Interact

Please view the Nature’s Classroom video presentation. Click on the link for your prefered video player (QuickTime or RealPlayer); if you do not have either of these video players, click on the name of the player to download one. It is recommended that dialup viewers click on the “Small” clip while broadband and corporate should have success with the “Large” clip.

Naming Opportunities

Naming opportunities range from $500 – $200,000 per year payable over a five-year period. Donors receive recognition on facility signage as well as on a donor recognition board. Donors will be recognized for their contribution for a ten-year period.

Naming Opportunities Still Available…

  • $1,000,000 (payable in installments of $200,000 over 5 years)
    – Nature’s Classroom Endowment
  • $500,000 (payable in installments of $100,000 over 5 years)
    – Florida Animal Habitat
  • $100,000 (payable in installments of $20,000 over 5 years)
    – Nature’s Classroom Park
    – Florida Deer Habitat
  • $ 50,000 (payable in installments of $10,000 over 5 years)
    – Large Animal Enclosure – Coyote
    – Large Animal Enclosure – Black Bear
    – Large Animal Enclosure – Bobcats
    – Large Animal Enclosure – Panthers
    – Pavilion 2
  • $ 25,000 (payable in installments of $5,000 over 5 years)
    – Shoreline Collection #3
    – River Shelter #2
    – River Shelter #3
    – Florida Reptile Habitat
    – Intermediate Animal Enclosure – Gray Fox
    – Intermediate Animal Enclosure – Red Fox
    – Veterinary Clinic
  • $ 15,000 (payable in installments of $3,000 over 5 years)
    – Bird of Prey Enclosure – Bald Eagle
    – Bird of Prey Enclosure – Barn Owl
    – Bird of Prey Enclosure – Barred Owl
    – Bird of Prey Enclosure – Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawk
    – Bird of Prey Enclosure – Great Horned Owl
    – Small Animal Enclosure – Otters
    – Small Animal Enclosure – Raccoon
    – Small Animal Enclosure – Opossum
    – Small Animal Enclosure – Skunk
  • $ 10,000 (payable in installments of $2,000 over 5 years)
    – Orienteering Course #2
    – River Exploration Storage Shelter
    – Xeric Hammock Wilderness Classroom
  • $ 7,500 (payable in installments of $1,500 over 5 years)
    – Trail Markers
  • $ 5,000 (payable in installments of $1,000 over 5 years)
    – Nature’s Classroom “Honor Society”
  • $ 2,500 (payable in installments of $500 over 5 years)
    – Picnic Tables
  • $ 1,500 (one time gift preferred)
    – Nature’s Classroom Park Benches
  • $ 1,000 (one time gift preferred)
    -Nature Boardwalk Rails
  • $ 1,000 (From the best plumbers in our beautiful country)
    -https://www.drpipes.com

There are many other naming opportunities available. Please call the Hillsborough Education Foundation at 231-1926 for more information.

Sponsors

Naming Opportunity
Contribution
Donor Name
Center for Environmental Studies
$500,000
TECO Energy
Aviary
$250,000
Leadership Tampa Class of ’98, Metric Constructors, and The Saunders Foundation
Interpretive Center
$200,000
Publix Super Market Charities
Admin. Offices/Welcome Center
$200,000
Time Warner Communications
Nature’s Classroom Endowment
$100,000
W.D. Charities
Nature’s Boardwalk
$200,000
Kisinger Campo and SWFWMD
Boat Dock
$50,000
The Bank of Tampa
Boat Fleet
$50,000
Walter Industries
Pavilion 1
$50,000
The David and A. Mary Irene Falk Memorial Fund
Pavilion 3
$50,000
Jacarlene Foundation
Shoreline Collection #1
$25,000
AmSouth
Shoreline Collection #2
$25,000
The Frank E. Duckwall Foundation
River Shelter #1
$25,000
Cargill Fertilizer
Riverine Swamp Classroom #1
$25,000
James and Amy Shimberg Charitable Trust
Riverine Swamp Classroom #2
$25,000
James and Amy Shimberg Charitable Trust
Construction Support
$25,000
Anonymous
Xeric Hammock Wilderness Classroom #1
$10,000
Rick and Dianna Lott
Xeric Hammock Wilderness Classroom #2
$10,000
The Frank E. Duckwall Foundation
Hydric Hammock Wilderness Classroom #1
$10,000
Conn Memorial Foundation
Hydric Hammock Wilderness Classroom #2
$10,000
Time Customer Service
Edible and Toxic Plant Garden
$10,000
Scripps Howard Foundation
Pine Flatwoods Classroom #1
$10,000
USAA
Pine Flatwoods Classroom #2
$10,000
Capital One
Butterfly Garden
$10,000
Elly, Davis and Mary Stephen Straske
Native Plants Garden
$10,000
Candy Olson
River Exploration Wilderness Classroom
$10,000
Stuart and Melissa Strahl
Orienteering Course #1
$10,000
Pete Matthews Memorial Fund
Turkey Oak Wilderness Classroom
$10,000
Don and Erika Wallace

