The Development of an Environmental Education Center will provide students (elementary through high school) and tourists with a place to learn about the environment and threats to a healthy environment.

The Environmental Education Center, which is the focus of Friends’ grant writing efforts, will provide students, K-12,, with hands-on-education activities directly related to and in support of the N.C. Science Curriculum. Planning is underway to build an environmental education center in the downstairs portion of the 20,000 square foot facility of the W. Kerr Scott Dam Visitor’s Center, which is located near the Dam and overlooks the lake.

The purpose of the W. Kerr Scott environmental education center will be to teach the principles of environmental education to students and youth through a laboratory and exhibit area featuring hands on exhibits. In addition, there will be an outdoor classroom/educational trail to provide opportunities for experiential learning.

The facility contains a 3,400 sq. ft. unfinished basement which is ideal for conversion to an operating environmental education center and bookstore. The new Environmental Education Center (EEC) will be operated daily and available free to the general public and school system. Through partnerships with the regional school systems it is envisioned that teachers will bring their classrooms to the EEC and be taught in both indoor and outdoor classrooms. 10,000 public school students in Wilkes County and 66,000 students in neighboring systems may be reached. It is estimated that another 5,000 children may be reached through, boy scouts, girls scouts, 4-H, Eckerd Youth, and YMCA day-camp activities.

Teachers will select from a variety of environmental subject matter including, pollution abatement, solid waste, water resources, forestry, wildlife, endangered species fisheries, conservation, recycling, soils, and other earth science related themes. Kerr Scott maintains a staff of rangers certified by the state in environmental education and will lead each school group while at the ECC. The environmental education center will be situated adjacent to an outdoor learning lab with an interpretive nature trail.