In a time when many young people spend free time in front of a computer screen or playing video games, Statesboro High School environmental science teacher Lee Bratton brings a bit of the outdoors into the lives of every student in her classes.

She hopes to incorporate outdoor learning into the curriculum at the school as well, through the construction of an "outdoor classroom" and duck pond on campus, she said.

Her efforts to instill in students a love and knowledge of hunting, fishing and other outdoor sports, as well as preservation and conservation, garnered Bratton the honor of being named the National Wild Turkey Federation Conservation Educator of the Year.

While these topics aren't new, Bratton broke new ground in bringing them to the education arena. She founded the SHS Ducks Unlimited chapter two years ago.

"It was the first one in Georgia for a high school," she said.

Later, Bratton started the high school's National Wild Turkey Federation chapter, which was first high school chapter in the nation.

"That was part of the reason for my award," she said.

In fact, the SHS Wild Turkey group was named the "Top Gun" chapter for the central region.

Another contributing factor to her honor stemmed from the Statesboro chapters raising significant money for both organizations. Most of Bratton's 35 students are members of both the Ducks Unlimited and Wild Turkey chapters, and last year they raised $39,000 for Wild Turkey and $38,000 for Ducks Unlimited through banquets, auctions and other fundraisers, she said.

The students also participate in farm day events; local fairs, including the Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair; and other activities promoting conservation and preservation of the outdoor and hunting heritage, she said.

The group isn't limited to students with agricultural or rural backgrounds. They come "from all across the board," boys and girls from both rural and urban areas, she said.

Conservation, preservation

Bratton's class and the clubs' memberships offer her a venue for teaching students "conservation and preservation of hunting heritage and to hunt" by taking them hunting. She helps each student achieve the requisite hunter education safety course through the Department of Natural Resources and takes them on guided hunts.

The students also install duck boxes and food plots. They are active in the construction of the outdoor classroom and duck pond at SHS, which Bratton hopes to dedicate to the school's seniors.

The duck pond already has new residents waiting for its completion. The school purchased six baby mallard ducks, which are being raised with plans to release them into the duck pond, she said.

What will keep the ducks on campus? Hopefully, nothing.

"We want the ducks placed in the pond to be wild," Bratton said.

If they leave and take up residence elsewhere, in the wild, the mission is accomplished, and the school will restock the pond.
"Hopefully, they will migrate," she said, adding that new mallards will be introduced to the pond each year.

Bratton always has been an outdoorsy person.

"I like to hunt deer, turkey, ducks, hogs, just about anything," she said. "I like being outside. The fever started when I killed my first turkey - a five-bearded tom."

The bird was a record specimen killed in Screven County, and fellow teacher Bunyon Morris "called it in" for her, she said. "It was on from then."

Bratton hopes to instill in her students the importance of "conservation, sustainability in the environment and to be successful. I teach them to be successful," she said.

It isn't only Bratton's students who learn and get involved in the outdoor project. Culinary arts students cater the Wild Turkey and Ducks Unlimited banquets, construction students help in building the duck pond, and computer classes design blueprints.

"We try and get everybody involved as much as possible," Bratton said.

The teacher fell in love with Bulloch County when she attended Georgia Southern University after moving here from South Carolina. She also has taught physical science, biology, chemistry and anatomy at Statesboro High.

Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.