Rome-Floyd ECO Center

I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held on to
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you

-The green treefrog. Probably.

Looking for a time you can visit the ECO Center on weekends? Don't forget that we are open the last Saturday of the month from 10:00am until 2:00pm! Still free to visit, see the animals, and chat with our staff!

Where Are They Now??
A nod to our past student-volunteers of the ECO Center.

Riley Sutton was a volunteer with us through the Armuchee High School Executive Internship Program from 2023-2024! She brought steadfastness, reliability, gentleness, commitment, and an authenticity that made it a joy to work with her every day! Riley is currently entering her junior year at UGA where she is majoring in Biomedical Physiology and minoring in Wildlife Sciences. She is on the pre-vet track for mixed animal, is a member of The Wildlife Society, volunteers at the Athens Area Humane Society, and interns at Animal Medical Center of Rome over the summers. Oh, and she just started a new job as a College and Career Mentor for high school students through a company called College Contact. We know that she, and her new cat Rema, are going places because of her hard work and are so incredibly proud of the dedication and commitment that Riley shows to herself, her university, and her community!!

What do Dolly Parton and sparrows have in common? She has a song about them! Bird Nirds this month will look at the adaptability and resiliency of sparrows, a smaller bird that we often overlook. Join Marcus, Whitney, and all of your best bird friends on Thursday, August 27 at 4:00pm downstairs in the ECO Center classroom!

The ECO Center has had the privilege of connecting with the wonderful people of the Lake & Wildlife Committee from the Bent Tree community in Jasper over the last year. This past weekend, Ben shared a program on the history of the decline, restoration efforts, and eventual comeback of the American bald eagle in North America. Ben has decades of experience working with wildlife and teaches that conservation of our natural resources depends on leadership, stewardship, and legacy. We are thankful to Bent Tree for allowing us share in their passion for wildlife and natural resources!

No matter how you are connected to the Back to School season or when you are starting, we hope every student, parent, teacher, parapro, administrator, and maintenance & custodial staff have a wonderful start to the year!

We had such a good time with everyone that came to visit us last Saturday! We know you really came to see the alligator, but we are glad either way 😉 If you stopped by and took pictures, please share in the comments below! We took very few but would love to see everyone else!

Everyone had a blast at trivia with us last week! Or at least they said they had a good time 😏 We had some tricky and quirky questions, but each of the teams had solid answers throughout the evening. Congratulations to the winning team, Hot to Trot (which we accidently named Hot to Trout)!

-Photo booth: already made
-Popsicles: freezing as we speak
-Bubbles: ready to bubble
-Sidewalk chalk: awaiting its artists
-Croaky: getting his back to school haircut (more like a slick-back)
-Alligator: polishing his teeth for a picture-ready smile
-Ben: see Croaky and Alligator above
..
-You: COMING TO SEE US THIS SATURDAY!!

July Bird Nirds is happening this Thursday, July 23 at 4:00pm! If you are new to the birding community or want to see what the rage is all about, this is the program for you! Marcus & Whitney make the program relatable and engaging for all ages, plus it is free!