Interview, 1-27 assignment

Questions: Rob Stewart, Elachee Nature Center

1. What is Elachee nature center's purpose?

Elachee's motto is "Educating for Today... Preserving for Tomorrow." We really strive to teach people to appreciate, understand, and be concerned for the natural world, and to be personally invested in preserving the earth for future generations.

My reflection: I really like how Elachee is a place for local people to see the environment in its natural form. People read “nature preserve” and think of places like Yellowstone, when really there doesn’t have to be special places for nature to be marveled at.

2. When did you first start here?

I (Rob) first started here back in October 2013, so I am very new. Most of the staff has been here for years and years.

My reflection: I think it is good to get a fresh face at Elachee, which is mainly old people who have been here since around the time the place opened.

3. What do you do here?

I am the new manager of the place as of past October. I am still learning all the specifics of my job, as the weather gets warmer and more visitors come. Mostly, I make sure everything is running the way it should. If there is a problem with the trails, like a fallen tree branch, I will take care of it. If an employee needs help with their work, I usually evaluate the problem and organize a way for it to get done. I do a little bit of everything.

My reflection: It is a good idea not to come into a place with ideas for change out the wazoo, but instead (being in a place with traditional values), see how things are done first and then change something if it is not working well. Younger people coming into the place also makes the place look more desirable.

4.  What kind of activities are available here?

We have walking and hiking trails for all level hikers. There are also biking trails for the more extreme. During warmer weather we have many elementary schools come on field trips. On the first Saturday of each month we have a "First Saturday Hike" where a naturalist here at Elachee will take hikers through the trails and teach a lesson about nature. During the summer we have week long camps with different themes each week for pre-k up to middle school. In April we will have our annual trillium trek, which is a run through our trails with distances for all ages. There are other miscellaneous things that happen throughout the year, but those are the main things.

My reflection: Elachee is a place that most people know about in Hall COunty, but not many people besides children visit there for fun. I think more activities and involvement in the community would be good for Elachee.

5. What other services does Elachee provide?

We have a pre-k school here at Elachee that runs year long that focuses on nature and being healthy. We have a museum about the geographical history of Georgia. We have an animal room with turtles, snakes, lizards, and a few large insects. We usually take these animals on classroom outreaches and when younger kids visit. We do birthday parties and other private events as well.

My reflection: I really like the nature focused preschool. If I was a parent in the area I would most definitely prefer this preschool to teach my kids to love the outdoors. It is great that Elachee has animals for children to see and interact with. I am in high school, and I still enjoy going in on fridays and mondays and feeding those animals. I see parents and adults all the time that enjoy it as much, if not more, than the children.

6. Who is Elachee's main focus for marketing?

Elachee is mainly focused on kids. We are a very popular spot for field trips, but, as I said earlier, we do outreaches to classrooms all the time. We have a pre-k, summer camps, people-friendly animals, and we make sure all of our public events are available to children as well as adults.

My reflection: It is good that the kids are the main focus, because children, with their natural rambunctiousness and excitement, will motivate their parents and grandparents to come to Elachee too. I wish I lived in Hall County when I was in elementary school to go on a field trip here!

7. Do you think Elachee is a vital part of Hall County? Why?

I believe it plays a very important role in preserving the natural habitat of the wildlife of the area, especially with this becoming a popular area. Not only does it educate the community, it provides culture too. Elachee is one of the most popular nature centers in the southeast, which makes us unique.

My reflection: I think what Elachee represents, protecting and enjoying nature, is a very important part of Hall County. Whenever I tell people “I intern at Elachee Nature Center,” everyone has heard of it and what it does, and it sparks a temporary interest in them to come by and check it out. I think that is a great thing, but also a downside. Most everyone knows of Elachee, but most people haven’t actually been here more that once or twice.

8. Where does Elachee get it's funding/money?

Elachee is a private non-profit organization so we raise all of our money through donations, fundraising, sponsorships, grants, and earned income, such as memberships and renting out our facilities.

My reflection: I like this part of Elachee, even if there ever is a tightness of money. It being a non profit means it is truly about nature and people, and it gets the community involved on a business and personal level.

9. In what ways does Elachee preserve the environment?

We have multiple compost and recycle bins, so we use those as much as possible. Part of us being a nature preserve means that whatever is growing in the nature preserve must stay. For example, we cannot use fallen trees as firewood to burn or sell, so we just move them out of the paths or use the stumps as benches. We are here to protect the environment, so there is a lot going on around here.

My reflection:  I love how everything is recycled! Especially the part about how what is at Elachee must stay at Elachee. I’ve been on a couple hikes to clear trees from paths, and I didn’t understand at first why they don’t just get rid of the fallen trees, but now I love how everything is a part of Elachee.

10. What do you plan on doing now that Elachee is under new management?

I don't really plan on changing much of how Elachee runs. Many of the people who work here have been a part of Elachee for a long time, so they know what works well her. Right now I am trying to promote Elachee though, and get more people to visit and volunteer.

My reflection: I think that is the best way to join something. If I was to go into a place with ideas of change running out the wazoo, the people who know the routine here may not like me very much.

Reflection week 1-21

1)      Describe the most memorable experience you have had this semester in regards to the Honors Mentorship Program?

My most memorable experience last semester with the Hall County Government Office was working with the Elections office. It was the first year that Gainesville was able to elect their mayor, instead of a board appointing one. I was able to talk to people from all over Gainesville, I learned about the election system firsthand, I registered to vote, and I even got payed hourly. It was a great experience overall!

2)      What has been the biggest lesson learned during your first semester of your mentorship experience?

The biggest lesson I learned was punctuality. I had to be at my mentorship at a certain time after school almost each day in order to get the hours i needed. I also needed to leave at a certain time to get to rowing practice on time. I had to make sure that my mentor was on schedule and also tell her if I couldn't be there on certain days. My greatest lesson from this was learning time management. 

3)      How will you use this experience in the future?  How has this experience changed your view of learning? 

In the future I will use this to understand how to be professional in the workplace and impress my employers. I have a leg up on my competitors because while they are learning the basics, I will be learning the next step :)

 4)  How has it changed your view of the career area in which you are mentoring?

Although I enjoyed the professional workplace, i learned that working with the government is not my thing. I have high respect for people who can do that job, but it has also made me critical, in a healthy way, of the people who work for the government. 

Project planning, 1-13 weekly assignment

• I need and want to know this: 
• How to companies like the Hall County Government and Elachee Nature Center function differently?
• What is your current essential question (has it changed from when you wrote it earlier in the school year?  If it is the same, use that question for this portion of you proposal). 
• Compare and contrast how companies like the Hall County Government (for profit) and Elachee Nature Center (not for profit) function differently.
• Other than the required website, what other tools do you envision to best show case your project (#4)? 
• Perhaps a diagram on a poster comparing the two, with pictures and visuals supporting my statement and information.
• What will you do for your "real inquiry" (see above #5)?
•  I will talk to my mentors, both old (Katie Crumley at the HC Government) and new (Rob Stewart at Elachee Nature Center). Since I have already completed my time at the HC Government, I understand a good portion of the information I require. I can also talk to Rob, my mentor at Elachee, and ask questions about how non-profits work and what they do.