The mission of the Environmental Learning Center (ELC), a not-for-profit 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 27^th year, the ELC serves on- and off-site nearly 20,000 children and adults through school excursion, camp, adult education, professional development 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, pontoon boat and canoes, children’s nature play area, visitor center, gift shop, picnic facilities and more. One and a half miles of raised boardwalks, trails, docks and elevated lookout stations with educational signage and a wireless audio tour also allow guests an educational first-hand experience of mangrove forests and the lagoon.