Environmental Learning Center

Learning beyond the classroom
The Environmental Learning Center (ELC) is a 55-acre parcel behind Stillwater Area High School that is managed to reflect three major biomes found in Minnesota. The property includes an oak forest, prairie, and coniferous planting. There are also several ponds that hold water for part of the year.

Students can visit several learning circles that have benches to do a variety of learning activities. The field biology course uses this area extensively, banding migratory birds, trapping and marking small mammals, attaching radio collars to wildlife, and using camera traps to capture photos of wildlife.
 
Public hiking is encouraged, but dogs are not allowed in the ELC.