Spring 2007

Singing spring peepers, the call of Sandhill Cranes, delicate colorful
wildflowers peeking out from under a leaf… these are all signs that
spring has come to the Ebersole Center and that it’s time for the
Annual Spring Open House.
The Ebersole Center is again hosting a day of free family fun on Sat., April 28, 2007
from 10:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m. Join us and celebrate the coming of spring by taking
a wildflower hike, canoeing in Jackson Lake, trying your hand at archery, or catch and
release fishing. “Pat Harkins and Friends” will provide entertainment with old time
music, children can make a small craft to take home and what is an open house
without Ebby Bear greeting everyone?
Photos courtesy of Jason Byler
Our annual open house is a great chance to visit and see all the opportunities the Center
has to offer. Many parents come to see where their child will be staying while they attend
camp with their school. Other families like to visit and share again the experiences
their child had while at Ebersole. For many children, it’s the one of
the highlights of their “school experience” and parents see why
their child couldn’t stop talking about “camp.”
With two buses donated by Dean Trailways, Lansing area
guests can reserve free transportation to the Center for
the day but seats are limited so call (517) 325-6349 to
make reservations or visit http://ebersole.lansingschools.net
for directions to the Center. We hope you’ll join us for
a beautiful spring day at the Center.
Schedule Now for the 2007-2008 School Year!
The Ebersole Center is busy scheduling School Groups for the 2007-2008 school year. Make
sure you contact the Center to get the best possible date for your group. We are taking
reservations for overnight groups, day trips, and outreach programs. If you have any questions
or would like more information on the programs we can offer contact us at (517) 325-6349.
Ve r n on D. E b e r s o le E n v i ron m e n t a l E d u c a tion an d C on fe re n c e C e n te r Spring 2007
'%%,
The Ebersole Center is again offering two exciting
summer camp programs for campers of all ages! The
camps are guaranteed to be fun while exploring the
outdoors and gaining an appreciation for nature. Our
programs are planned and staffed by our experienced
naturalists to insure camper safety while having a great
time and are open to all young people, regardless of their
school district. Registration deadline is June 8, 2007.
Applications are available through the Ebersole Center
office, (517) 325-6349.
Adventure Camp
June 11–15
Ü Students 9–11 years old • $200 person/week
This five-day, four-night residential camping experience
is perfect for elementary age students and first time
campers. Campers have fun swimming in Gun Lake,
canoeing, playing games, doing arts and crafts, and
testing their skills in archery. The week’s highlights will
include an all day trips to Lake Michigan and Binder
Park Zoo in Battle Creek. The evenings are filled
with hayrides, fishing and making new friends while
roasting marshmallows and telling stories around
the campfire. Join us for an adventure filled week!
Explorer Camp
June 11–15
Ü Students 12–14 years old • $200 person/week
This five-day, four-night, rustic camping experience is
perfect for middle school students. After setting up their
tents and camp site, campers will enjoy spending their
nights close to nature. Their sense of adventure will be
tested as they paddle through the local chain of lakes,
hike in Yankee Springs Recreational Area, and swim
in Gun Lake. Back at camp, they can test their skill at
fishing and shooting a bull’s eye on the archery range.
Roasting hot dogs and s’mores, campfire stories and
making craft projects will make the evenings complete.
At the end of the week we’ll spend a day exploring the
dunes and relaxing at Lake Michigan before saying
goodbye to the many friends we’ve met at camp.
LEAF Scholarships & Transportation Available
Round trip bus transportation from Gardner Middle
School in Lansing will be available for the both the
Adventure and Explorer Camps. The bus departs on
Monday at 9:00 a.m. and returns Friday at 1:00 a.m.
Cost of the bus transportation is $35.
Photos courtesy of Jason Byler
LEAF Camp Scholarships are available for both camps
for Lansing Students. Applications are due May 4, 2007.
The camp registration deadline is June 8, 2007. Call
(517) 325-6349 or visit http://ebersole.lansingschools.net
to obtain information, scholarship applications, and
registration forms.
News
On February 2nd close to 100 hardy souls braved sub-zero conditions (for the second
year in a row) to help us celebrate our 4th Annual Give Your Heart to Ebersole
Fundraiser. Although the attendance for this year’s event was down, there was
no stopping the heavy bidding from our warm-hearted supporters.
The Eagle Eye facility was transformed into an African safari complete with a 13-foot
paper mache giraffe and a six foot baby elephant lent to us by Pam Collins, Everett
High School art teacher. The Lansing Civic Players assisted with an original African
hut, and Pleasant View Elementary sixth grade art students, under the direction of
teacher Wendy McWhorter, created 24 African figurines made out of clay. Chef Dan
from Eagle Eye roasted a pig and the authentic safari style food was a treat for all
who attended.
