Environmental Learning Center

Welcome to our 51-acre campus!


In an era when pollutants, noise, crowding, unbridled growth and hurried living tend to diminish the use of our senses, the ELC strives, through "hands-on-learning" to bring us back to these inborn capacities of smell, touch, taste, hearing and seeing. In so doing, the ELC returns us to our most natural state: that of being fully alert to our surroundings and deeply respectful and appreciative of them.

Take a hike and learn a little about this beautiful and diverse place. From hammock (high ground) through salt marshes (sometimes underwater) to mangrove forest (with its feet in the water), it is ecologically authentic. Our surroundings provide a natural habitat for birds, fish, crustaceans, and mammals of many kinds. In fact the Indian River Lagoon, the big body of water that nearly surrounds us, is home to more than 4,000 different species, 36 of which are endangered or rare. Try to be quiet during your walk about so that the birds and small animals will show themselves. With luck you'll see an otter. Or down by the canoe dock, a dolphin or manatee.

The Environmental Learning Center (ELC) is a private, not-for-profit organization with 80 percent of its expenses funded through private donations such as contributions, memberships and fund-raising events. Through carefully developed programs and activities for children and adults, the ELC encourages self-discovery and rediscovery of the limitless wonders of nature and of the undeniable, even mysterious interconnectedness of all life on Earth.

• Tues. to Fri. 10 am to 4 pm
• Sat. 9 am to 12 pm (open until 4 pm during winter season)
• Sun. 1 pm to 4 pm
• It is best to call for an up-to-date schedule