8th Grade Florida Eco-Adventure

8th Grade Florida Eco-Adventure

Each spring, the 8th grade class heads up to the Gainesville area to explore the ecosystems and wildlife of North Central Florida. The North Central Florida ecosystem is unique with its mixture of wildlife, sinkholes, and natural springs, and we are fortunate to be able to explore it. This trip is the second of three consecutive class field trips that help our students experience and appreciate the diversity and beauty of living in Florida. This trip also serves as a capstone event to their dialectic education, and some of the planned experiences help prepare them to be servant leaders in the rhetoric school the following year.

The adventures during the week include taking a guided glass-bottom boat tour and kayaking excursion at the historic Silver Springs State Park. Students also complete a challenging ropes/zipline course and visit the wildlife rescue center at Camp Kulaqua. They hike at several interesting state parks: O’Leno State Park, River Rise State Park, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, and Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park. A highlight of the trip is tubing down the Ichetucknee River. Each night students take part in group devotions and worship, night hikes, stargazing, and group games. On the last evening, they sit around the campfire and make s’mores. Chaperone and student accommodations include cabins at Camp Kulaqua.

Trip Information

• Dates: March 22–25, 2027

• Trip Leader: Ryan Sharp

• Informational Meeting: Monday, November 30, at 7 pm, in the upper school da Vinci room

• Cost: $TBD  Amount will be added to FACTS accounts and billed in two equal installments in February and March.