Chloe Thompson is a SAIL High School student interning with WFSU as part of the Age of Nature project. She spent a semester getting to know Lake Elberta, and helped organize a cleanup there in March of 2021. Chloe closes out her internship with a look at fixing Lake Elberta’s garbage issue- in the long term.
In February of 2021, I had visited Lake Elberta for the very first time. Before then, to be honest, I probably had driven by it countless times, but never seemed to notice it until intentionally looking for it. The park was a truly beautiful place, filled with all sorts of wildlife and lively with visitors.
Week of April 29, 2021
Chloe Thompson - Don t Just Say Be Better. Do It. Chloe Thompson is a ninth grader at Sail High School. She was awarded an internship with WFSU Public Media in partnership with the Apalachee Audubon Society. Thompson was tasked with improving the debris-ridden Lake Elberta. She felt fulfilled at seeing the positive impact of her lake cleanup event.
Tell your inspirational story. Contact Kim Kelling at 850-645-6056 or kkelling@fsu.edu. More in radio
WFSU Local Routes
Fixing to Take Flight: Soaring Above Limits with Nicole Jackson
Nicole Jackson, a natural-born leader, is making a name for herself by changing the face of environmental education through storytelling in parks.
A nature enthusiast, avid bird watcher and Cleveland, Ohio native, Nicole is an alumna of the School of Environment and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University. There she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Education and Interpretation (2011). She is an environmental educator who has worked for various non-profits implementing programs across for the past decade in Central Ohio focused on conservation, gardening, green jobs, and outdoor recreation. Her main goal as an educator is to help people of color find access to local resources that connect them to fun nature experiences and become environmental stewards. Nicole is always looking for opportunities to learn something new and help others see the brilliance and
WFSU Local Routes
10 am and
Lake Elberta Park: 594 N Lake Bradford Rd, Tallahassee Fl 32304
Due to COVID restrictions, the City of Tallahassee asks that we limit volunteers to 15 at a time. To ensure that we comply,
we ask that participants register ahead of time for one of two shifts.
We ask that all volunteers wear masks, and encourage volunteers to bring water bottles.
Trash bags, gloves, safety vests, and trash picker-uppers provided.
Join Apalachee Audubon for a cleanup of Lake Elberta Park. Located between FSU and FAMU, the park serves students and the local community alike. And it just so happens that it’s one of Tallahassee’s top birding hotspots, attracting migratory birds year-round. However, as a retention pond in an urbanized area, it receives a lot of trash.
Take a guided tour of Leon County s biologically diverse communities
Peter Goren
Leon County and the surrounding areas are some of the most biologically diverse in the country. Each biodiverse ecosystem includes several indicator species, those plants or animals that reflect the biotic or abiotic conditions of a given environment.
These indicator species help us identify specific ecosystem and natural communities. In addition, they can provide us with information on the impacts of pollutants and/or physical damage to an ecosystem and give us insight concerning how well an ecosystem is being managed or restored.
One example of an animal indicator species is the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, typically found in mature pine forests with open understory maintained by frequent burning. One of the local areas where Red-cockaded Woodpeckers can be found is being managed by the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy in northern Leon County.