LIFE - Cedar Key

The LIFE Cedar Key Program is a partnership between the Department of Environmental Protection's Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve, the FWC Division of Marine Fisheries Management Outreach and Education Subsection, the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, and the Levy County School District. Community partners include the Energy Advisory Council. Financial support for the first year of the program is through the Suwannee River Water Management District.

 Students from Cedar Key School participate in three field experiences a year, one each to Cedar Key Scrub, Atsena Otie Key and Shell Mound. Field labs address priority topics that have been identified by the participating teachers and utilize the unique natural resources available at these unique and diverse protected areas. Students apply science concepts, methods and skills as they participate in field labs covering topics such as water quality, wave energy and erosion, animal adaptations, land cover classification and abiotic environmental factors.

Partnership Agreement [PDF 92KB]

Field Sites

• Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve
• Shell Mound Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
• Atsena Otie Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge

Program Implementation Team

• Denny Voyles
  Cedar Key School
  (352) 543-5223

• Raymond Powers
  Cedar Key School
  (352) 543-5223

• Kristin Ebersol
  Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve
  (352) 543-5567

• Pam Darty
  Lower Suwannee& Cedar Keys NWR
  (352) 493-0238, ext 223

• Jennifer Saranzak
  Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
  (352) 543-9219, ext 216

Program Content

Additional Resources

• The Ichetucknee Partnership
• USGS's Water Science for Schools
• NASA's Visit to an Ocean Planet
• NOAA's Tides and Water Levels
• NOAA's Online Research Resources for Middle Schools
• EPA's Kids, Students and Teachers
• Natural Resource and Environmental Education Web Sites at UF
• Florida Sunshine State Standards (Science; Grades 6-8)
• FloridaSprings.org
• Explore Florida
• Globe Protocols
• Unit Conversion Web Site
• Support the Gulf
• Gulf Alliance Education Educator Resources