Because of the lower turn out, we weren’t able to match the revenue from last year
but the people who did show up picked up some great bargains from rounds of
golf to fabulous art pieces donated by outstanding artists including: Gijsbert van
Frankenhuizen, Mark Mehaffey, and Betty McGinnis.
We wish to also thank the many other donors who made the auction so profitable,
the Safari Auction Committee, auctioneer Bob Howe and Co-hosts Jane Aldrich
and Kip Bohne who “made it happen.”
Jacque
Gerard
The rare and valuable species honored as
our Ebersole grandfriendimus is Jacque
Gerard, third grade teacher from Lansing
School District’s Attwood Elementary.
Jacque was also our “Camping Teacher
Honoree” for this year’s “Give Your Heart
to Ebersole” Banquet. Jacque has been a
friend of the Center and of environmental education since before the Center
existed and before that, was a “camping
student.” As a fifth grade student of
Lansing teacher, Mr. Russell Lang, she
went “school camping” for the first time
in 1961.
During her 25 years of “camping” with
students, she and her long time colleague,
Pam McLenithan, took over 1,500 students
to camp, raised over $105,000 dollars in
“camp fees” and spent over 2,500 hours
in camp supervision.
Photos courtesy of Michael Mauer Smith
Fourth Land Payment Due in August
The Ebersole Foundation is happy to report that we are closing in on
our fourth land acquisition payment… and then only one more
payment to go everyone! Special thanks go out to all of you who
have helped us to reach toward our goal. Each of you whether you
gave $50 or $50,000 have made an impact on our success. A heartfelt “thank you” goes out to our corporate, foundation and personal
supporters including: Ebersole Foundation Board of Trustees, The
Dart Foundation, Kellie Dean, Lyle Stephens, The Flap Jack Restaurant
of South Cedar, and National City Bank, to name only a few.
We still need your support for our remaining goal of $137,000.
Please complete the enclosed gift envelope and return it to the
Foundation. Your gift will benefit hundreds of thousands of
students and the environment into the future. Give generously!
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Jacque is dedicated to the “camp”
program because, “’Camp’ enables students
to develop, the habits of mind that teach
them to become responsible members of
an interdependent community of cooperative learners that value the environment.”
When former students see her, they
remember her as the teacher who took
them camping and the good memories
it provided them. We will always
remember Jacque as one of the many
teachers who made the extra effort
to provide this very important learning
experience.
A big thank you to you Jacque!
TidBits
“Study nature,
love nature, stay
close to nature.
It will never fail you.”
–Frank Lloyd Wright
Dormitory Remodeling
Paul and Butch, Center handymen, have been hard at work fixing up the showering
facilities in the dorms. New partitions have been added to the showers to help
modernize the facilities for visiting groups. Next time you are at the Center check
them out and let us know what you think.
Gardening with the “Wild Ones”
“Wild Ones” is a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organization that
can teach you how to landscape with native plants while helping to preserve our state’s
native plants. If you’re interested in learning more or joining a local chapter near you,
visit their website at: www.for-wild.org for more information.
Spring Camping Groups
We have a busy spring season ahead of us and we would like to offer a special thank
you to the schools and organizations that have booked programs with the Ebersole
Center. We appreciate the support you give us.
Lansing School District participants include: Willow, Cumberland, Lyons, Elmhurst,
Forest View, Post Oak, Moores Park, Grand River, Gunnisonville, Lewton, Reo,
Post Oak, Sheridan Road, Riddle, Cavanaugh, Dwight Rich, Attwood, Mt. Hope,
North, and Fairview.
Non-district schools and organizations are: Charlotte County Youth Facility, Lowell
Murray Lake School, Bath Middle School, St. Gerard, Holt Midway, Holt High School Special
Education, Detroit Butzel POHI, and Detroit Butzel Middle School.
EarthBeat by E-mail
If you are interested in receiving your EarthBeat via email, please notify the Center at
[email protected]. This is a great way to save costs and valuable resources.
An equal opportunity employer.
Printed on recycled paper.
Ebersole Environmental Education and Conference Center
3400 2nd Street, Wayland, MI 49348
Phone: 517.325.6348 or 269.792.6294
e-mail: [email protected]
web: http://ebersole.lansingschools.net
Design: McNenly Group
Contributions: John Schimmel
Assistant Editor: JoAnn Robinson
EarthBeat is a seasonal publication of the Ebersole Environmental
Education and Conference Center, owned and operated by the
Lansing School District.
Editor: Lisa Gallinari
Lansing Office
519 W. Kalamazoo
Lansing, MI 48933
Lansing, MI
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