Higher Education in Wakulla County
The Tallahassee Community College’s Wakulla Center, located in Crawfordville, Fla., is TCC’s service center for residents of Wakulla County. Similar to TCC’s other service centers, the Wakulla Center offers professional training and development services and provides after-school and summer programs for youth. Additionally, the Wakulla Center offers community workshops and continuing education courses specific to the needs and interests of the county’s residents. Hours of operation for the Wakulla Center are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at other times as needed.
The Ecotourism Institute
The Wakulla Center’s Ecotourism Institute provides a 90-hour training program
for Certified Green Guides, a course that qualifies as one of Tallahassee Community
College’s Certificate Programs. Referral services are also provided for visitors
to the Florida Panhandle so they can contact certified guides who have been trained
in ecosystems, ethics, birding, wildlife, geology and history and have experienced
local wilderness and historical areas firsthand.
The goal of the Green Guide Program is to see the natural beauty of Wakulla County preserved and enjoyed in a way that can economically benefit the residents of the area. A prime example of how enjoying nature in a non-consumptive way can benefit the area’s economy is birding. In Florida, non-consumptive bird use generates $477 million annually in retail sales and supports over 19,000 jobs. In fact, the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, located in southwest Florida, had an economic impact of $9.4 million on its local communities, according to a 1994 study.
On the local front, Wakulla County has some of the most spectacular birding opportunities in the state, thanks to St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge, the Apalachicola National Forest and Wakulla Springs State Park. Wakulla County is in the process of redefining itself as an “Ecotourism Destination.”
The Green Guide Program
The Green Guide Program is a result of efforts by the Wakulla Chamber of Commerce
and the Wakulla Economic Development Council. The program also took into account
interviews with local guides and historians, environmental and wildlife experts,
businessmen and educators. The competencies which evolved as core components of
the program include basic business skills, ecotourism ethics, essential elements
of natural ecosystems and native species.
In September 2006, 21 residents from Leon, Wakulla and Franklin Counties signed up for the first 90 hour Green Guide Program. The program welcomed 12 new members when the second class began in January 2007. Students, who ranged in age from 28 to 70, included experienced guides, park rangers and state environmental workers, all looking towards future retirement options. Others, who simply possessed a love for the great outdoors, already held down a full-time job but wanted to build an alternative lifestyle by doing what they love.
Students completed the program by taking part in both classroom lectures and hands-on field trips. The time commitment for the training has been intense, with lectures every Monday and Tuesday evenings and field trips every Sunday afternoon for ten and a half weeks.
Wakulla County: the next global “Ecotourism Destination”
Hospitality options will soon quadruple in Wakulla County. Led by the Green Inn
at Wildwood and Wakulla Springs Lodge, Wakulla County is poised to become a global
“Ecotourism Destination.” Two additional hotels – one on
U.S. 98 and another at Shell Point – are scheduled to be opened over the next
two years.
As a result, certified Green Guides are prepared to guide visitors to see and experience the unique and diverse natural beauty of Wakulla County – beauty that is unparalleled.
For information on the Green Guide Certification Program or to view a list of certified Green Guides ready to give tours to visitors, log on to www.tcc.fl.edu/wakulla, email Wakullacenter@tcc.fl.edu or call 850-922-6290.
