Marine Environmental Education Center

About the Program

Category: Parks and Recreation (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

When Carpenter House opened at Hollywood North Beach Park in March 2012, the event represented almost a decade of effort and coordination between county and state agencies. In the process, a small but ecologically significant site, including a historic 1940s beach house, was purchased, restored, and preserved. Nearly five years later to the day, in March 2017, additional public-private partnerships made it possible to open the Marine Environmental Education Center (MEEC) at Carpenter House, providing the residents of and visitors to Broward County with a unique resource. MEEC guests can now learn about endangered sea turtles and their conservation, as well as other marine topics, through free, research-based programs, an interpretive center with interactive displays, beach walks, and other activities. A highlight of any visit is supervised interaction with a rehabilitated sea turtle that resides in the estate’s converted swimming pool, which features a state-of-the-art filtration system; nearby, there is a pilot hydroponics system that may eventually provide a sustainable food source on site for the turtle. MEEC, located in Hollywood, Florida, is an ongoing collaboration between Broward County Parks and Recreation Division and Nova Southeastern University, which manages the center through its Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography.