February 2010 E-Newsletter

Elachee Nature Science Center's mission is to promote environmental understanding through education and conservation.

Elachee Volunteer Corps Honored

It was a cool but cozy evening on February 11th when staff members, board members and volunteers gathered to celebrate the accomplishments and dedication of the entire Elachee volunteer corps. Nearly 60 people introduced themselves, each outlining his or her role in Elachee and length of service. Most have been with us for many years! The common thread in almost all of the comments was the perception that Elachee does great work, and that volunteering here is an honor because of the level of appreciation extended to all volunteers regardless of level of involvement.

The evening culminated with the presentation of the Robbie McCormac Volunteer Service Award to Mary Stanford. Mary has been a committee member for "Safari", Elachee's largest fundraising event, for a number of years, and for the last five has served as chair/co-chair for this important function--a gargantuan task!

Many thanks to Mary and all of our other wonderful hard working and dedicated volunteers. We simply could not do without you!

DID YOU KNOW...

• Welcome to our newest members of Elachee's Board of Trustees: John Girardeau, Robin Smith and Linda Youngblood. They join an active board including members Frank Armstrong, Eloise Barron, Sam Evans, Dallas Gay (Treasurer), Jock Hornor (Vice Chair), Buddy Langston, Richard Leet, Jackie Nabb, Mia Parrish, David Shumake, James Tipton, Jane White (Secretary), R.K. Whitehead (Chairman), Mike Whitmire, and Steve Gilliam.
• Elachee staff members Cynthia Taylor and Lavon Callahan took part in the Five-Star Plaque Recognition Ceremony on January 13th in Atlanta. Sponsored by the Southern Company, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Association of Counties, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Wildlife Habitat Council, Five-Star Grants (Elachee has received three) have helped us control exotic invasive plants and improve habitat for native species throughout the Chicopee Woods.
• Congrats to Elachee Advisory Board member and one of our founding mothers, Julia Cromartie, who recently was recognized by the Gainesville Rotary Club as its Woman of the Year for her work in the community.
• Elachee recently received word that we have been awarded a "Grants to Green" implementation grant designed to give non-profits the opportunity to renovate or build healthier work places that are energy and water efficient and also environmentally efficient. Sponsored by the Southface Energy Institute and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, the grant process began with an assessment of Elachee's facilities and a resulting list of recommendations to make improvements, many of which were completed "in-house" without the need for additional funding. This portion of the grant will provide partial funding (to be matched by Elachee) to make changes in our existing buildings so we can realize cost savings and promote environmentally sustainable methods.
  
  

MARK YOUR SPRING CALENDAR!

• "Adopt-A-Stream" Training at Elachee. Fri. March 12th, 6-10 pm, and Sat. March 13th, 9am - 4pm. Pre-registration required--call to register.
• Elachee's Backyard Conservation Workshop. Sat. March 20th, 10am - 12 noon. Free to local residents. Call for more information and to register.
• "Stars Over Elachee" Telescope Program at Chicopee Lake. Sunday, March 21st, 7:30 - 9:30 pm. Program fees: $10 per adult, $5 per child (ages 8 & up). Members free. Call to preregister and reserve your telescope.
• Elachee's Spring Break Camp. April 5th - 9th, Mon. - Fri., 9am - 2pm. Elementary age children only. Call for details and to register.
• Elachee's Pre-Order Spring Plant Sale. Plant list available April 1st; order by April 16th, pick up April 29th from noon until 6pm.
• Elachee's "Georgia Master Naturalist" Program. Weekly sessions, Tuesdays from 12:30 - 5pm, beginning April 13th, ending May 25th. Some weekend field trips. Call for more information and to register. Fee: $125. Must be over 18 to register.
• "Earth Day" at Elachee. Saturday, April 17th, 10am - 1pm. Admission: Adults, $5, Children 2-12, $3, Members free.
• Elachee's "Flights of Fancy" Benefit Auction. Friday, May 7th, 6:30 - 9:00pm. Call for more information and for reservations.
• Elachee's "Trillium Trek" Team Eco-Adventure Race. Sat. May 15th. Call for more information and to register.

For more information on all of Elachee's upcoming events, please visit our website at elachee.org.

SOME FEEDBACK FROM SCHOOLS...

As a SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) - accredited organization, Elachee constantly strives to set the bar higher in meeting our goal of quality environmental education. As part of this self-monitoring process, evaluations of field trips and outreach programs are solicited from participating teachers. We'd like to share a few recent comments from teachers with you.