DEP Brings "LIFE" to Franklin County Students

APALACHICOLA— Environmental education for Franklin County students is stepping out of the classroom into the natural setting of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve. Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Colleen M. Castille and Franklin County School Superintendent Jo Ann Gander today launched Learning in Florida's Environment (LIFE) -- a field-based science program for seventh graders.

“The Research Reserve provides a classroom without walls, encouraging students to experience science and nature,” said Secretary Castille. “By exploring one of Florida’s most unique natural communities, students gain a broader understanding of their environment and the importance of protecting coastal lands and waters.”

Franklin County is the first school district in the state to participate in the LIFE program, designed to expand science education with hands-on, field based learning. Teachers lead in developing field laboratory activities that integrate and reinforce the existing curriculum. The program targets rural schools and aims to improve student achievement, support teacher development and enhance stewardship of the region’s unique natural resources.

“We are blessed in Franklin County with a pristine natural environment," said Franklin County School Superintendent Jo Ann Gander.  “This experience fosters students' environmental stewardship of our natural resources while supplementing their current school curriculum.”

LIFE combines the Department’s scientific, research and conservation expertise with the needs of Florida’s teachers, students and schools. The program creates a statewide network of environmental and marine-science field laboratories at state-owned facilities that foster interest in research, technology and environmental science.

Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve is one of only 26 reserves in the nation. Including more than 50 miles of the Apalachicola River, the reserve spans over 246,000 acres of floodplain, salt marsh, barrier islands, estuary and uplands. The Apalachicola Bay supports a recreational and commercial fishery that produces 90 percent of Florida’s oysters, 10 percent of the nation's oysters and supports the state’s third-largest shrimp harvest.

View pictures from the event.

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