Education

Sam Leaf, Outreach and Partnerships Specialist

In May of this year, Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC) was honored as a 2023 Fulton County Community Services Program (CSP) Partner, receiving recognition and funding for its contributions to essential community services. Community Services, a division of the Fulton County Department of Community Development, administers and coordinates the County’s Human Services Delivery Network. This network brings together nonprofit service providers, community-based organizations, churches, citizens, private sector, and other local governments to address the issues related to Fulton County residents. CNC was awarded funds in the Children and Youth Services category and expanded its existing partnership with Los Ninos Primeros (LNP) to launch the Connecting Los Ninos with Nature program. Funding for the Connecting Los Ninos with Nature program is provided in part by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Department of Community Development.

Since 2020, CNC has proudly partnered with LNP, an organization dedicated to empowering Latino students and their families through holistic academic, leadership, and community programs. Previously focused on more singular experiences – this year’s CSP funding allowed the partnership to broaden its scope, offering year-round, repeat nature experiences for all grade levels, families, teen volunteers, and teachers. We believe that students who participate in repeated outdoor experiences at CNC and in their neighborhoods increase their comfort with being outdoors and allow them to develop a sense of place, leading to lasting benefits in their everyday lives.

The Connecting Los Ninos with Nature program kicked off with a training session for LNP teachers at CNC’s campus, introducing them to outdoor spaces for field trips and brainstorming ideas on how to incorporate the outdoors into their lessons. From here, over 600 LNP students, teen volunteers, and staff visited CNC this summer for a naturalist-led program, where students met live animals and learned about connecting with the nature around us. These field trips were complemented by outreach programs delivered at LNP locations in the community, where CNC Naturalists shared engaging nature activities and animal encounters with students. In September, the Young Naturalist After-School Club began, providing middle school students weekly programs. Through engaging activities, such as nature journaling, animal encounters, and exploring surrounding natural habitats, students honed their skills to deepen their connection to nature and become environmental stewards. CNC was also proud to host LNP’s Youth Volunteer Leadership meeting in the fall. Along with providing an event space for their meeting, the Youth Leadership team enjoyed a team bonding experience canoeing on one of CNC’s ponds.

The Connecting Los Ninos with Nature program also engaged LNP families. This summer, CNC hosted LNP for the annual Mayors Summer Reading Club (MSRC) event. The MSRC is a program for children ages birth to five and their families that takes place in various locations throughout Atlanta each summer. In summer, organizations like CNC hold “book club reads” to model research-based methods of reading books with children and host enrichment events based upon the stories. The books come to life as children enjoy activities, drama, and other hands-on activities designed to make the language in the stories meaningful to children. Families were also treated to a bilingual live animal encounter presented by one of CNC’s incredible docents. In the fall, CNC continued to engage families and hosted LNP Family Days. These monthly invitations provided free admission to LNP families to enjoy CNC’s 127 acres of forestland, wetland, and riverfront property together.

CNC is grateful to the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and the Department of Community Development to be provided with the wonderful opportunity to expand our strong partnership with Los Ninos Primero, delivering community-wide, nature experiences to hundreds of Fulton County citizens. We succeeded in reaching our goal of providing best-in-class environmental education programming to LNP students that not only sparked a connection with nature but promoted wellness and encouraged life-long learning and environmental stewardship. Thanks to the CSP, CNC and LNP successfully partnered to serve the community and bring to life our shared missions of connecting people with nature and inspiring lifelong learning.

By Sam Leaf, Partnership & Outreach Specialist

One of the perks of working at CNC is that at any moment, I can leave my office, step outside, and be immersed in nature. This includes not only the sights of nature but the sounds as well. You can enjoy the sounds of a hawk soaring in the sky, a chorus of frogs in our ponds, or the many melodies of songbirds in our trees. But there is one sound that can top all of those, the sound of a yellow school bus pulling into our parking lot. Throughout the fall season, I have been able to sharpen my bus listening skills to the point where I can now discern a school bus from a lumbering garbage truck or even a hasty delivery truck from inside my office. I owe this heightened awareness to a wonderful partnership with Fulton County Schools that has kept the buses coming day after day.

This fall, CNC partnered with Fulton County Schools to participate in the first year of the Cultural Kaleidoscope program, a component of the Bridge to Success/Expanded Programs Option for Fulton County Schools. The vision of Cultural Kaleidoscope is to enrich students’ educational experiences beyond the classroom and support enhanced field trip opportunities that are Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) based. The program offers a field trip opportunity for students in each grade level: CNC was selected as the field trip site for Fulton County second graders. The experience comes at no cost to the schools or students and is generously supported by Fulton County Arts and Culture.

From September to mid-November, CNC hosted 59 schools and approximately 6,000 second graders. As part of the experience, students participated in our Creek and Cherokee program, led by our team of staff naturalists. Students explored our trails to investigate how the Creek and Cherokee obtained food, clothing, shelter, and medicine from their natural environment. They learned about the importance of the Chattahoochee River and how it influenced the lives of the Creek and Cherokee. Additionally, they were challenged to think about how the Creek and Cherokee viewed nature and discussed ways they could live in harmony with nature and the environment in their lives.

