Teacher Ecology Camp
Dr. Harold Albers Teacher Ecology Camp (TEC)
The 2024 Teacher Ecology Camp will be held June 3-7.
The vision of benefactor Dr. Harold Albers, Teacher Ecology Camp is a science camp for educators which combines presentations from the local scientific community with practical in-the-field experience. Teacher Ecology Camp is presented at no charge to educators in collaboration with Sensing Nature biologists & environmental educators, Jeanne Murphy and Brian Lane.
In the past, St. Petersburg Audubon Society awarded yearly scholarships to two teachers to attend the National Audubon Teachers Camp at Hog Island, Maine. Due to economic and restructuring issues, the Audubon camps at Hog Island were cancelled. Dr. Harold Albers turned those unfortunate events into one spectacular achievement for our chapter - our first teachers’ ecology camps. Our goal is to train and to inspire teachers who would then instill an understanding and awareness of wildlife and habitat conservation in their students. The purpose of the environmental education camps is to increase the environmental knowledge of the participants and to provide environmental curriculum and activities that the teachers could take back into their classrooms.
TEC 2024
Workshop A
“Freshwater Wetland Ecology”
Location: Hillsborough River State Park; Weeki Wachee River
During Day 1 & 2 of this workshop, you will experience a Florida spring, stroll along a freshwater river and explore a hardwoods floodplain. Learn what makes these habitats special, why they are vulnerable, and how we can protect them.
On Day 3, paddle down the spring-fed Weeki Wachee River and be ready with your camera to spot Florida manatees, Roseate Spoonbills, and red-bellied cooters.
Workshop B
“Freshwater Wildlife and Their Habitats”
Location: Crystal Springs Preserve; Brooker Creek Preserve
On Day 1, swoop up an environmental indicator species while dip-netting waters flowing from an enchanting second magnitude spring.
During Day 2, learn about wading birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes along with their amazing adaptations. Stroll through a cypress swamp where Swallow-tailed Kites soar.
Teacher Ecology Camp 2023
The 2023 Teacher Ecology Camp was a huge success with over 30 educator participants and many memories made! There were two workshops consisting of lessons and in-field, hands-on experiences.
Last year, our TEC workshop opportunities were back to being fully in-person. We ran two workshops during the week of June 5-9, 2023. Our workshop topics were as follows:
Workshop A
“Exploring Tampa Bay’s Estuary” - Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center at St. Petersburg Pier
Day 1: Boat tour - Fintastic Fishes and Seahorse Data Collection; shark science and lionfish dissection
Day 2: Boat tour - Bottlenose Dolphin Research; water quality, plankton, and net tows
Workshop B
“A Travel Back in Time: Florida’s Prehistoric Fauna and Native People” - Weedon Island Preserve
Day 1: Hands-on learning with giant sloth, megalodon, glyptodont, and other megafauna fossils that once roamed Florida
Day 2: Regional field experiences at Paleo-Preserve then Emerson Point Preserve
Day 3: Explore Florida’s indigenous people and the Weedon Island culture
