Education, K-12

MAERC provides opportunities for K-12 education using the Ranch as an agro-ecosystem is a motivating device for building scientific knowledge and literacy about ecology, agriculture and the environment in K-12 students. MAERC hosts several K-12 activities, including the Ranch Safari Day for Archbold Biological Station’s Summer Ecology Day Camp.  We have also a variety of tours for middle school and elementary students through our Ranch Eco-Tour and other special programs. 

We are developing a middle school curriculum, “Scientific Exploration on a Florida Cattle Ranch”. The goal of this program is to increase scientific learning and environmental literacy through exposure to operations and long-term research at the MacArthur Agro-ecology Research Center (MAERC), with a curriculum designed to meet the Sunshine State Standards (SSS) for science education and to the standards of the Agriscience and Natural Resources Intended Outcomes (AOI).  This program will be both field and classroom-based, and will be directed primarily at teachers and students of Florida middle schools. It will include a Virtual Ranch Tour – a web-based virtual version of a 20-mile (roundtrip) interpretive Ranch Tour. Web-based materials will also be available to a much wider audience, including advanced elementary schools, other middle schools, high schools, homeschoolers, and agricultural clubs throughout Florida and elsewhere.