The Georgia 4-H environmental education program uses “the outdoors as classrooms without walls” to provide overnight academic field studies for students in grades K-12. Well-trained and college-educated instructors keep students active and engaged for up to eight hours a day through a hands-on approach that puts learning in the context of the real-world environment. Georgia 4-H’s Camp Jekyll is located on 10 acres on the south end of Jekyll Island between the beach and maritime forest and uses the entire island as an outdoor classroom for marsh, beach, & forest ecology, and dock studies. Participants of this program report an increase in student relationships with their classmates, student relationships with their teacher, environmental awareness, environmental behavioral intent, and connectedness to nature.  

 In the spring of 2025, 61 individuals from Mammoth Cave 4-H participated in the immersive marine biology and environmental education program at Camp Jekyll. Through this educational camping experience, 46 youth, 10 adult chaperones, and 5 supervising 4-H Agents had the opportunity to travel to a different state, explore a beach ecosystem, learn about marine species, and strengthen their appreciation for protecting the environment. Simpson County was one of the four counties (Allen, Hart, Simpson & Warren) participating. Our 16 county attendees included 11 youth, 4 adult volunteers, and 1 4-H Agent. 

 Both the youth & adults engaged in environmental education through the following classes: 

• Reptile Herpetology 
• Shark Dissection 
• Marine Animals Aquatics
• Beach Ecology 
• Maritime Forest 
• Salt Marsh Ecology 
• Saltwater Fishing 
• Slough Study 

 As a result of attending Camp Jekyll’s environmental education camp, our evaluation results of the Mammoth Cave 4-H participants indicated the following learning outcomes: 

• 92% said they felt more confident about working as part of a team
• 83% said they gained more independence from the trip
• 83% feel that 4-H is a place where they have the chance to be a leader
• 92% feel that 4-H is a place where they get to figure things out for themselves and grown
• 100% said because of this trip they had a better understanding of ecosystems
• 92% said they now have a deeper understanding of how to conserve natural resources
• 75% will use the knowledge or skills learned on this trip to help protect the environment or natural resources