Rome-Floyd ECO Center

It's sweet summertime, so do something spontaneous on a weeknight! Girls night? Genius. Date night? Fellas, she'd love it. Treat yo' self night? Yas queen. Whatever the reason, join us for a Pollinator Paint-Along on Tuesday, June 23! Link to more info and registration below.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5t40Ad8cxAT-V_6qu3BnKeTRbB58MgNNIQoKVirsZljbASQ/viewform?usp=header

Since it is National Pollinator Month, we thought we'd turn our last Saturday of the month hours into Buzz-A-Palooza! Stop-in for pollinator- and bee-themed activities and help us celebrate the insects and animals that help power the world. Drop-in between 10:00am and 2:00pm on Saturday, June 27 to see what the buzz is about!

Bird Nirds is getting down and dirty with some interesting species this month, including the brown-headed cowbird! Come learn about the unique (and somewhat controversial!) methods that this bird uses to raise its young.
**Notice that June's program is taking place a week earlier than normal due to scheduling conflicts.**

It's National Donut Day! Go treat yo' self!

Ducks Unlimited is hosting their Greenwing youth event at the ECO Center next Saturday, June 13! The best part? It's free! Come check out what Ducks Unlimited does for conservation and have a blast trying out archery & bb shooting, bouncing in inflatables, making a duck craft, and of course seeing some native wildlife. Greenwings starts at 9:00am and is drop-in style until noon. See you there!
*To guarantee your spot + a goody bag, register your kid(s) by scanning the QR code in the flyer.*

Come paint your very own pollinator meadow with us on Tuesday, June 23! Don't worry, Peachie Queen Art will guide you step-by-step the entire way, so no artistic experience needed 😉. Get more information and sign-up at the link below!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5t40Ad8cxAT-V_6qu3BnKeTRbB58MgNNIQoKVirsZljbASQ/viewform?usp=header

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

Today we want to shout-out to one of our more recent volunteers, Miranda Many! Miranda graduated from Berry College in December 2024 with a degree in biology, emphasizing on wildlife, ecology, and conservation. She heard about us from other Berry students who had volunteered with us and ended up doing an internship with the ECO Center for course credit through the biology department. Miranda has a long-term goal of completing her PhD and pursuing a career in large carnivore research, and she will begin by starting her master's this summer at Old Dominion University to study black bear disease ecology and microbiology interactions!

Here's what Miranda has been up to after graduation...
"After graduating from Berry, I have worked as a turkey banding technician for the Georgia Department of Natural resources and most recently worked as an Andean Bear Research Assistant at the Wayqecha Biological Station in Peru! Spending time in Peru assisting in wildlife research and immersing myself in the culture of the Andes has deepened every part of my professional and spiritual wellbeing. My experience working in this remote cloud-forest ecosystem allowed me to cultivate my own purpose and how my future career will make an impact for future generations of humans and wildlife. I am most proud of my contributions to a literature review on bear rubbing behavior with Dr. Jeff Stetz from the Center of Wildlife Studies, and am looking forward to continuing our work on this publication! This year has been a period of new beginnings and pushing my personal boundaries! Namely, this past fall I competed in two rock climbing competitions and was elected as a Board member at Large for the Student Development Working Group of the Wildlife Society. I am so proud of myself for these new achievements and am extremely grateful for these opportunities to grow my personal and professional expertise! "

We cannot wait to see Miranda do great things for wildlife and conservation!

Next week kicks off National Pollinator Month, and we hope you will join us for one (or all!) of our pollinator-themed events!

First up, Peter Helfrich will present, "Beeyond Honey Bees: Meet Your Native Bees" to share fun facts and the importance of native bees as pollinators. Learn about the shiny ones, the ones with cute & fuzzy butts, the ones that like to bore holes into your deck 🫣, and even the teeniest of tiniest ones. Free to attend and no need to register, so see you June 4 at 6:00pm!

June 23 is a sip 'n paint style event with ! She will guide you step-by-step to paint your own canvas of a pollinator...example coming soon. It'll be a relaxed and fun evening, so grab your galpals, significant other, your mama's neighbor's kid's best friend's 4th grade teacher, or come by yourself and make friends with us! More info and link to register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5t40Ad8cxAT-V_6qu3BnKeTRbB58MgNNIQoKVirsZljbASQ/viewform?usp=header

We will wrap up the pollinator festivities with Buzz-A-Palooza on Saturday, June 27. The event is free and will include different activities that all ages (yes, even adults) will enjoy! No registration needed, just drop-in anytime between 10:00am and 2:00pm.