Brooke Ager Discovery Area at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center

Steps to Schedule

a Field Trip to the Augusta

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center

Brooke Ager Discovery Area
Before scheduling a field trip, be sure to consider the design of the Brooke Ager Discovery Area in meeting your needs:

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Hwy. 278

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~ The activities are designed for 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-grade
-- 7 students.

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I: Mansfield'

Hwy. II

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Hwy. 142

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~ Day-long field trips are scheduled for groups of no more'

Atlanta

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--7 than 60 students at atime.

The Brooke Ager Discovery Area is po rt of the Charlie ,

~ Due to the time needed to conduct both indoor and
--7 outdoor programs, the field trip is recommended for
schools no farther than a11/2-hour drive from the

Elliott Wildlife Center, which is operated by the GA I Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division. Our mission is to educate people about wildlife as well as offer hunting, fishing, and other

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Genter. This range includes

outdoor recreation. From Atlanta, take 1-20 east to

schools in the Atlanta, Athens, and Macon areas.

Exit 47 (GA Hwy. 11, Monroe-Monticello). Travel

Classes should arrive at the Discovery AIea around

south on Hwy. 11, crossing Hwy. 278 and Hwy. 142.

9:30am and be able to stay until 1:OOpm or later. Students should bring asack lunch.

To schedule a field trip to the Discovery Area, call the Chartie Elliott Wildlife Center at (770) 7843059. The office is open Monday Friday from 8:00am-4:30pm. Reservations are accepted be-

Go through Mansfield, and continue south about 3 I miles. Turn left at theCha.r1ie Elliott Wildlife Cen- j
ter sign onto Marben Farm Road. Travel 1 mile, I
and turn right on to Murder Creek Church Road. I 0
The Brooke Ager Discovery Buildling is 1/2 mile 'on
your right next to a gravel parking lot and Club- o
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house lake.

ginning the first Monday in August for the cur-

rent school year. Written confirmation of the res-

ervation is mailed to the teacher as soon as the

field trip is scheduled.

A $25 non-refundable reservation fee must be re-

ceived within 3 weeks of scheduling a field trip to

the Discovery Area to hold the date. This reser-

vation fee is applied to the $3-per-student charge for each visiting group, which is due upon arrival. A $90 flat fee applies to groups with less

The Department of Natural Resources is subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and offer all persons the opportunity to participate in its public programs regardless of race, color, national origin.

than 30 students.

age, sex or handicap. As a recipient of federal funds from the Department of the Interior, the Department programs must

Programs are conducted both indoors and outdoors, so students should dress accordingly. No sandals please! In the event of inclement

be operated free from discrimination. If you believe you have been discriminated against'in any program or activity, or if you desire further information regarding the prohibition of discrimination, please write to:

weather, students should bring raincoats to par-

The Office of Equal Opportunity

ticipate in outdoor activities. Teachers are re-

U.S. Department of the Interior

quired to remain with their students for the dura-

Office of Secretary Washington, D.C. 20240



tion of the field trip.

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Charlie Elliott

Wildlife Center

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Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Wildlife Resources Division

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center

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543 Elliott Trail

Mansfield, Georgia 30055



(770) 784-3059

Teachers often are challenged to find fIeld trips that interest their students (l1/{! supplement infonnation learned in the classroool11. However, the Brooke Ager Discovery Area
offers a hands-on approach to wildlife education while calling on students' science, social studies,
math, and reading comprehension skills. A combination of indoor and outdoor activities in a
beautiful, wooded setting gives students a refreshing change of pace during the school year.

The Discovery Room 0
The Discovery Room serves as a basic introduction to wildlife and natural resources. Students rotate through each of the 10 stations in groups of2 or 3. Using microscopes, field guides, aquariums, and other tools at the stations, students learn about the following aspects of the environment:

Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibians
Fish

Invertebrates Animal Tracks & Signs Trees &/or Plants Aquatic Ecology
1other subject
(I ,c.. Consul'Of.on, Food Wltbs)

Instructions provided at each station guide students through new learning experiences. They perfoml the steps required for each activity using props such as animal furs and bones, live animals. and taxidermy mounts. Although the main categories stay the same, the station subjects change on a 3-year rotating basis. For example, at the Reptile station. a 4th-grader may learn about Crocodilians on his fITst visit, possible venomous snakes 111 their backyard the next year in 5th grade, and the natural history of turtles in 6th grade. Therefore, even repeated field trips to the Brooke Ager Discovery Room are unique learning experit:nces. Each outdoor activity offered integrates at least one of the subjects touched upon in the Discovery Room.



Outdoor Activity Options
After learning about wildlife in the Discovery Room, the class is guided through the' outdoors by a wildlife interpretive specialist. Groups of inore than 30 students maybe divided into 2 groups so that half of the class explores the Discovery Room with their teacher while the other half engages in the outdoor activity. swapping sessions after lunch. Teachers may choose from one of the following outdoor activities per field trip:
The Schoolyard Habitat Trail- TIle Schoolyard Habitat Trail allows students to explore a demonstrat~on wildlife area by means of a short hike. Features include butterfly and wildflower gardens, nest boxes, brush piles, and the existing natural components of habitat. Students learn the importance of protecting natural resources and learn how to create suitable habitat for wildlife at their school Of in their own backyards.
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The Wildlife Education Trail- The Wildlife Education

Trail leads students on a 1.1-mile hike around Clubhouse Lake. A variety of wildlife habitats are observed ranging from open fields to woods and lakeside areas. Students learn the importance of each type of habItat, as well as how to identify some of the wildli fc and natu-

ral resources found there. This trail also lends itself well to discussions on plant succession and for identifying common trees and shrubs.

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Aquatic Education on Clubhouse Lake -- Spend pal1 of the day using Clubhouse Lake as an outdoor classroom! From the banks of the lake, students usc dip nets to collect the smaller lifeforms that live in and around Georgia's lakes and ponds for observation and discussion. They also learn the importance of water quality and conservation. Older students may use test kits to determine the temperature, pH, and the amount of dissolved oxygen in the lake.

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Invertebrate Study u Kings Qlay cards on Fridays, e:enerally speaking. What does this sentence have to do with studyirlg invertebrates') It is an anachronism to help students remember the classification system of organisms, which is particularly useful when learning about the vast array of invertebrate species around us, With collectirlgJars in hand, the class follows a wildlife interpretive specialist through the woods. With the aid offield guides, students identify the invertebrates they fmd and sort them by phyla. Major invertebrate groups discussed include arthropods (insects, spiders. and crustaceans), annelids (womls), and mollusks (slugs and snails). Students leave this activity understanding the importance of invertebrates and how they fit II1to dilTerent ecosystems.

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Oricnteerin2 n Knowing how to use a compass IS a

I useful skill for all ages and is becoming a popular sport.

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Using map and math skills, students learn the principll's
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behind compass use. With the help of a whimsical rhyme, they then discover how to align themselves III a given cardinal or intermediate direction. The class

then heads 'outside to practice using the compass as

they navigate a course. Walking from one point [0

another, they get a first-hand look at the outdoors,

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