Georgia Magazine - February 2025 - 23

Highlights at Georgia's DNR Education Centers
Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center
543 Elliott Trail, Mansfield, bit.ly/cewc
The Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center
offers hands-on activities for all ages,
including the outdoors and fishing
programs, astronomy, bird-watching,
camping and horseback riding.
The 6,400-acre recreational setting
has archery and shooting ranges, trails
for hiking, a free museum with interactive
wildlife exhibits and a bird-viewing
area at the visitor center. Conference
facilities are available with lodging for up
to 68 people.
Go Fish Education Center
1255 Perry Parkway, Perry,
gofisheducationcenter.com
The Go Fish Education Center aims
to promote and enhance boating and
fishing in Georgia. Highlights include
an outdoor aquarium with more than
50 species of native Georgia fish and
reptiles, an indoor/outdoor hatchery
and a catch-and-release casting pond
stocked with hybrid striped bass, bluegill and channel catfish,
plus rainbow trout in the winter months. Bait and tackle are
provided.
The center is at the Georgia National Fairgrounds &
Agriculture Center in Perry. Admission is $7 for adults and
$5 for children ages 3 to 12.
Smithgall Woods Regional Education Center
61 Tsalaki Trail, Helen, bit.ly/sgwoods
Smithgall Woods offers hands-on environmental
education for students of all ages and teacher workshops on
North Georgia's ecosystems.
On-site programs at the 5,600-acre Smithgall WoodsDuke
Creek Conservation Area near Helen are open to school,
homeschool and youth groups. Outreach programming is also
available to the local community.
Some popular programs for youngsters include birds of
prey and environmental I-spy, pond exploration, stream ecology,
animal adaptations, archery for elementary schoolers, and water
testing and orienteering using math for older students.
Arrowhead Environmental Education Center
2650 Floyd Springs Road N.E., Armuchee, bit.ly/aeec
The Arrowhead Environmental Education Center is on a
337-acre wildlife management area with 14 hatchery ponds and
a 2.2-mile interpretive nature trail through a forest and wetlands.
Lakes and ponds aid in managing waterfowl and wildlife.
Field trips for schools, clubs, Scouts, civic groups and
others offer hands-on outdoor and indoor learning experiences
about wildlife, ecology and stewardship of natural resources.
Outreach programs bring animals and activities to schools and
events.
The wildlife area and trails are open from dawn to dusk,
and all lakes and ponds are open to fishing year-round. Visitors
must obtain a Georgia Lands Pass to be on the property.
Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve
Townsend, bit.ly/sapelonerr
The Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve
offers programs on the ecology of salt marshes and barrier
islands as well as nongame species and endangered species for
school groups, community groups and teachers. Other
programs cover current research efforts at the reserve and
Sapelo's rich cultural history.
Guests can explore two nature trails, a maritime forest,
marshes, tidal creeks and a dune system. Note: Access is
available to preregistered visitors only.
Okefenokee RESA (Regional Education Service Agency)
1450 N. Augusta Ave., Waycross, okresa.org
The Okefenokee RESA offers educational field trips for
the region's kindergartners through 12th graders and science
teachers. Instructors also can bring a sample of the swamp's
tannic water and organic materials into classrooms to
investigate macro- and microorganisms.
Environmental science lessons explore the swamp's
ecosystem and endangered species. Professional learning
opportunities also are available for teachers.
Grand Bay Wetlands Education Center
4661 Knights Academy Road, Valdosta, bit.ly/coastalplainsresa
Grand Bay is a partnership between the Coastal Plains
Regional Education Service Agency and the Georgia DNR
to teach students about natural processes and relationships
between plants and animals. Programs focus on wetlands
ecology, wildlife, plant identification, air quality and plant
adaptations.
The half-mile boardwalk, a 54-foot tower, a picnic area,
restrooms and fishing areas are open after 2 p.m. on school days
and all day on weekends and holidays and during the summer.
McDuffie Environmental Education Center
4695 Fish Hatchery Road, Dearing, bit.ly/mcduffiega
In addition to offering grade-specific educational
programs, the McDuffie complex includes a public fishing area
and hatchery, archery range, nature trails, boat ramps and
campgrounds. The center is open for reservations year-round,
including availability for Scout groups and private summer
camps. Geocaching, hiking and hunting also are popular here,
with kids' fishing events held throughout the year.
For information about obtaining fishing or hunting licenses
and other passes, visit gooutdoorsgeorgia.com.
www.georgiamagazine.org 23
http://bit.ly/cewc http://bit.ly/sapelonerr http://www.gofisheducationcenter.com http://www.okresa.org http://bit.ly/coastalplainsresa http://bit.ly/sgwoods http://bit.ly/mcduffiega http://bit.ly/aeec http://www.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org
Georgia Magazine - February 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - February 2025
