INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Sebastian Elementary School Principal Letitia Whitfield-Hart remembers the moments as if it were yesterday. Enthusiastic children climbing the stairs into the school bus from Rosewood Magnet School and then eagerly pouring out for a day of learning at the Environmental Learning Center on the barrier island.
Whitfield-Hart, who taught fourth grade 15 years ago, was among the many teachers in the district over the years who used the Environmental Learning Center as an off-campus laboratory with the intent of enriching young minds as the students studied biology, ecology and other sciences related to the environment.
Since the center opened its doors in 1992, four years after its inception, all fourth-grade and third-grade and many first-grade students in Indian River County public schools utilize the center for its curriculum.
The center, located off of State Road 510 on the south side just before the Wabasso Causeway is celebrating its 25th anniversary this spring with a wide variety of events that run through the end of April.
In addition, staff and other community groups are using the significant milestone as a way to get out and raise money for the popular education destination.
“It was always the highlight of the year for the class,” said Whitfield-Hart.
The students and staff love of the center so much that on many occasions they raise money for it throughout the year. That’s music to the ears of those who work and volunteer for the center.
The idea to create a place where young minds could be enriched by the important ecosystem in the Indian River Lagoon and its surrounding habitat was the work of former County Commissioner Maggy Bowman.
Bowman has since died, but her hard work to get Indian River County to lease the 64 acres of land to the then new non-profit organization and raise some $3 million, half of which went into an endowment, paid off.
This year dozens of organizations are doing what they can to raise money for the center during its 25th birthday celebration.
“The partnerships that we are making are just amazing,” said Heather Askew, a special event coordinator for the center.
The center has a roster of 175 active volunteers and a paid staff of just 10 full- and part-time workers.
The volunteers make it possible for the center to be open on weekends.
The center’s nominal admission fee for those 13-years and older is waived on the first Saturday of every month.
“It’s truly a gift,” said Executive Director Holly Dill, who has been involved with the center since 1989, when it was still an idea.
During that period, the inked plans were carted around the community to drum up support for the facility. It worked, especially after the area’s two largest industries, citrus and real estate, threw support towards the center.
“I think the reason it happened is because it was based on education and not advocacy,” said Stapleton. “We assured everybody that this environmental education was based on fact and based on science and think most people realize our quality of life and real estate values depend on the high quality of our natural resources.”
Now, 25 years later, the center is doing exceptionally well, officials said.
“This is really a very proud moment for us,” said Stapleton.
About 15,000 to 20,000 people visit the center each year, about 4,500 of which are the elementary students who attend as part of the science curriculum.
Hundreds of students of all ages attend the center’s summer camps each year.
The 20 camps are so popular that they tend to book up even before they are advertised to the general public.
“Our mission is to not only educate but to help raise awareness so that ultimately these little minds will grow and they will care about the Indian River Lagoon and act on its behalf when they get older,” said Stapleton, the education director for the center.
Dill said she frequently gets stopped while grocery shopping when someone sees the center’s logo on her shirt.
“I cannot tell you how many times someone at Publix will say, ‘Oh I remember being there in the fourth grade,’ ” said Dill.
In addition to the packed lineup of events around the county that will celebrate the center’s 25th birthday, it is hosting a party from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, called EcoFest.
This will be the 17th annual EcoFest Extravaganza at the center.
There will be more than two dozen exhibitions, live animals, craft and activity booths and free canoe excursions.
Other events in honor of the center’s 25th birthday include the Big Beach Clean Up on March 30; a human/nature and poetry BBQ on April 7; an April 12-13 fishing tournament; a film festival on April 21, and a junior golf tournament on April 27.
For a detailed list of all events scheduled between now and April 27 in honor of the center’s 25th birthday, go to www.discoverelc.org or call the Environmental Learning Center at (772) 589-5050.