CNC is proud to provide an out-of-classroom experience and to share nature with so many students. And we are incredibly grateful for partnerships, like Cultural Kaleidoscope, that help extend our reach throughout the Atlanta metro area. Up next, the buses will continue to boisterously roll in all winter long, as we welcome approximately 4,000 first grade students as part of our partnership with Atlanta Public Schools and the Cultural Experience Project.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlighted Fulton County second-graders in their article “After pandemic pause, field trips enlighten, excite metro Atlanta kids“.

Click here to learn more about the CNC Education team and programs.

By Alicia Thompson, Senior Director of Learning and Engagement

On July 30, CNC was recognized at the Georgia Forestry Association’s annual conference with the Evergreen Award. The Award serves to recognize both the partnership between our organizations, as well as the talent and dedication of CNC staff to sharing the love of forests. CNC’s education staff has a true passion for interpreting the importance of Georgia’s forests. We are grateful to be able to pair CNC’s unique outdoor learning opportunities with all that Georgia Forestry Foundation (GFF) brings to our curriculum.

Since 2017 CNC and GFF have partnered to bring forest ecology and forest career education to thousands of students in the metro Atlanta area. In part of our program, a simple exercise allows students to reflect on what they’ve learned. Before we begin, 3rd-grade students are asked to draw or write about a Georgia forest. We get a tree, flower, maybe a cloud, perhaps a tiger, some may even use the word ‘scary’…

After our multi-part series, students are again asked to draw a forest – and their forests explode into true ecosystems! Where there was once a simple line under a tree to represent the ground now includes sketches underneath that line – the ground is filled with roots, soil, biotic and abiotic…the sun shines above their forest, they include native animals, fire, biodiversity, some even write the word ‘peaceful’… 

We’ve also partnered with GFF as part of Outdoor Foundation’s Thrive Outside program, providing foundational outdoor experiences for underserved youth during the summer and servings campers from both Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and City of Atlanta’s Camp Best Friends. The Thrive Outside Atlanta Community is led by the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance together with a diverse network of partners in West Atlanta and along the Chattahoochee River. This summer, students visited CNC over 7 dates. One of our partners at the Boys and Girls Club recently shared “Parents are so thrilled that you all provide these recreational opportunities that enhance the kids’ summers. To get on a fancy charter bus and travel, to go out and hike, get out in nature, see the river, for these kids it’s been awesome.”

CNC thanks the GFF staff and board members who have supported our partnership through the years. We are proud to receive the Evergreen Award and are fired up for the school year ahead!

By Emily Ross, Nature Exchange Trader

Have you ever wondered where some of the incredible animal skeletons come from that can be seen in the lower level of the Discovery Center?

We’d like to introduce you to Emily Ross who creates many of these amazing skeletons. We asked Emily to give us some background information on how she got started, how she puts together or “articulates” the skeletons, and where she thinks this hobby will take her in the future. Read on to hear her fascinating answers!

How did this interest develop?

Skeletal articulation, skulls, and collecting bones are subjects I’ve always had an interest in, but never really knew how to start such niche hobbies. I live in a suburban area which often has limited my options for finding bones. The only easy option was picking up roadkill, which I didn’t have the stomach for. Luckily for me, I met Aspin Hollingsworth (they/them), who is now one of my closest friends. Aspin also shared interests in anatomy and collecting bones. When we started this hobby, they also had a car and stamina strong enough to deal with the gross bits that I couldn’t handle. To be honest, we both had no idea what we were doing in the beginning – but over time (and with the hesitant support of my mother, who temporarily allowed us to use her garage and got us supplies) we eventually had too many bones to really know what to do with. For some odd, probably morbid, reason – I always loved when the bones we had were all together, which inspired me to start actively putting them in the correct places. It was like the bones were some kind of puzzle. I loved the end result when I had a completed articulation that I could add to my collection of rocks, bones, and oddities.

My biggest find was a moose skeleton in the Utah scrub lands this summer. My mom and I packed most of it in a Walmart parking lot in shipping boxes bound for Georgia. (Again, this hobby has stretched the definition of what comprises motherly love). My first articulation was the foot of a roadkill mink we had found – ironically on our way to the Nature Center.

What are the steps you go through to articulate a skeleton?

When it comes to having a complete skeleton of an animal, the No. 1 rule is to keep everything as organized as possible. Keeping each individual disarticulated foot in separate bags is very important. If things become mixed up, it takes much longer than necessary to actually begin the process of articulation.

I always start on the spine of the animal first, making sure a strong wire runs down the entire structure. I then attach the cranium, and next, the pelvic bone. After these pieces are attached, I begin working on the ribcage – which is one of the sections that I most struggle with. For smaller animals, it’s extremely difficult to distinguish the slight differences in the ribs, and there are not many helpful references online.

