E.D.E.N.

By Stephen Thompson Published in The Raider, Fall 2005 Past the crowded parking lot and screaming kids lies a serene, natural conservation area known as E.D.E.N., or Ecological Diversity for Educational Networking. Started as a demonstration of Savannah Christian Preparatory School’s stewardship and conservation of its own natural resources, E.D.E.N.’s more than 180 preserved acres are a beautiful sanctuary utilized by both students and faculty for education and recreation. Located at the back of the Chatham Parkway campus, at the end of the main road, E.D.E.N. features ponds, a swamp, trails, forest areas, and Civil War earthworks, as well as an outdoor amphitheater, observation tower, aquatic studies dock, wetland’s boardwalk, fully-equipped science laboratory and picnic area. Multifarious wildlife inhabit E.D.E.N.’s ponds and forests, from mud turtles, river otters, alligators and snakes to largemouth bass, ducks, egrets, geese, hawks, owls, raccoon, fox and deer. Upper school Biology, Ecology, and Marine Biology classes all utilize E.D.E.N. as an example of a natural ecosystem. Students select water samples to analyze in the lab, while other classes focus on observing nature at work. Fifth graders monitor water through the state of Georgia’s Adopt-A-Lake program. Extracurricular activities include the Fishing Club, led by Mr. Yancey, and the Environmental Club, which meets four times a year for a workday. Students trade in their microscopes for rakes and gloves and work to keep E.D.E.N.’s trails in good condition so others can enjoy its beauty.

Ecological Diversity for Educational Networking, or E.D.E.N., began as a demonstration of Savannah Christian Preparatory School’s stewardship and conservation of its own natural resources. Today, the reserved 176 acres is an outdoor education center located on the Chatham Parkway campus. Forest, fields and ponds yield habitats for a variety of plant and animal life. Discovery trails, demonstration stations and teaching facilities provide students with a memorable hand-son educational experience.

E.D.E.N. features ponds, a swamp, trails, Civil War earthworks and forest areas, as well as an outdoor amphitheater, observation tower, aquatic studies dock, wetland’s board walk, fully equipped science laboratory and picnic area. A canebrake thicket provides habitats for birds, reptiles and amphibians. From a groundcover of greenbrier vines, ferns and fungi, a forest overstory of oaks, hickories, sweet-gums and pines rises above the shorter wax myrtles, willows, buttonbush, sassafras and devil’s walking stick. One may spot a white-tailed deer, raccoon, oppossum, grey squirrel, rabbit, mouse, fox or bat making its home in the forest. Ponds are home to river otters, mud turtles, cricket frogs, bluegill sunfish, largemouth bass and even an alligator or two as well as an array of aquatic plants. Water lilies, smartweed and bladderwort (a carnivorous plant feeding on microscopic animal life) are the most common aquatic plants seen. Feeding among these plants are a variety of waterfowl, including small duck-like birds called coots and gallinules. Heron and egret work the shallows in search of small fish and frogs. Ospreys are becoming more at home at E.D.E.N., often seen fishing the pond. Sometimes the shrill of a red-tailed hawk can been heard in the distance as it hunts the uplands for small animals.

As Savannah Christian has continued its conservation efforts over the years, various classes and volunteers have provided man-made habitats to help attract certain species to E.D.E.N. and the Chatham Parkway campus in general. Owl boxes and bluebird boxes are found throughout the campus. Recently, new wood duck boxes were installed around the pond and an osprey nesting platform was built. Additionally, several faculty members and students have become certified in water testing.

E.D.E.N. continues to be a part of the curriculum for all students at Savannah Christian. Examples of coursework at E.D.E.N. include the Upper School ecology and marine biology electives and the fifth-grade science program, in which students monitor E.D.E.N.’s water through the state of Georgia’s Adopt-A-Lake program.

The administration of Savannah Christian is also proud to offer the use of E.D.E.N. to school groups for field trips. Contact Savannah Christian for more information about bringing your group.

Click here to read our exciting proposed plans for E.D.E.N. expansion, development and utilization.