The Rome-Floyd E.C.O. River Education Center is taking their mission to inspire children and adults to learn more about local ecology to the next level. The E.C.O. Center is looking for new volunteers to help expand programs and services offered to the general public.

Those interested in volunteering can attend one of two information sessions at the E.C.O. Center, held Tuesday, August 14 at 5:30 p.m., and Thursday, August 23 at 5:30 p.m. The meetings will last an hour, and light refreshments will be served.

Currently open to the public on Thursday and Friday afternoons each week, the E.C.O. Center showcases a wide variety of Northwest Georgia flora and fauna, from sturgeons and turtles to wildlife exhibits, and a rain garden featuring wildflowers and other plants native to the region. The addition of extra volunteers will allow the staff to keep the doors open for more hours throughout the week, and further enhance the visitor’s experience.

The new volunteer program consists of three basic areas of expertise—ECOHosts will greet and register guests, ECOCaretakers will help look after and care for the wildlife, and ECOExtraordinaires are the interpreters who will lead tours and programs at the E.C.O. Center drawing from personal and professional experiences to educate visitors.

“We are so excited to see what we can do at the E.C.O. Center with more hands on deck,” said Eric Lindberg, environmental services director for the City of Rome and Floyd County. “If your passion is rivers, wildlife, plants or people, come be a part of what ties us all together!”

In operation as the E.C.O. Center since 2011, the LEED Gold-certified building began operation in 1893 as a freshwater pumping station for the city of Rome. The original brick structure in Ridge Ferry Park transported water from the Oostanaula River to the filtration complex atop Jackson Hill.

For more information on volunteer opportunities with the Rome-Floyd E.C.O. River Education Center, contact Eric Lindberg or Ben Winkelman at 706-622-6432, or email ecocenter@romega.us. Visit the E.C.O. Center in person at 393 Riverside Parkway, Thursdays and Fridays from 1pm to 5pm, and Saturdays by appointment. The Rome-Floyd E.C.O. River Education Center is owned and operated by the City of Rome. Admission is free to the public.

Click here to read additional press releases on RN-T.com.