How Alachua Conservation Trust Transforms Environmental Education
They are like scenes from a nature magazine.
Students search for treefrogs on branches, look through binoculars to spot birds in flight or run through fields chasing after bugs. Others gather at the creek’s edge to watch tadpoles dart away or lean over the sides of their canoe as turtles slip beneath the surface.
These are the kinds of moments Alachua Conservation Trust’s CrEEK Program — short for Creekside Environmental Ed for Kids — is designed to create. The program gives students the opportunity to explore Florida’s natural environment up close and discover its wildlife firsthand. Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) works to protect natural, historic and recreational lands across 22 counties in Florida, and CrEEK is one way it connects future generations to that mission.
“For many of our students, it’s their first time truly exploring the outdoors,” said Program Coordinator Keara Clancy.
Opening Doors to the Outdoors
Historically focused on Title I schools within 20 miles of Little Orange Creek Nature Park in Hawthorne, the CrEEK program expanded in 2024 with assistance from a VyStar Foundation grant.
Other program enhancements included:
Delivering on-site lessons at schools with green space
Serving two new schools in Putnam County
Supporting afterschool programs with field trips and guest speakers
The impact of the funding showed in the number of students who were able to take part in the program. CrEEK served 1,730 students in 2024, an increase of over 500 students from the previous year. Clancy coordinated field trips, trained interns and brought programming to new schools and communities, ensuring more students could connect with nature.
“Thanks to VyStar Foundation’s grant, the CrEEK Program expands and grows in our capacity to serve our community’s students,” Clancy said.
Building Community and Future Leaders
The grant also made possible the launch of CrEEK Family Fest, biannual events at ACT preserves that quickly became a beloved tradition. Each celebration draws more than 100 visitors for bird watching, live animal demonstrations and interactive stations.
These events give families a welcoming way to explore and learn together.
Additionally, the launch of the CrEEK EnviroEd Internship Program provided 19 interns with hands-on teaching experience. Many have gone on to pursue graduate studies or careers in environmental education, building a strong foundation for the program’s future.
“ACT's CrEEK program is very fortunate to have support from VyStar Foundation's grant,” said Tom Kay, Executive Director of ACT. “With this support, the CrEEK program was able to launch an EnviroEd internship program, host its first CrEEK Family Fest event, and employ program staff who dedicate every day to serving K-12 students with educational environmental programming at no additional cost.”
The CrEEK program gives hundreds of students each year their first splash in a creek, their first look through a pair of binoculars and their first sense of belonging in nature. They are moments that spark curiosity and a deeper appreciation for the environment that will last far beyond the school year.