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Hunting, foraging classes, day camps offered at Mansfield wildlife center
Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center logo

MANSFIELD, Ga. — Spring into warmer weather and outdoor fun at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield. 

This spring and summer the Wildlife Center at 543 Elliott Trail in Mansfield is offering a variety of programs for all ages and audiences. 

All programs are currently open for registration: 

Becoming An Outdoors Woman (BOW) Program

• Foraging Hike and Edible Plant ID - March 20, 10 am-2 pm. Cost: $5 per participant

Our backyards are abundant with edible medicinal plants and mushrooms, but how do you begin identifying them? Join Anne-Marie Bilella for a morning of foraging on the trails of Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center. Participants will collect specimens, learn how to properly identify species, and share recipes for meals and natural remedies. 

Register online at https://georgiawildlife.doubleknot.com/selection/73913?utm_campaign=&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=.

• GA SHARP Hunters (Women Only) - March 27, 9 am-5 pm. Cost: $20.00 per participant (includes lunch)

This program will provide new hunters with basic knowledge and skills required to confidently pursue the wild turkey on their own.  The one-day event will include an introduction and overview, along with multiple hunting skills specific to the eastern wild turkey. Instruction will focus on skills other than shooting. Lunch is included with the program. Register online at https://gadnr.org/sharp-program?utm_campaign=&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=.

• BOW Women’s Specialty Hunt: Turkey - April 30-May 2. Cost: $130 per participant (includes lodging, meals, and program)

This program is geared towards the new hunter. Topics that will be covered include: a safety overview and shotgun patterning, guided hunts on Saturday and Sunday. Participants will learn how to dress a turkey with any harvest. A hunting license is required to participate in this event. Register online at https://georgiawildlife.doubleknot.com/selection/73913?utm_campaign=&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=.

Summer Camp

Charlie Elliott has multiple day camps this summer with new and exciting experiences. Each camp goes from 9 am-4 pm each day.

• Charlie’s Trackers- (Ages 6-8) June 7-11. Cost: $150 per camper

Inspiring a love of nature and the outdoors, Charlie’s Trackers camp opens the door to a lifetime of adventure and fun through exploration and hands-on activities. During this camp, campers will work towards becoming a Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center Junior Ranger, a program started in Georgia by Mr. Elliott. Register online.

• Wildlife Rangers-(Ages 8-10) June 14-18. Cost: $150 per camper

Wildlife Rangers will be immersed in the outdoors while gaining valuable nature knowledge and skills. Campers will learn outdoor pursuits such as shelter building, cooking over a fire, wildlife identification, fishing, and canoeing. 

• Outdoor Adventure Team Challenge - (Ages 11-13) June 21-25. Cost: $150 per camper

This fast-paced, high-energy camp will be brimming with outdoor pursuits such as hiking, canoeing, fire building, archery, and wildlife ID. Our trained counselors will guide campers along their journey culminating in an all-out, every-team-for-themselves competition. 

• Shooting Sports Camp - (Ages 12-16) June-July 2. Cost: $150 per camper

Campers will learn fundamentals of shooting, participate in various shooting activities, proper handling of rifles, shotguns, and archery equipment, and practice gun safety. They will also learn how to safely clean, maintain, and store firearms. By week’s end, campers will have completed the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) First Steps Program. An opportunity to demonstrate their new skills and earn shooting awards will round out the camp. 

• Gone Fishin’ - (Ages 11-13). July 6-9. Cost $150 per camper

This camp is designed with young anglers in mind! Campers will spend the week learning about fishing and fisheries management. Activities include mastering techniques used to fish, identifying equipment that goes into a tackle box, exploring fish biology, and of course a lot of fishing! Campers are guaranteed to leave with their own stories of “the one that got away.”

• Adventures in Conservation Education (ACE) - (Rising sixth-, seventh-, or eighth-graders) July 13-16. Cost: $50 per camper

ACE is a summer camp for middle school students that is focused on wildlife conservation. This year campers will journey into the piedmont and walk in the shoes of game wardens to see how they solve wildlife related crimes. Participants will spend four days immersed in biology, conservation, and the forensics behind investigating wildlife crimes. This camp is sponsored in part by The Environmental Resources Network. 

• CEWC Wilderness Survival Camp -(Ages 12-16) July 19-23. Cost: $150 per camper

Campers will take part in a variety of activities meant to sharpen their ability to respond to various wilderness situations. We will explore the topics of fire building, edible and medicinal plant use, shelter building, orienteering and much more.

Professional Development for Educators

• Outdoor Wildlife Leadership School (OWLS) - July 6-9. Cost: $150 per participant

Interested in learning about wildlife conservation through hands-on activities and field experiences? We got the professional development event for you, OWLS. This year OWLS will explore the Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plain ecoregions of Georgia and investigate the field of wildlife forensics.

• Virtual Soundscapes Workshop - March 25, 4 pm-6 pm. Cost: Free for Georgia Association of Marine Educators (GAME) members and $10 for non-GAME members

During this workshop participants will explore how Channel Islands and Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuaries are characterizing their soundscapes, what they have discovered, and what they are still seeking to understand. The presenters will highlight resources available for educators to use when teaching about sounds.

• Project WILD Educator workshops - statewide. Cost: varies per workshop

During these educator workshops, participants will receive training in the terrestrial and aquatic WILD activity guides. The Project WILD materials have been classroom tested and provide a framework to assist teachers in taking students from an awareness of nature to responsible actions concerning the environment. Both virtual and in-person workshops are available. 

Family Public Programs

Night of Froggery - June 4, 8:30 pm-10 pm. Cost: Free

Come join CEWC education staff as we train our eyes and ears to identify frogs and toads of Georgia by sight and sound. A portion of the program will be outside searching for frogs, so please bring a flashlight or headlamp, and shoes (or boots) that can get wet.

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center is managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. For more information, visit https://georgiawildlife.com/charlie-elliott-wildlife-center.