The Burton 4-H Center is one of five

4-H 4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times i ...

centers in Georgia, United States. It offers both day programs and one-week residential programs. Students from all over Georgia attend the Burton 4-H Center which specializes in marine science education. In addition to providing typical 4-H classes in applied science, the Burton 4-H Center has achieved substantial community recognition for

sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...

conservation and rescue. The center maintains a regionally specific collection of coastal maritime species including Carolina diamondback terrapins, bearded dragons, gopher tortoises, oyster toad fish, and clear-nose skates. The center has been recognized for supporting numerous

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performed ...

projects such as beach clean-ups. It also hosts operation purple camp (OPC) during the summer. OPC is a camp for children who have parents actively serving in the

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. https://web.archive.org/web/20110525050418/http://www.burton4h.org/facilities/images/4h_center_map.gif

Classes

This is a list of the classes taught during the

Environmental Education Environmental education (EE) refers to organized efforts to teach how natural environments function, and particularly, how human beings can manage behavior and ecosystems to live sustainably. It is a multi-disciplinary field integrating discip ...

season which runs September through May (concurrently with the United States academic year).

Full classes

The following classes usually last about 2 hours on average. * Beach Ecology * Crabs and Critters * Discovery Cruise (dolphin cruise) * Hydrology * Invertebrate Studies * Maritime Forest Ecology * Marsh Ecology * Orienteering * Pollution Solution * Surf Sleuth * Choosies * Special Topics * Wetland Monitoring

Evening classes

The classes listed below are only taught during the evening and last about 1 hour on average. * Astronomy Walk * Campfire * Marine Mammals * Night Walk * Quiz Show * Reptiles * Sea Turtles * Shark Dissection * Squid Dissection * Team Building

Summer classes

During the Summer Camp Season at Burton 4H Center the classes taught last about an hour and a half on average and take place throughout the week. * Seining * Beach Ecology * Marsh Ecology * Reptiles * Orienteering * Crabs and Critters Many classes make use of the local natural resources, especially marshes, sand dunes, ocean inlets as well as the historical resources including Spanish Civil War Batteries and the Tybee Island lighthouse.

Summer Camp

The summer camp that takes place every summer at Burton

Center is organized under

Georgia 4-H Georgia 4-H was founded in 1904 by G.C. Adams in Newton County, Georgia, United States, as the Girls Canning, and Boys Corn Clubs. The Georgia 4-H Program is a branch of Georgia Cooperative Extension, which is part of the University of Georgia ...

Program. It last form 6 to 8 weeks depending upon camper registration and the year. Campers arrive on Monday and return home on a Friday. This leaves the weekend open for the camp counselors to prepare the center for the next week's campers. The schedule changes each day of the week during camp season. Schools from all over the state participate in the summer camp program at Burton 4-H Center.

Environmental education

The Environmental Education program (EE) at Burton 4-H Center is the equivalent to a shortened version of the camping program. The 2 biggest differences are that the EE sessions range from 1 day to 3 days and they take place during the school year. The main objective of EE is to educate the public. This is why there are more classes and they last longer during the EE season. The major areas focused on in the curriculum at Burton 4H Center include but are not limited to the environment, thinking skills, and history. The Environmental Education program in Georgia serves an average of 35,000 students a year, making it the largest in the nation. Each center has an area of environmental education that they specialize in. Burton 4-H Center specializes in regional wildlife and history of the surrounding area.

Sea turtle release

On Thursday August 7, 2008, a captive loggerhead sea turtle named Squirty was released into the Atlantic Ocean by the Burton 4-H Center. The turtle had been rescued as a hatchling and raised at the center since he was one week old. "Squirty," as he came to be known, was the only survivor of a vandalized nest of turtle eggs. Unable to find his way to the ocean, he was raised in a large aquarium for two years at the center. In honor of Squirty's release, a festival was held all around the release area, and hundreds of people participated. News crews followed Squirty around until his departure to freedom. Burton 4-H Center was commended by the community for their efforts.

References

External links

Burton 4-H Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burton 4-H Center Education in Georgia (U.S. state) Environmental education in the United States Education in Chatham County, Georgia Summer camps in Georgia (U.S. state) Buildings and structures in Chatham County, Georgia 4-H Outdoor education organizations