Once all of this is completed, I use a wooden base and small dowel rods to create supports for the articulation to rest on. At that point, I will start doing the tedious activity of putting the toe bones together. Surprisingly, the feet are not difficult, but they take the most time and can be quite annoying if they’re not positioned properly on the base. I attach the feet to their correct legs and then I glue the back legs to the pelvic bone. Attaching the front legs, specifically the scapula onto the skeleton is one of the most difficult processes when it comes to making an accurate-looking skeletal form. Not only is it very difficult to place, since there’s not really a socket or indent for it to naturally be glued to, but if the scapula looks even slightly off, then the entire skeleton ends up looking strange. Once all of this is done, I finish off the skeleton by attaching its jaw.

How did you learn to do this? Any future school plans or career goals?

It took me quite a lot of trial and error to learn how to make articulations, and I’m still learning so much more as I continue to put together a variety of animals for both my own enjoyment and the benefit of the Nature Center. Although I had considered going into the medical field for my future career, I have instead decided to aim in a more artistic direction. I feel that articulation has allowed me to incorporate both of these careers of mine into a perfect mix of science, anatomy, and artistic passion. Because of articulation, I have been able to help my community in ways I couldn’t imagine, such as the community service of picking up roadkill, donating natural oddities to the Nature Center, and being able to educate people using my artwork. Not only that, I have learned so many new things by engaging in this hobby.

How did you become involved with the Chattahoochee Nature Center?

I remember when I was younger, I absolutely adored the Chattahoochee Nature Center. I specifically recall working so hard to save up points to exchange them for a possum skull. Through the years, I mostly drifted away, captured by other interests of childhood. But a year and a half ago, I remembered that the trading exchange had bones – so Aspin (also a huge fan of the Chattahoochee Nature Center) and I decided to investigate. I never imagined that the nature center would open up so many new possibilities. I also enjoy the CNC’s yearly butterfly exhibit, as well as the wildlife encounters featuring injured and rehabilitated animals.

Where can we see some of your work?

You can find some of my articulation work in the Nature Exchange at CNC and artwork on Instagram @Shadowfangbudder.

By Andrea Hearn, Digital Media Coordinator

Did you know that Chattahoochee Nature Center has virtual programs that make it possible for us to bring the nature center to you? Virtual programs with CNC provide people of all ages the opportunity to meet live animals, see firsthand views of our ponds and river, and hone in on their Naturalist skills.

Led by CNC Naturalists, our virtual programs engage participants through the use of scientific skills such as observation, question asking, and using evidence to develop concepts. These experiences are a great way to connect to nature! Learn more about virtual programming with CNC and how it will enhance natural connections.

At the Chattahoochee Nature Center, it is our goal to connect people with nature whether you are around the corner, in another state, or even another country. We are proud to announce that CNC has now gone international! We have expanded our virtual programming by becoming a Content Provider for the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC). The CILC offers a window into a wide variety of virtual experiences in which students can actively participate in interactive learning and collaboration. They offer virtual programs from cultural organizations from all over the world including nature centers, museums, zoos, art galleries, and aquariums. Content Providers like us offer programs that clients can pick and choose from so that they can have access to the unique educational experience that they are searching for.

The programs that we will be offering virtually include Nature Journaling, Reptiles, Hunters in the Sky, and Engineered by Nature. Of over 100 Content Providers, CNC is the only one currently offering Nature Journaling, so we look forward to sharing this intriguing way of engaging with nature with all who will listen. In our Nature Journaling program, our students will embark on an exciting journey of self-discovery as they combine art, writing, and science to create a stronger connection to the natural world.

The reptile program will unravel the myths and misconceptions behind these cool, cold-blooded creatures. Students will get the chance to meet some of our resident reptiles including a gopher tortoise. We hope to educate our audience about why reptiles should be respected not feared in this exciting program.

In the Hunters in the Sky program, students will get up close with two of Chattahoochee Nature Center’s resident raptors, specifically a hawk and an owl. They will learn about these fascinating birds’ superpowers such as the owl’s night vision and stealthy silent flight and the hawk’s astonishing 120 mph flight speed and binocular vision.

The Engineered from Nature program will discover how to learn from the adaptations found in nature to construct solutions for human problems. They will have the opportunity to see one of our amazing resident raptors as they explore this fascinating concept. Find out more about the programs on the CILC website. 

Our first program since joining forces with CILC was for the Rutherford School in Edmonton, Canada. For this experience, one of our naturalists, Kitty Glickman, taught a lesson in nature journaling. The students enjoyed seeing the picturesque setting at Kingfisher Pond and were excited to see an up-close view of our turtles. They were enthusiastic and engaged as Kitty led them through her tips and tricks of nature journaling. In our evaluation, Alyssa Prouty, (the participating teacher) mentioned that her students were actively engaged, she came away with new ideas for teaching nature journaling, and that she would highly recommend this program to others.

We can’t wait to move forward as we expand the reach of our virtual programs so that we can continue to offer exciting and informative experiences to audiences that connect people to nature both near and far.