GCPEP Staff Take a Break from the Field to Teach Alabama and Florida Students

May 15, 2023

Classroom in the Forest

Invasive Species Coordinator Emma McKee presented at Classroom in the Forest at Conecuh National Forest. It was a wonderful event with nearly 300 students attending.

Classroom in the Forest, coordinated by The Alabama TREASURE Forest Association, enables school children to get a close-up look at private forestland and private forest landowners, as well as the many TREASURES that the forest holds.

Indigo Snake Festival

Conecuh National Forest hosted the 2023 Eastern Indigo Snake & Wildlife Festival at Open Pond Recreation Area in May. The festival focused on the indigo snake and other rare species as well as the longleaf ecosystem they depend upon for habitat and survival. South Alabama students from Florala, Pleasant Home, and Andalusia schools and a large northwest Florida home school group attended with a total of 374 participants.

Longleaf Alliance staff lead two education stations focused on the longleaf ecosystem and  isolated wetlands, while partners offered stations with indigos and other snakes, gopher tortoises, birds, and prescribed fire.

Indigo Festival Poster_Final