St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center s Outdoor education program for elementary and middle school students

St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center s Outdoor education program for elementary and middle school students

Since 1980, The Barrier Island Environmental Education Program has provided thousands of visiting students with a chance to explore the outdoors, gain knowledge and awareness about the environment, and learn team-building skills in a place like no other. Barrier Island is the ultimate learning experience. From September to May, Barrier Island offers 3 and 5-day trips to over 8,000 elementary and middle school children from the Southeast. Our classes meet many of the South Carolina State Science Standards and are hands-on, allowing students to learn new concepts about the environment by scooping for insects in a pond, holding a snake in our herpetarium or exploring the muddy salt marsh. A bit about us: The Barrier Island Program is a ministry of St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center on Seabrook Island. For more than 25 years it has awakened students from all backgrounds to the amazing world in which we live. Over eight thousand children a year have had a chance to experience this amazing learning adventure.

Our facilities: Barrier Island boasts exceptional teaching facilities; its outdoor classrooms feature nearly one mile of beach-front, 100 acres of salt marsh, 200 acres of undisturbed maritime forest, two freshwater ponds, a freshwater swamp, an outdoor activity field, a low ropes course, and an open air classroom. Our aquarium, equipped with a touch tank, and our herpetarium, where reptiles and amphibians creep and crawl, are very popular, too. Other on-site facilities include a health center, a dining hall, and climate controlled, beach-front cabins with bathrooms. Meet our staff: Barrier Island Staff are college graduates, and while most have science or education backgrounds, all are passionate about the environment and working with children. Our Naturalists, with the help and support of the program s Director and Associate Director, teach the classes and lead evening programs. Our full-time, on site nurse is available to care for any medical needs, and while they may be behind the scenes, our service ministries staff which includes food service, housekeeping, and facilities ensure that your stay at Barrier Island is a great one.

Put on your walking shoes and get ready to explore the maritime forest. Salt spray, blowing sand, and fast draining, nutrient-poor soil makes it difficult for plants to put down roots. During this hour-long hike, students get to see live oaks, southern magnolias, loblolly pines and cabbage palmettos. Students discuss the characteristics of plants and animals living in this forest as they observe them first hand, learning interesting facts and playing interactive games right on the trail. one-hour classes: Seining - Catching sea life (Mar. Oct.) Pondering Life - Freshwater ecology Scales and Tails - Fish/touch tank Woodstalk - Maritime forest ecology Loggerhead Dig - Life and nesting of loggerhead turtles Entomology - Exploring the world of insects Wings and Things - Bird beaks, wings, tails and life Birds of Prey - Raptor study It Skinks - Reptiles and amphibians uncovered Non-Sense - Sensory awareness Cusabos - Coastal Native American life S.O.S. (Save Our Species) - Protecting and conserving our natural world Lost and Found - Orienteering and compass course Human Impact - How humans impact the natural world Weather Watchers - Weather and its effects Marine Mammals - The study of whales, dolphins and ocean mammals Sharks - The ocean s top predator revealed Plankton - Microscopic view of the world s smallest organisms Paws - Animal tracks and behavior

two-hour classes: Let s Sea - Beach, dunes, estuary and salt marsh ecology Need A Friend - Our low ropes course featuring group challenges Pondering Life & Bioscope - Close-up examination of freshwater pond life Seining - Catching sea life (Mar. Oct.) Woodstalk & Claws - Exploring the maritime forest and crabbing Woodstalk & Fouling - A woods walk and what lives under our dock Woodstalk & Wild Wetlands - Investigating our forest and our natural wetlands Water Moccasin Swamp Trail - An adventure through the woods, over a rope bridge and across a swamp Join us on this exciting two-hour journey down the beach where we ll visit the many environments on barrier islands which are flooded twice daily by the tide, drastically changing the environment plants and animals inhabit. This hike takes students to our famous salt marsh where they experience a unique and unforgettable encounter with detritus in our mud pit. Next, it s out to the estuary where the returning tide brings with it a nutrient-rich soup for those waiting in this part of the food web.

Not all animals sleep at night, especially at Barrier Island. Whether we re playing games, singing by a campfire or taking you on a night walk, there are many activities for students to take part in after the sun sets. Evening Programs: Challenge - Problem-solving, mind challenges Environmental Hearing - Simulated council meeting Astronomy - Stars, planets and constellations (Nov.-March) Crafts - Nature crafts (small groups only) Night Walk - Night sounds and sights (Nov.-March) Campfire - Silly songs and stories Square Dancing - Virginia reel, Barrier Island style New Games - Physically active games outside

All classes are between one and two hours, but please remember, reservations are required for all programs. On the first of each month, reservations may be made for the same month of the following year. For example, on January 1, 2008, you may reserve your date for January 2009. For reservations or more information about our programs, contact us at (843) 768-1337 or barrierisland@stchristopher.org. Barrier Island is an amazing experience for our students, parents, and teachers. We learn a lot, have fun, and get to know one another better. - Nikki Moody, Teacher

Barrier Island Environmental Education Program Voice 843-768-1337 Fax 843-768-4729 2810 Seabrook Island Rd. Johns Island, South Carolina, 29455 www.stchristopher.org BarrierIsland@stchristopher.org Printed in the United States on 100% post-consumer recycled, processed chlorine-free paper using vegetable-based inks. All content and artwork 2008 St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center