W. Kerr Scott Lake’s Environmental Education Center was founded in 2008 through a partnership with the Friends of W. Kerr Scott Lake group and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The non-profit Friends group was able to secure thousands of dollars to create exhibits, purchase supplies and furniture for the new education center. After two years of planning, raising funds, and hundreds of volunteer hours, the Environmental Education Center was dedicated in 2010. Housed in the lower level of the Visitor Assistance Center, the Environmental Education Center offers exhibits on Energy Conservation, Habitat Conservation, Wildlife, Aquatic, and Forestry Resources, Environmental Education Classroom, and Native Tree Trail. The center is open to the general public and to school field trips.   

Vibrant and energetic, W. Kerr Scott Dam makes the perfect outdoor classroom for students to dive into a variety of topics. All field trips are standards-based, ranger led programs that brings the practice of science to life.  Designed to provide students with an engaging learning experience, rangers deliver all programs with age-appropriate teaching techniques and goals in mind. All programs are provided free of charge to schools.

W. Kerr Scott Field Trips

Programs last for one to three hours and are designed to help teachers meet environmental education teaching standards. Students will be rotated through activity stations covering different topics (large groups may need teachers and/or chaperones to run a station with an easy to follow lesson plan).

The following options are available for classroom field trips:

1. Dam Site Location – Beginning at Dam Site Visitor Assistance Center, students will be rotated through the Environmental Education center, an educational station, and a ranger-led hike through our nature trail. Appropriate for all grade levels.

   

    

2. Fish Dam Creek Location – Beginning at Fish Dam Creek Picnic Shelter, students will be rotated through Fish Dam Creek Trail Hike, and two education stations. Please take note, this option doesn’t have a visit to the Environmental Education center and is purely outdoors. The Fish Dam Creek Trail hike is slightly more strenuous than the nature trail hike so this option is recommended for 4^th grade and up.

   

    

   Classroom Programs

   We understand that planning a field trip can be timely and not always an option for your classroom, which is why we are glad to schedule a program. A ranger will come out to teach students via a presentation followed by a fun and educational activity. Programs lasts approximately 30 – 60 min in length depending on grade level (higher grade level topics last closer to an hour). All materials for programs are provided by the Environmental Education program.

    

   Every Kid Outdoors (EKO)

   The Every Kid Outdoors program (formerly Every Kid in a Park) is an initiative to get all 4^th graders and their families to experience federal public lands and waters for free. All participating 4^th grade classes will receive an Every Kid Outdoors pass after participating in one of the environmental educations programs offered by W. Kerr Scott. The pass is good for the 4^th grade school year, beginning September 1 and good until August 31.

   

    

   To schedule a program for your classroom, scout group, home school group, or summer camp contact the interpretive ranger via phone call (336) 921-3390 or by email at sawweb-wkscottrecranger@usace.army.mil. We look forward to working with you!