Key Points:
• Environment Sandy Springs holds pilot EcoSleuth program at Lost Corner Preserve.
• ESS plans to offer it as a seasonal program in 2026.
A group of third and fifth-graders may be inspired to find the magic of nature in their backyards after spending an afternoon at Lost Corner Preserve in an EcoSleuth program.
EcoSleuth, a pilot program for boys and girls in grades 3-5 and their parents, was launched at Lost Corner Preserve by Environment Sandy Springs (ESS) on Oct. 11, according to a news release.
“This pilot program proved that kids and parents can be excellent sleuthing teams in their own backyards at home to discover what lives in the soil, how to identify the trees, shrubs, flowers, bugs and birds they see, and how to document their discoveries in their own nature journals that we were happy to give them,” ESS President Jim Newbury said in the release.
Program leaders Claire Adair and Janet Wells helped the teams learn to look in their backyards to see and hear things they never noticed before, the release said.
Participants went outdoors at Lost Corner to search for hidden secrets after taking part in indoor activities, according to the release. Using magnifying glasses, the children found hidden treasures, like worms and spiders.
Each child received ESS EcoSleuth kits and five backyard sleuthing assignments to complete by Oct. 31 to earn their ESS EcoSleuth certificates.
ESS plans to offer seasonal EcoSleuth programs next year. Information about ESS and EcoSleuth is available on the ESS website.
Environment Sandy Springs is a 501(c)(3) Georgia nonprofit organization that seeks to serve Sandy Springs communities by connecting them with nature and each other. Its mission is to preserve the environment for generations to come by protecting and restoring ecosystems today.
