Connecting people to nature when you have a cave on your grounds is easy…or is it? Learn about the ups and downs of partnering with other organizations to highlight a special feature on your grounds. Partnerships can be a great way to reach audiences that may not otherwise have an opportunity to visit your center.
Earth Camp is a program through the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department that allows students to investigate flow paths across the watershed into creeks and rivers or into the Edwards Aquifer. Earth Camp is an award-winning water quality field science program for fifth-grade students attending Title I schools in the Austin Independent School District.
We will discuss how this partnership was developed, benefits and challenges, and new programs that have started because of Earth Camp. Participants will also become Earth Campers and go on an underground adventure to learn how surface water travels underground and ends up in the Edwards Aquifer.
Presenters: J. Graham, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX; J. Gordon, City of Austin Watershed Protection Department, Austin TX; S. Heilman, City of Austin Watershed Protection Department, Austin TX; S. Wall, City of Austin Watershed Protection Department, Austin TX