Rome-Floyd ECO Center

10/16/2026

We had a hootin' good time learning about owls with Little Critters this month!

10/14/2026

Where Are They Now??
A nod to our past student-volunteers of the ECO Center.

We're taking it back to 2023 when the fabulous Carolyn Phillips volunteered with us! She joined us in 2022-2023 as an honors student with Shorter University and graduated with a bachelor of science in ecology and field biology with a minor in chemistry. (She is way smarter than we are!) Currently, Carolyn is a Stewardship Technician with the LAD Foundation at Pioneer Forest in Missouri. "Our lands serve as a template for sustainable forestry in the Missouri Ozarks through conservation-minded habitat management. My job duties include prescribed fire preparation and implementation, wildfire response, trail restoration and creation, invasive species removal, natural features inventory and mapping, outreach activities, and seasonal crew day-to-day management." Leading up to that position, she had really cool opportunities including seasonal prescribed burn crew memberships, a research assistant for graduate studies on prairie and forest ecology at the University of Nebraska: Lincoln, and worked as a tortoise technician with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Carolyn had a quiet strength and wit that was contagious to be around, and we sure do miss her but are amazed by what she is achieving!

10/13/2026

Come see us on Halloween! Anyone dressing up as wildlife??

09/29/2026

Today is a very special day because it is our director’s birthday!! Ben is the heart of the ECO Center. You will not find anyone that loves bringing natural resource education to students and adults more than he does. He connects with kids and adults of any age or background, and he will make you excited to learn about wildlife. Ben serves our community through the ECO Center with genuine passion and joy, and you know that if you get to interact with him!

Help us celebrate Ben today!

09/28/2026

Who has noticed the extra amount of spiderwebs recently?! 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️ We have! Check out this yellow garden spider we found in the wetlands the other day. Their zigzag web is a unique feature, and while it’s exact function isn’t completely understood, it’s thought to serve as a deterrent to birds and other animals but also as an attractant to insects. Yellow garden spiders are harmless to humans but are great predators to pesky flies, gnats, and other flying insects. What spiders have you seen lately??

09/25/2026

This is an extremely close and personal loss for staff at the ECO Center, and we deeply grieve for his wife, daughter, and family right now because their loss is unfathomable. The magnitude of Sgt. Ben Cunningham’s genuineness, loyalty, personability, kindness, fairness, leadership, friendship, and so much more cannot be fully understood with words. If you had the honor of meeting or knowing him, you just know. Please surround his family with thoughts and prayers.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is deeply saddened to announce the sudden passing of Law Enforcement Division Sergeant Ben Cunningham, a 27-year veteran of the Department. Sergeant Cunningham passed away following a possible medical episode while on duty in Rome, Georgia, and participating in a Law Enforcement Division physical fitness program.

His career with DNR began with the Wildlife Resources Division in August 1999. He transferred to DNR Law Enforcement in December 2006, was promoted to Corporal in 2017 and to Sergeant in March 2021. Cunningham was an outstanding Game Warden and supervisor in the DNR Law Enforcement Division, most recently serving as Sergeant in Region I in northwest Georgia, where he supervised Game Wardens responsible for Walker, Dade, Chattooga and Floyd counties.

We are grateful for his years of dedication to this Department and will remember the mark he left on our DNR family.
The full press release can be found through the link in the comments.

09/22/2026

Have you been curious about the quail at the ECO Center?? Director Ben Winkelman, will talk all things bobwhite quail plus have LIVE quail to show you at Bird Nirds this Thursday!

09/21/2026

It's a great weekend to come see us at the ECO Center! Temps are getting cooler, so enjoy a trip to the park and stop-in while you're here. Director Ben Winkelman will be on-hand to help answer questions and talk wildlife with you!

09/17/2026

Grossest thing at the ECO Center?? (It’s not Ben.)

09/14/2026

Make plans to come see us on a weekend!