Environmental Learning Center

Environmental Learning Center

Discover ELC

The heart of education, conservation, and our community.

Welcome to the Environmental Learning Center!

 64-acre lagoon-island Nature Center located in the heart of the beautiful and diverse Indian River Lagoon in Vero Beach, Florida. 

We are open seven days a week to the public (free to members, or with paid admission). Visit our 2000 gallons of aquariums, touch tank, and live animal exhibits, stroll miles of boardwalk nature trails, and enjoy our many outdoor picnic and play areas and wellness programs. We offer daily pontoon tours, and kayak and paddleboard rentals for eco-adventures, as well as guided nature and bird walks. Group programs are available. We provide a vast array of experiences fostering human connections to the natural world and knowledge about our Florida native environment.  

Our Mission is to educate, inspire and empower all people to be active stewards of the environment and their own well-being. 

Recurring Events

Daily Wild Lagoon Boat & Paddle Eco-Tours

Mondays 8-9 AM Tai Chi & Balance

Wednesdays 1-3 PM Wild Wednesdays – Unstructured Play for Homeschoolers

Wednesdays 1:30-2:30 PM Chair Yoga

Fridays 1-2 PM Yoga

Saturdays 11:30-1:30 PM Unplug + Play

Coming Up!

9-11 AM Guided Kayak Excursions  2/12, 2/19, 2/22, 2/26 (or by appt)

2/8 9 AM Broadway Babies

2/12 4-6 PM Y-ELC – The Importance of Native Plants

2/15  9-10 AM or 10:30-11:30 AM Little Wonders – Feathered Friends

2/15 11 AM Roger L. Hammer: Talk, Book Signing & Optional Lunch

2/18 9 AM Guided Nature Walk at Sebastian River State Park

2/18 8-9:30 AM Beginners’ Bird Walk

2/19 Noon “Monofilament & Our Sea Turtles” Brown Bag Lunch and Learn

2/20 5:30 PM Eugenia Native Plant Meeting – Carnivorous Plants

2/22 12-4 PM Sip & Shop at J. McLaughlin

2/23 11 AM Walking Meditation

2/26 4 PM Y-ELC Seining the IRL

3/1 6 PM Mangroves, Moonlight & Mykonos

Highlights

Nature Guide On Pontoon Boot

Educating

ELC provides visitors with hands-on learning opportunities to explore the Indian River Lagoon ecosystems and discover the complex connections between us and the natural world.

Girl With Fish / Seine Netting 1

Inspiring

ELC inspires conservation by recognizing and appreciating other living organisms and demonstrating how our actions impact the environment and our health.

Circle Boys At Disovery Station

Empowering

ELC empowers the community to restore and protect the Indian River Lagoon, an estuary of national significance, by utilizing and sharing its campus for learning, exploring, collaborating, and celebrating.

Monthly Happenings

Broadway Babies Website Header Featured Image

Broadway Babies

Join Us February 8th at 9 AM for a Mommy-and-Me style musical theatre class for children aged 0 to 4. This month’s theme is “Under-the-Sea.”

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Little Wonders Wonderful Wildflowers (1200 X 600 Px)

February Little Wonders

Feathered Friends 2/15 ~ 9-10 AM or 10:30-11:30 AM Explore the world of birds – from small songbirds to large birds of prey. Learn about common birds at the ELC

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Calendar