Ebenezer Swamp Wetlands
The Ebenezer Swamp Wetlands Interpretive and Research Center Education Program
The objective of the ESWIRC education program is to provide a general lesson in wetlands ecology that can be tailored in breadth and depth for three different audiences: (i) middle school students, (ii) high school students, and (iii) general public. The program must be flexible enough to accommodate specific material and content requests by visiting teachers in coordination with their own curricula.
Ecology is a complex topic because it is the study of interactions amongst organisms and the environment. Most of these interactions are not readily apparent to casual observation. The ESWIRC education program is focused on illuminating the many varied ecologic interactions evidenced in Ebenezer Swamp and developing within the students the concept of community as well as an appreciation for the importance of wetlands.
The ESWIRC education program has three components that are designed to work in series and are intended, in total, to expose students/visitors to many dimensions and aspects of the swamp, from crayfish burrows in the mud bottoms, to fish living in the the various stream habitats, to birds nesting in the tree canopy. Despite the planned coordination between components, each would be comprehensible and informative independent of the others. The three components are: (i) Comprehensive video introduction to the key concepts of ecology, habitat, community, and wetlands. (ii) Living displays recreating natural swamp habitat with appropriate faunal and floral elements. (iii) Excursions into the swamp along an elevated walkway, with viewing pavilions and interpretive plaques. The first two components of the ESWIRC education program will require a separate Visitor’s Center.
The program would begin with teachers from local schools scheduling a visit date. Scheduled visits would be led by biology students from the University of Montevallo, who would perform the following tasks: (i) welcome visitors, (ii) play introductory video, (iii) interpret living displays, (iv) lead swamp excursion and interpret wetlands ecology, (v) answer questions. In addition, special hands on projects can be arranged, including: water quality testing, invasive species eradication, stream bottom surveys, etc.
At its inception, the UMs ESWIRC program will be made available to local middle schools and high schools through direct contact and through the Alabama Science in Motion program. “ASIM serves public high schools within the Regional Inservice Center areas. The equipment and laboratory activities are designed for students taking biology, chemistry, or physics. At present, the University of Montevallo site has both a biology and chemistry program available. This Inservice Center serves 5 county school systems (Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Shelby, and Talladega) and 6 city school systems (Homewood, Hoover, Mountain Brook, Sylacauga, Talladega, and Vestavia Hills). Secondary biology and chemistry teachers within these public schools are eligible to participate.” (From The University of Montevallo’s Web page) There are seventy-nine potential candidate schools in this five county area.
Summary of Schools, by County School System.
| County | Middle | Intermediate | Jr. High/High | |
| Chilton | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| Coosa | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Jefferson | 8 | 0 | 17 | |
| Talladega | 2 | 0 | 7 | |
| Shelby | 7 | 4 | 7 | |
| Total | 19 | 5 | 38 | =62 |
Summary of Schools, by City School System.
| City | Middle | Intermediate | Jr. High/High | |
| Homewood | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Hoover | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| Mountain Brook | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Sylacauga | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| Talladega | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Vestavia Hills | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 7 | 0 | 10 | =17 |
County schools in Inservice area:
Shelby County:Helena Intermediate Sch
Oak Mt Intermediate Sch
