LIFE - Ichetucknee Springs State Park

The LIFE Ichetucknee Springs State Park Program is a partnership between the Department of Environmental Protection's Ichetucknee Springs State Park and the Columbia County School District. The participating schools are Richardson Middle School in Lake City, FL and Fort White High/Middle School.

The Fort White High/Middle School PARKnership Environmental Education Program known as the ?Ichetucknee Classroom Model? is in its sixth year with Florida?s DEP LIFE program. The science and community activities of our students promote the future health of the Ichetucknee Springs by understanding the hydrology of the springs? basin, local land use practices, and the steps necessary to conserve and preserve these waters. The goal of our program is to provide our community with future citizens that are knowledgeable and concerned about their natural resources.

The PARKnership hones in on grades6-8 and is reinforced in high school. The program is built upon the concept that learning in and out of the classroom and serving the community go hand-in-hand. Students in grades 6-8 are actively involved in a science curriculum that uses the ?real world? for hands-on exploratory learning by experiencing outdoor lab activities based upon DEP?S LIFE program, and the ?Water?s Journey Springs Curriculum? developed by the North East Florida Educational Consortium. Students become involved in a variety of community service learning projects like recycling, exotic plant removal, growing native plants, and home/community conservation and preservation activities with the goal of instilling a responsibility to protect our resources.

Financial support for this program is through grant awards and community sponsorship from local businesses, like Suwannee American Cement, advocacy groups, like Florida?s Eden, and Save Our Suwannee, and government agencies, like Suwannee River Water Management District?s The Ichetucknee Partnership. Transportation support comes from the Three Rivers, Inc. Trust.

Site News

• Fort White High School Receives Florida Springs Champion Award for Science Program - 01/25/06
• Environmental Education Program Breaks Ground in Columbia County - 09/02/05

Field Sites

• Ichetucknee Springs State Park Field Sites via Google Earth - Link to an interactive map showing all field sites for Ichetucknee Springs State Park.
• Google Earth Instructions - Provides information on how to use the Google Earth feature above.
• Ichetucknee Spring State Park

Program Implementation Team

• Sherry Green
  Ichetucknee Springs State Park Manager
• Patty Hudson
  Ichetucknee Springs State Park Assistant Manager
• Trini Johannesen
  Lead Science Teacher
• Nikeisha Jackson
  Science Teacher
• Kristen Clark
  Science Teacher

Program Content

Additional Resources

General Environmental Science Information:

• 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