the J.McLaughlin Sip & Shop event.
15% of proceeds from online orders and in-person purchases at the Vero Beach store will be donated to the Environmental Learning Center. It's easy to shop online, just chose what you want and call the store for check out.
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February 12 & 20 - We expanded this popular offering to include a Saturday trip! The perfect outing for a family.
The tour starts and ends at Captain Forster's Hammock Preserve and includes several interpretive spots where you will learn about the history of the Jungle Trail, Capt. Forster's Preserve, and more. It's a comfortable 8-mile ride that includes stops.
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Tuesdays & Thursdays in February
This month students will learn where their water comes from as they explore "What's my watershed?"
Build a watershed model, map our local watershed, and learn how we all play a role in protecting a resource we all depend on - WATER!
Registration still open for Tuesday classes!
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February 6, 13, 27. Healthy People - Healthy Planet. The ELC is thrilled to offer a special month of Qigong with Ken Nelson, Ph.D. and senior teacher at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. Come and learn tools for everyday living to promote health, healing, and vitality.
All are welcome. The practice can be done standing or seated. Bring comfortable clothes to move in & athletic/tennis shoes.
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February 27. Join Anglers for Conservation for this fun-filled, educational event for kids ages 5-15 and their parents.
Future anglers will learn fishing essentials from the pro, practice fishing with their new friends, and receive a free rod, reel, and tackle box for only $3.
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PHOTOGRAPHY SCAVENGER HUNT |
Feb 20. Get your camera and join J. Scott Kelly from Island Images Professional Photography Studio at the ELC for an outdoor nature Scavenger Hunt. Find all of the letters of the alphabet in the foliage and landscape of our lagoon island campus and enter to win fun prizes!
All photos must be taken between 9 - 11:30 am on Feb 20 and submitted by midnight!
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February 26, 6 pm to 8 pm. Join us for a moonlight forest bathing walk on ELC’s lagoon island campus! This slow-paced and easy walk will help you unwind and tap into all of your senses for a truly immersive nature experience.
The term "forest bathing" or "absorbing the forest atmosphere" was created in Japan in 1982 and the goal of forest bathing is to live in the present moment while immersing your senses in the sights and sounds of a natural setting.
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February 28, 11 am to 12 pm. If our daily lives are about 'going to' or 'coming from' a walking meditation is simply about being here, happy to be alive!
We'll attune to nature through our five senses in the embrace of the Butterfly Garden.
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The Orchid Island Art Club is open to all Club members and is an active membership including workshops and member exhibits. The artwork is inspired by the unspoiled beauty of our location and supports the artists of Orchid Island and the Environmental Learning Center. |
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Donor Spotlight - David Cox |
You might’ve recalled seeing the Executive Director of the Environmental Learning Center around town styling some bright blue hair. The Blue Hair Challenge started as a fun way to encourage people to donate to the ELC and raise funds for our annual campaign.
This challenge inspired former ELC volunteer and staff Naturalist, David Cox. David has been an avid supporter of the ELC for many years—the kids he enjoyed teaching as a Naturalist dubbed him Dr. Dave. Dr. Dave was motivated to do his own challenge… but with his beard! Dr. Dave’s goal was to raise $10,000 for the ELC and encourage supporters by dying his beard bright blue!
Though the goal has not been met yet, you can still show your support by donating below. David has already shown his dedication to the ELC—check out Dr. Dave’s Blue Beard!
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Our sincerest condolences go out to the loved ones of William "Billy" Offutt Jr. and Susan "Tooie" Dunlap. With great appreciation, in lieu of flowers, the ELC has accepted memorial donations in their honor.
Since their memorial donations have surpassed $1,000, an engraved boardwalk plank from our TLC for ELC program will be installed on our campus.
Please keep the loved ones of these environmental supporters in your thoughts during these difficult times.
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Expert naturalist and herbalist, Michael Ball is also remembered with a plaque in our native plant garden.
His deep passion for plants and his eagerness and enthusiasm to share his knowledge of their applications with everyone he encountered were some of the things that made Michael so memorable and special to our ELC family and the surrounding community.
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Thank you – your generosity and support to the ELC this year has amazed us. We have exceeded our end-of-year goal from our annual campaign. Your contributions have made a difference, especially in these challenging times with a loss of revenue due to the pandemic. During this time of uncertainty, we’ve been encouraged and humbled by the outpouring of generosity from our community.
You have made it possible for us to carry out our mission to educate, inspire and empower all people to be active stewards of the environment and their own well-being. It is your continued support makes all the difference and helps us continue our beloved educational programs, eco-adventures, wellness classes and more. You are an eco-champion, and we are tremendously thankful for your generosity.
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Give back to support a healthy environment and earn community recognition! Starting at $250 our new 2021 packages are full of perks to get your organization connected to nature. |
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Archie S. Wingfield Jr. Charitable Trust |
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Check out the latest news, activities and volunteering opportunities. |
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LIONFISH
by Annabella Casares, age 13
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Our new series "Environmental Insights" will feature articles from our community. Contact us if you would like to submit an article! |
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NATIVE PLANT NOOK - NOW OPEN!
Our native plant nook is buzzing with the excitement of new native plants and the pollinator party they bring! Be a part of the solution. Take a stroll through our Native Plant Garden for inspiration and then purchase your new native plants at the ELC. Our partners at DIGG Gardens will keep us stocked and ready for your native landscaping needs.
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LOOKING BACK ON LAST MONTH |
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Campus Improvements I. On January 17, our wonderful volunteers came out on a spectacular weather day to help us landscape prep in our new lagoonside guest area. |
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Campus Improvements II. 26 incredible volunteers helped us bring our beautiful new ELC lagoonside event and eatery area a little closer to reality. We are almost there!
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The ELC offers the perfect outing for families and friends! Or treat your team to a morning or evening office break on the water. Private pontoons tours offer a safe and comfortable outing for your small group of 4-8. Available 7 days a week with an informative captain and crew. |
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CALLING YOUNG ENTREPRENUERS! |
The ELC is hosting a monthly market for young entrepreneurs to sell handmade products! If you are interested in having a table to sell your products contact Analisa aguaygb@gmail.com |
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Our mission is to educate, inspire and empower all people to be active stewards of the environment and their own well-being.
Thank you for the many ways you support our critical mission.
We simply couldn’t do it without you!
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