E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center Annual Open House Sept 11, 9am-3pm

[Teresa]

E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center Annual Open House

The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center at Nokuse Plantation will host its first “Annual Open House” Event on Saturday, September 11, from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Come and tour the award-winning facility, explore the exhibit hall, take guided hikes, films and childrens' activities.

Drop in anytime from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. or pack a lunch and stay a while. The public is welcome.

The E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center is located on the south side of Highway 20 between Freeport and Bruce, approximately 4 miles east of Highway 331.

The center is an environmental facility serving students, teachers and professional audiences. The center is nestled in the Longleaf Pine ecosystem, which is considered the 6th most biodiverse area in the continental U.S. and less than 2% of it remains intact today. As such, it is the perfect place to educate students on the importance of biodiversity and to encourage conservation, preservation and restoration. This ecological "hot-spot" is available as a gathering place where local and regional scientists can conduct ecological research and participate in symposia that
disseminates this research to the public through the Florida Educational Channel.

For more information, please visit the E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center website at www.eowilsoncenter.org or call 850-835-1824.

[Teresa]

E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center Annual Open House
Saturday Sept 11, 2010
9am-3pm

The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center, a beautiful conservation and education facility located in Freeport, Florida, celebrates its first year serving students of Walton County and surrounding counties.

The center is only open to the public during special events. The open house is a wonderful time to explore the facility and find out more about their work with schools and students.

Developed by Walton County conservationist and resident, M.C. Davis, on his 48,000-acre conservation land named Nokuse Plantation, the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center is named after and dedicated to world renowned scientist Dr. Edward O. Wilson. As Pellegrino University Professor Emeritus and Honorary Curator in Entomology at Harvard University, Dr. Wilson has made it his life-long mission to educate the public about the importance of conserving the world's biodiversity.

See the video about Edward O. Wilson, with intro by Harrison Ford.

Biophilia:
"the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life".

[Teresa]

The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center
at Nokuse Plantation

1st Annual Celebration & Open House

Saturday, September 11, 2010
9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Visit the Center's exhibit hall, take in a featured film, learn about animals in the forest, or take a hike.
Drop in anytime from 9:00-3:00.
Public is welcome.

For more information, please visit
www.eowilsoncenter.org or call 850-835-1824

The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center at Nokuse Plantation
4956 State Highway 20 East
Freeport, Florida 32439

[Jdarg]

I have been wanting to see this place for so long and it finally works out today!

[Beach Runner]

I have wondered what that place is when we pass it, but then I forget to Google it to Google it when I get home. It sounds like a wonderful place. I see on their website that it's not open to the public. Unfortunately this is the first Saturday in weeks that we aren't at the beach.

Thanks for the thread, Teresa.

[Teresa]

a note from EO Wilson Biophilia Center via FB:

Thank you all for a wonderful day celebrating our 1st Anniversary at the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center. We had over 1200 people attend!! Incredible! A BIG THANK YOU to our volunteers, Florida Trails crew, Miss Teen Walton, Pizza by the Sea, Waste Management, Walton Police, Nonie and the staff at the Center -- you all did great.

thanks Biophilia for inviting the community and congrats on such fantastic support!

[scooterbug44]

Very cool! Got to touch a Gopher tortoise (and see him eat a banana) and an Indigo snake.

I am always SO impressed that we have people in our community who have the vision and drive to do such things!

[Teresa]

the walton sun 9/16/2010

The Natural Way: Walton flocks to Biophilia Center for Open House (photos and video)

September 16, 2010 2:34 pm
by jennie hobbs

The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center celebrated its one year anniversary last week with more than 1,200 people attending an open house and tours during the first open house, the exhibit hall amazed spectators of all ages, while the theater shows throughout the day were at full capacity. Multiple hikes were led each hour with as many as 75 people hiking the same trail at a time. Others crowded to see nonie’s ark or turtle bob’s animal encounters. Several little ones left with artwork donned on their faces.

The open house was a rare weekend treat since the center is not generally open to the public and primarily educates 4th and 7th grade students in the public school system.

To see a photo gallery of the center, click here.

Congressman Jeff Miller had a preview of the outdoor experience earlier in the week. The Biophilia Center is typically reserved for what conservation philanthropist m.c. Davis calls our “future leaders.”

“it is a life changing experience they will never forget,” Davis said of the four-day-long fieldtrip walton county fourth and seventh graders enjoy at the center every year. The idea is to develop in the students a “love for the environment,” he added. This is achieved by submerging the young minds into the wilds.

Last year, the center served Walton, Bay, Okaloosa, Holmes and Leon County schools, averaging 140 students each school day, totaling over 4,000 students. This school year, the center has close to 6,000 students scheduled and is having to turn schools away due to staff and budget limitations.

The fact that the project — a fantasy that had been funded to the tune of $600,000 solely by Davis — is now in need of public support is a result of the devastating economic times. “It wasn’t an issue when we started; I never dreamed i was ever going to need anyone else’s money,” davis said to miller during a quick pause in the tour. “This place is very special,” Miller told Davis. “I can see why you are so proud of it.”

The students from West DeFuniak Springs Elementary, who were on a field trip at the facility, echoed Miller’s sentiment.
“My favorite was the beach thing,” Jacob said. Elexis thought “the exhibit hall was the best.” and for Danie’l “the science and oil experiment was my favorite.”

This type of enthusiasm is the goal of the educational facility at the heart of the 49,000 acre nokuse plantation. “We have them here for a week and they leave a little bit like a naturalist,” Davis said.

For more information about the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center, please visit the center’s website www.eowilsoncenter.org

[Caroling]

At the open house 9/11 hike, Bob showed a fence lizard. Movie coming.