Welcome to Elachee Nature Science Center

2125 Elachee Drive . Gainesville, Georgia 30504 . Tel 770/535-1976 . Fax 770/535-2302

About Elachee Education Programs Public Programs Museum Nature Preserve Nature Trails Camp Elachee Calendar of Events Nature Shop Volunteer Facility Rental Employment Membership Directions	Welcome to Elachee Nature Science Center Our mission: To promote environmental understanding through education and conservation.			Museum Hours Monday - Saturday 10am- 5pm Admission Adults: $5 Children 2-12: $3 Under age 2: Free Members: Free Hiking Trails Hours: 8am - Dusk Fee: Free Dogs: must be leashed, not permitted: Monday - Friday 9am-3pm
		Elachee, one of the premier nature centers in Georgia, provides environmental education and science programs in the form of school field trips for students and workshops, camps, and events for the general public. Elachee's sprawling campus, located in North Georgia, consists of a woodland refuge and an interactive museum that will excite and educate visitors of all ages. We invite you to visit and enjoy the museum and nature preserve or participate in our SACS-accredited educational programs for schools and groups which are designed to be engaging, educational, and memorable. Your visit may include a stop at our live animal exhibits and the native plant garden at the entrance to the Center. Surrounding the Center is the 1,500 acre Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve laced with over 13 miles of nature trails. This large protected area with diverse habitats provides an ideal outdoor classroom, and a plant and animal sanctuary. 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, GA 30504 . 770-535-1976 . Fax 770-535-2302
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			NEW! 2010-2011 Education Program Guide Now Available! Our naturalist staff is always excited to instruct students in a variety of topics including animals, plants, geology, astronomy, weather, energy, aquatic life, archaeology and language arts. Our most requested program, Seeing Stars uses our portable planetarium to teach about stars, constellations, and seasons. Other popular programs include Habitat is Home, exploring Georgia's native terrain, plants, and animals; Elachee Rocks, an investigation of Georgia's rocks and minerals; and Lessons from the Cherokee, exploring the culture and contributions of this Georgia tribe. See our Education Programs page or go to the Program Guide.	What is the weather like at Elachee? View Elachee's Weather Page Get detailed forecasts, charts & graphs Provided by a grant from The Shirley Family Foundation.
Snake Day			Snake Day Saturday, September 11th, 10am-2pm. See a wide variety of live native and exotic snakes & reptiles at our most popular public program! Dispel your myths & fears about reptiles and learn why they are important to our world. Children can enjoy crafts and activities, & more! Sponsored by Tipton Construction Company. Program Fee: Adults, $5; Ages 2-12, $3; Under age 2 and Elachee members free. More Information
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Virginia Sweetspire			Fall Pre-Order Plant Sale, Sept 15th-30th Plant Pick-up Oct 14th, Noon-6:00 pm Looking for fantastic fall plants? We will be offering late fall bloomers in our selection of native plants available for pre-order. Also, pick up some spring bloomers to brighten your garden next year. Check back September 15th for a complete plant list & order form!
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Safari 2010			Safari 2010 - "Inspired By Nature" Benefit Auction & Dinner Saturday, October 2nd, 6-10pm at Elachee A fun & casual evening under the stars complete with festive seasonal decorations, live jazz music, beverage bar, low-country boil seated dinner, silent & live auction of unique items, trips, & artwork. Proceeds support Elachee's environmental education programs & preservation work in the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve. More Information or View/Print Invitation
Naturalist Led Hike			First Saturday Hikes September 4th Reptiles & Amphibians, October 2nd Fall Migration 10am-11:30am Explore native plants and animals of Chicopee Woods on a naturalist guided hike. Great for families, scouts, and others. Program Fee: Adults, $5; Ages 2-12, $3; Under age 2 and Elachee members free.
Volunteer Trail Crew			Elachee's Volunteer Trail Crew Saturdays 10am-3pm: October 9th, November 6th, & December 4th Join us as we work to improve Elachee's Trails! The work we do varies: digging new trail, building bridges & steps, repairing eroded trails – but we always have fun! Tools & training provided. Bring water, lunch, & gloves. Children under 8-18 yrs old are welcome, but must be accompanied by an adult. This is a great way for families to volunteer and help maintain Elachee's Trails! Meeting locations vary- Call for information and to register.