 

 

Status

Therm SmallThe Nature’s Classroom Capital Campaign is making positive progress towards our goal of $3.6 million in total contributions. As of May 2001, the Campaign has obtained commitments of $2,375,000.

Goals

The Hillsborough Education Foundation has recently embarked on a 3.6 million dollar capital campaign to renovate Nature’s Classroom and establish an endowment to support future operating costs. This campaign will provide state of the art facilities that enable students to fully experience our Florida environment. The capital improvements will include educational facilities, animal habitats, a dock and boardwalk and outdoor classrooms.

Completed-New-Aviary

These improvements will provide a better learning environment and accommodate the needs of an increasing student population.

Capital Campaign

Therm SmallThe Hillsborough Education Foundation has recently embarked on a 3.6 million dollar capital campaign to renovate Nature’s Classroom and establish an endowment to support future operating costs. This campaign will provide state of the art facilities that enable students to fully experience our Florida environment. The capital improvements will include educational facilities, animal habitats, a dock and boardwalk and outdoor classrooms.

 

Alumni Stories

“My visit to Nature’s Classroom changed my life!”

“As a Hillsborough County sixth-grade student living in a concrete trailer park, I had my first opportunity to see the beauty of nature and to experience wildlife outside of captivity! I decided after my visit to Nature’s Classroom that I wanted to work outdoors in a nature related field. All my friends were going to the mall, but I was outside building tree houses and figuring out how to use nature’s gifts to the best advantage.”

“The Nature’s Classroom teacher gave each of us a fossil stone and I started a fossil collection that year. I am still collecting and now take my children with me when I dig for fossils.”

“Today, I own a tropical fish farm and always have it open to the public so others can enjoy it. Also, I build backyard water gardens, complete with waterfalls.”
Deborah Larry, Class of 1970

“I had so much fun learning, that I forgot I was learning!”

“Nature’s Classroom is an excellent way to escape the boundaries of the white-walled classrooms and to experience nature hands on. We were out in a canoe and saw alligators just resting, we were fortunate to see a bald eagle and touch some small slithery animals. I had so much fun learning that I forgot I was learning!”

“When we were out on the water, it seemed like we were a million miles from school. When we were in the woods learning how to use a compass, it seemed as if we were lost in time, away from civilization. This is how I will always remember Nature’s Classroom. Thanks for that experience.”
Dianna Ford, Class of 1995

“Even though my trip to Nature’s Classroom was seventeen years ago, I remember the experience vividly! I eagerly anticipated every single day of that week. The books were put away and we were exposed to hands-on-learning. Holding a baby alligator, shooting a bow and arrow, hiking through the palmetto bushes-all of these lessons taught me not only about science and nature, but also about the science and nature of Florida. As an adult who now lives out of the state, I have met many people who believe Florida is all about Disney World and tourism. I always think about Nature’s Classroom when I hear that opinion and remember my exposure to the ‘real’ Florida of alligators, lazy rivers, big oak trees and cool breezes. I wish everyone could spend a week there learning about these aspects of my home state.”
Amy Donohue, Class of 1994

“I will never forget how much I had been anticipating that week. The bus rides in the morning always got us pumped up for the day ahead. Nature’s Classroom was a privilege for sixth grader students. Something my friends and I anticipated since early elementary school!”
Jenny Weigle, Class of 1993