LIFE - Wakulla Springs Service Learning

The LIFE - Wakulla Springs Program is a partnership between the Department of Environmental Protection’s Wakulla Springs State Park and the  Wakulla County School District.  The program targets all three grade levels of students at Riversprings Middle School and involves two field experiences per year. Each field experience involves a number of distinct field labs led by park staff, volunteers and participating teachers. Field sites include a variety of public access lands in the Wakulla Springs and River watershed. The project was funded initially through a Florida Learn and Serve grant. Supplemental financial support for the project has come from grants from the Oceans and Florida Springs Initiatives.

The project has been funded primarily through a Florida Learn and Serve grant. Supplemental financial support for the project has come from grants from the Oceans Initiative and the Florida Springs Initiative. LIFE-Wakulla Springs is currently supported by the Wakulla County School District.

Program Implementation Team

• Jeff Hugo and Jackie Turner
  Park Service Specialists, Wakulla Springs State Park: (850) 224-5950

• Sherri Kraeft - sjkraeft@ufl.edu
  Wakulla Springs LIFE Program Site Coordinator
  Extension Agent II, Wakulla County Extension Office: (850) 926-3931

• Lori Nicholson - Lori_nicholson@fws.gov
  Environmental Education Specialist St. Marks and St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuges: (850) 925-6121

• Jeff Dutrow and Michael Ray
  8th Grade Science Teacher, Riversprings Middle School: (850) 926-2300

• John Madden
  7th Grade Science Teacher, Riversprings Middle School: (850) 926-2300

• Susan Lassitter and Louis Hernandez
  6th Grade Science Teachers, Riversprings Middle School: (850) 926-2300

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
• Wakulla Springs: A Giant Among Us
• Unit Conversion Web Site
• Gulf Alliance Education Educator Resources