Environmental Education And Programs
Our latest Leisure Guide is here (click the button!). Sign up for our upcoming camps, hikes, and other opportunities to explore and learn about nature!
Eco Camps (ages 7-12)
Join us for Eco Camp, a week-long day camp filled with nature-based, hands-on creative actvities! Campers will have fun hiking, fishing, creating nature crafts, having up-close encounters with plants and animals, projects, nature science lessons and plenty of games! Explore the Ed and Imogene Yarborough Nature Center to acquaint yourself with the resident animals, and be ready for spotting wildlife on the trails. Camps operate during Summer, Spring and Winter breaks and coincide with Seminole County Public Schools student breaks. Secure your spot for a week of unforgettable fun- enroll in Eco Camp today!
It’s an outdoor adventure and environmental education program that is committed to promoting individual growth and environmental awareness. Call 407-665-2211 for more information.
Where: Ed and Imogene Yarborough Nature Center (3485 N. County Road 426, Geneva 32732)
Date: Dates vary. See if a camp is available now on the Eco Camp page!
Times: 9:00am - 4:00pm (extended care available from 7:30am - 5:30pm)
Cost: $132/week (extended care an additional $15/week)
Ages: 7-12
Register at recreation.seminolecountyfl.gov
Nature Adventure Birthday Parties!
Create a birthday party experience your child will never forget! A trained staff member will welcome your party guests, present an exciting program with live animals, and take the group on a hike on our 180-acre property. Enjoy your refreshments while spending free time exploring the many live exhibits. Parties are held at in the Ed and Imogene Yarborough Nature Center in the Geneva Wilderness Area just minutes from Sanford, Oviedo and Lake Mary. Click the button below for more information. Email nswanson@seminolecountyfl.gov to book.
Guided Hikes
Our guided hikes are scheduled at some of our most beautiful wilderness areas. Themes include topics such as: Hammock Hike, Owl Prowl, Plant Walk and Talk, and Night Hikes. $5 per person. Must register and pay in advance, space is limited. Must be 7 years old or older (unless otherwise noted). Children must be accompanied by an adult.
You may view the hikes that are being offered this season in our latest Natural Lands Newsletter (using the link at the top of this page) and register online or at any of our active parks (Red Bug Lake Park, Sanlando Park or Sylvan Lake Park).
We also offer private hikes, at a charge of $5 per person, to groups of 15 to 25. For more information regarding private hikes and programs, click the button below.
School Field Trips
Come visit the Ed and Imogene Yarborough Nature Center in the Geneva Wilderness Area for a day of exploration, discovery and fun! We invite you to engage your students beyond worksheets and screens into a unique hands-on, inquiry-based outdoor experience! Every trip includes a guided nature hike and up close animal program in the nature center. Field trips are open to public private and home sschool groups.Click on the Field Trips button below for more information about this fun in educational experience!
For more information or to schedule your field trip, email nswanson@seminolecountyfl.gov.
In-School Programs
If your group can't visit us for a field trip, Natural Lands will come to you! Our environmental education classroom program is a 45-50 minute program about general topics related to natural sciences in Florida. Students will enjoy an engaging and hands-on encounter while they learn about Central Florida wildlife and habitats. The Natural Lands’ staff will bring animal skulls, pelts, scat and of course, live animals! Click the button for more details.
Cost: FREE!
For more information or to schedule a program, email nswanson@seminolecountyfl.gov.
Virtual Outreach
There’s an adventure waiting to be discovered around every corner in Orlando North, Seminole County. Join Seminole County’s Natural Lands Management Director, Jim Duby, and Orlando North Tourism’s, Jessica Pickering, as they venture into the vast wilderness areas that make up much of Seminole County. This series will bring you up-close to encounter local wildlife, explore the beauty of Florida’s Natural Choice, and learn about the history and conservation efforts of the wilderness areas.
Program Partners
Cuplet Fern Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society joins Natural Lands for Open Houses, plant-related hikes, plant rescue events and maintains the demonstration garden in front of the Ed and Imogene Yarborough Nature Center at the Geneva Wilderness Area. Cuplet Fern also provides several scholarships each season for children to attend Eco Camp. Thank you, Cuplet Fern for all your support!
Seminole Audubon Society works closely with Natural Lands to lead birding hikes and programs, give informative presentations and hikes to our Eco Campers, provide scholarships for children to attend Eco Camp and help Natural Lands purchase materials for programming including Audubon Adventures educational materials and binoculars for Eco Camp. Thank you for your continued support of our programs!