Thompson Intermediate Sch
Valley Intermediate Sch
Calera Elem Sch
Chelsea Elem Sch
Creek View Elem Sch
Elvin Hill Elem Sch
Helena Elem Sch
Inverness Elem Sch
Meadow View Elem Sch
Montevallo Elem Sch
Mt Laurel Elem Sch
Oak Mt Elem Sch
Shelby Elem Sch
Valley Elem Sch
Vincent Elem Sch
Wilsonville Elem Sch
Chelsea Middle Sch
Columbiana Middle Sch
Montevallo Middle Sch
Oak Mt Middle Sch
Riverchase Middle Sch
Thompson Middle Sch
Vincent Middle High Sch
Calera High Sch
Chelsea High Sch
Montevallo High Sch
Oak Mt High Sch
Pelham High Sch
Shelby Co High Sch
Thompson High Sch
Linda Nolen Learning Center
Shelby Co Inst Ser CtrAlt Sch
Sch Of Tech
Bibb County:
Bibb Co Area Voc Sch
Brent Elem Sch
Centreville Elem Sch
Randolph Elem Sch
West Blocton Elem Sch
Woodstock Elem Sch
West Blocton Middle Sch
Bibb Co High Sch
Bibb Co Jr High Sch
West Blocton High Sch
Chilton County:
Chilton Co High Sch
Isabella High Sch
Jemison High Sch
Maplesville High Sch
Thorsby High Sch
Verbena High Sch
Clanton Elem Sch
Jemison Elem Sch
Clanton Intermediate Sch
Jemison Middle Sch
Henry M Adair Sch
A Lecroy Career / Technical Ctr
Coosa County:
Central Elem Sch
Goodwater Elem Sch
Kellyton Elem Sch
Rockford Elem Sch
West Coosa Elem Sch
Central Middle Sch
Central High Sch
Coosa Co Science & Tech Sch
Talladega County:
AH Watwood Elem Sch
Comer Memorial Elem Sch
Childersburg Elem Sch
Lincoln Elem Sch
Munford Elem Sch
Stemley Road Elem Sch
Comer Memorial High Sch
Childersburg High Sch
Fayetteville High Sch
Lincoln High Sch
Munford High Sch
Talladega Co Central High
Winterboro High Sch
Charles R Drew Middle Sch
Childersburg Middle Sch
Pittard Sch Of Tech
Sycamore Sch
Talladega Co Genesis Sch
Jefferson County:
Adamsville Elem Sch
Brookville Elem Sch
Bryan Elem Sch
Chalkville Elem Sch
Clay Elem Sch
Concord Elem Sch
Crumly Chapel Elem Sch
Ctr Point Elem Sch
Erwin Elem Sch
Fultondale Elem Sch
Gardendale Elem Sch
Grantswood Comm Elem Sch
Greenwood Elem Sch
Gresham Elem Sch
Hewitt Elem Sch
Hillview Elem Sch
Hueytown Elem Sch
Lipscomb Elem Sch
McAdory Elem Sch
Mt. Olive Elem Sch
North Highland Elem Sch
Oak Grove Elem Sch
Pinson Elem Sch
Pleasant Grove Elem Sch
Snow Rogers Elem Sch
West Jefferson Elem Sch
Bottenfield Middle Sch
Bragg Middle Sch
Brighton Middle Sch
Clay-Chalkville Middle Sch
Gresham Middle Sch
Hewitt Middle Sch
Pittman Middle Sch
Rudd Middle Sch
Bagley Jr High
Clay-Chalkville High Sch
Corner High Sch
Erwin High Sch
Fultondale High Sch
Gardendale High Sch
Hewitt-Trussville High Sch
Hewitt-Trussville Jr High Sch
Hueytown High Sch
McAdory High Sch
Minor High Sch
Mortimer Jordan High Sch
Oak Grove High Sch
Pinson Valley High Sch
Pleasant Grove High Sch
Shades Valley High Sch
Warrior High Sch
Allan Cott Sch
Cahaba Heights Comm Sch
Irondale Comm Sch
Jefferson Co Counseling Learning Ctr
Jefferson Co IBS
Kermit Johnson Sch
Minor Comm Sch
Paine Intermediate Sch
Paine Primary Sch
Shades Valley Tech Acad
Spain Rehab
William E Burkett Multi-Handicapped Ctr
City Schools in Inservice Area:
Homewood City:
Edgewood Elem Sch
Hall Kent Elem Sch
Shades Cahaba Elem Sch
Homewood Middle Sch
Homewood High Sch
Hoover City:
Berry Middle Sch
New Greystone Middle Sch
Robert F. Bumpus Middle Sch
Deer Valley Elem Sch
Greystone Elem Sch
Shades Mt. Elem Sch
Bluff Pk. Elem Sch
Green Valley Elem Sch
Gwin Elem Sch
Riverchase Elem Sch
Rocky Ridge Elem Sch
South shades Crest Elem Sch
Trace Crossings Elem Sch
Hoover High Sch
Spain Park High Sch
Ira F. Simmons Jr High
Mountain Brook City:
Brookwood Forest Elem Sch
Cherokee Bend Elem Sch
Crestline Elem Sch
Mt. Brook Elem Sch
Mt. Brook Jr High Sch
Mt. Brook High Sch
Sylacauga City:
C-Stars
East Highland Middle Sch
Nichols-Lawson Middle Sch
Indian Valley Elem Sch
Mountainview Elem Sch
Pinecrest Elem Sch
Sylacauga High Sch
Talladega City:
Talladega Career Tech Ctr
C. L. Slater Elem Sch
Graham Elem Sch
Raymond L. Young Elem Sch
Evelyn D. Houston Elem Sch
Northside-Henderson Elem Sch
Talladega High Sch
Zora Ellis Jr High Sch
Vestavia Hills City:
Cahaba Heights Comm Sch
Liberty Pk Elem
Vestavia Hills Elem Central
Vestavia Hills Elem Sch East
Vestavia Hills Elem Sch West
Louis Pizitz Middle Sch
Vestavia Hills High Sc