Stars Over Elachee Program			Stars Over Elachee at Chicopee Lake Saturdays, August 14th, 8:00-10:00pm; September 11th, 7:15-9:15pm; October 16th, 6:30-8:30pm Learn about astronomy and how to use a telescope to view the night sky. You'll receive an observation log and star chart to assist in seeing constellations, stars, planets, and possibly moon craters and Apollo landing sites. For adults age 8 and up. Bring a flashlight and pencil. Space is limited, reservations required. Call to register and reserve a telescope. View/print current star chart. Program fee: Adults, $10; Ages 2-12, $5; Elachee members free.
1st Wednesday Homeschool Education Program			Elachee’s First Wednesday Home School Education Program Visit Elachee to see what our First Wednesday Home School Program series is all about. Tour the buildings, take a guided hike on the trails, visit the live animal room, and talk to the Education Director and Program Manager about the series which runs August 4th-May 4th, 1:30-3:30pm. You can register for the upcoming year or the first semester that day. 10 session program year: $75 per student, $35 per parent; 5 session semester: $50 per student, $25 per parent. More Information or View/Print Registration Form
Jr. Master Naturalist Program			NEW! Elachee's Junior Master Naturalist Program Wednesdays, August 4th-May 4th, 1:30-3:30pm. NEW Program for rising 6th-12th grade home school students. Learn teaching skills while studying a variety of science topics in the Chicopee Woods & other sites in northeast GA. Staff & visiting experts will provide instruction & additional resources. Participants are encouraged to volunteer upon completion of the program. Program fee: $75 for the entire series. More Information or View/Print Registration Form
Hiker in the Chicopee Woods			Volunteer Trail Stewards Wanted. Training available by appointment. If you are a regular hiker here or would like to spend time outside in a beautiful setting, consider joining our Trail Stewards program. Trail Stewards hike the trails each week and/or are present at trail heads to greet visitors. Stewards are trained to provide trail and Nature Center information, record important visitor and trail data, and perform light trail maintenance. Call for details and to sign up.
Alien Plant Invader			Elachee's Weed Warriors. Weed Warriors assist in our efforts to control pesky exotic invader plants and protect the preserve for the survival of our native species. A great opportunity for groups and scouts! Volunteers are trained to identify exotic invasive plants that are a problem in the Preserve, then work to control these pest plants. Call for details.
Información de Elachee en español			El Centro Elachee de Naturaleza y Ciencia. Las Horas de operación del Centro: Lunes - Viernes 10am - 5pm, Sábados 10am - 5pm, Domingos cerrados. Horas de la oficina de la administración: Lunes - Viernes 9am - 5 pm. Admisión: $5 para los adultos; $3 para los niños que tienen dos hasta doce años; gratis para los infantes menor de dos años. Sabe más de Elachee en español aquí.
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			Elachee is thankful for all of our friends and supporters…your gifts ensure that we are able to carry out our mission everyday! Elachee awarded $5,000 grant from Jackson EMC Foundation funded by the members of Jackson EMC through the Operation Round Up program to support students attending field trip programs. Elachee receives generous gift to support our environmental education programs from Elan Drug Technologies, proceeds from their green/recycling efforts at their Gainesville plant, a gift that will be repeated periodically throughout the year. Elachee is proud to be the recipient of two “Grants To Green” allocations, a combined effort of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Southface Institute, and Enterprise Community Partners. The first grant was an Assessment Grant allowing Elachee to bring in experts to conduct an environmental efficiency scan to determine areas for improvement. The second grant was an Implementation Grant to enact specific efficiency recommendations. Major improvements include compact fluorescents, tankless hot water heaters, retrofit T-12 lighting with T-8 lighting, updated exit signs to LED lights, and other improvements in insulation. We are pleased to serve as a Grants To Green demonstration site. As an organization teaching about nature and the environment, we are proud set a green example for other organizations and businesses.
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All content copyright ©1999-2010 ENSC. All rights reserved. Send comments and/or suggestions regarding this site to webmaster@elachee.org Last updated September 2010.

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