Environmental Learning Center

The mission of the Environmental Learning Center (ELC), a not-for-profit 501(c)3 nature center located in Vero Beach, FL, is to educate, inspire and empower all people, including those with minimal access to nature, to be active stewards of the environment and their own well-being. Now in its 29th year, the ELC serves on- and off-site over 20,000 children and adults through school excursion, camp, lectures series, adult education, professional development, festivals, and numerous partnerships and other programs. Its 64-acre campus is surrounded on three sides by the Indian River Lagoon, an estuary of national significance, and is 1.4 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The campus includes native plant gardens, an interactive museum including aquaria and touch tank, classroom and event spaces, pontoon boat and canoes, children’s nature play area, visitor center, gift shop, picnic facilities and more. Approximately two miles of raised boardwalks, trails, docks and elevated lookout stations with educational signage and a wireless audio tour also allow guests an educational, immersive experience of mangrove forests and the lagoon.