Homeschool Families Find Fun and Educational Opportunities at the Newman Wetlands Center

Nestled snugly at the bottom of Freeman Road on the north side of the Lovejoy community sits a pristine nature preserve that conservationists call an award-winning manmade wetlands, bird watchers call one of the top viewing sites in the State of Georgia, and local homeschool families call one of the best STEM resources anywhere. Still celebrating its 30th anniversary, Clayton County Water Authority’s Melvin L. Newman Wetlands Center (NWC) has been an amazing educational partner to schools and homeschools for decades, and to hear the staff talk, they’re only just beginning.

The Homeschool Issues recently caught up with Anvi Srivastava, NWC’s newest conservationist, who is celebrating her first work anniversary this summer. Serving under the leadership of Conservation Supervisor Danielle Bunch, Anvi looks after volunteer coordination and many educational programs, including homeschool initiatives. Week by week, Anvi can be seen walking trails to ensure they are in top shape for people to interact with wildlife, and she is available in the Learning Center to assist guests. You might even find her leading a birding expedition piloting a fleet of kayaks, which she says was a recent first for her. “We just started kayaking last year, and that’s like a completely new experience for me,” Anvi said.

Anvi also helps NWC facilitate the state-funded Project Wild, Project Wet, and Project Learning Tree programs, through which teachers and homeschool parents receive training to turn around and teach students about various areas of nature conservation. These and other educational programs are detailed on their website, www.NewmanWetlandsCenter.com.

Ornithology (the study of birds) is particularly fun for Anvi, who says it is also rather popular among homeschool families. “I think a lot of people like our birding programs when we go out,” she said, explaining that there’s usually the structured, classroom part at the beginning, when, especially for young kids, they talk first about what kinds of birds might be found in the wetlands. “And then we spend the day out there looking at birds.”

Anvi said she enjoys seeing the transition when participants go from being people who have enjoyed watching birds to becoming hobby-level bird watchers, or “birders,” as they’re commonly called. Not only are participants guided around the NWC property, but they are sometimes taken to the nearby lakes and nature areas also owned by the Clayton County Water Authority. She says having dedicated bird viewing spaces, binoculars to borrow, and use of the Cornell University Merlin app takes beginner bird watchers to a while new level of fun and enjoyment. “It’s really exciting to see,” she said

One recent bird watching event doubled as a grant-funded nature photography workshop. “That was hosted in honor of one of our regulars, who used to come out here all the time to photograph, and then he passed away in January 2025,” Anvi said. 

While it is true NWC already offers many educational opportunities for students, a fun fact is that Danielle and Anvi are also keen to collaborate on new programs and special events catering to specific educational needs and opportunities. “A lot of times, people reach out, and they don’t exactly know what we do or what they want to do, but we just kind of talk them through it, and they sort of build a program from there,” said Anvi.

NWC opened to the public in October 1995, and more than 400,000 guests have visited since. While it has also served as a watershed improvement feature for the Clayton County Water Authority over the years, a primary purpose since its inception has been to educate the public about the importance of watershed preservation. Parking and admission is free of charge, and guests have access to a gentle half-mile trail featuring crushed gravel trails around the edge of a forest and extensive boardwalks over the creek, ponds, and other water features. Another half mile of trails into the forest are also connected, and they offer slightly more challenging terrain and additional wildlife viewing opportunities.

Just off the parking lot is the Learning Center, a spacious building featuring educational displays, a classroom, bathrooms, and administrative offices. The Learning Center is normally open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trail hours are typically 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday from March through October and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday from November through February. NWS is closed on Sundays. Learn more at www.NewmanWetlandsCenter.com.

-Danny Harrison