Wilderness Southeast Eco Tours & Fish Gotta Swim: Coastal Georgia Environmental Education with Lisa Goodman

Welcome to the Tybee Island Marine Science Center Podcast! Host Jessica Leigh Lebos interviews Lisa Goodman, executive director of Wilderness Southeast, Georgia’s first environmental education nonprofit (founded 1973), about its mission to build awareness, appreciation, and stewardship through fun, guide-led outdoor eco-tours.   Goodman describes offerings including boat and kayak trips to Wassaw Island, marsh and creek exploration, and paddles at Ebenezer Creek, a tannin-stained blackwater ecosystem with ancient bald cypress and tupelo trees. She explains Wilderness Southeast’s roots, alongside the Caretta Research Project, as organizations that branched from the Savannah Science Museum, and highlights the grant-funded Fish Gotta Swim program (founded 2002) serving Title I students year-round, growing from 550 to 1,385 students. Challenges include school transportation, testing schedules, environmental threats, and technology. She previews the October Paddle Battle fundraiser and shares booking details.   Learn more about the voices and topics in this episode: Follow Tybee Marine Science on Instagram   Where's Westie UPDATES   What's happening at Tybee Island Marine Science Center Resources: Become a MEMBER Volunteer at Tybee Island Marine Science Center Partnership and Donation Opportunities Proudly produced by Dee Daniels Media Podcast Network   FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Welcome to Tybee 00:51 Meet Lisa Goodman 02:16 Wassaw Island Tours 04:16 Savannah Science Museum Roots 06:52 Ebenezer Creek Kayaks 08:04 Tea Colored Water Explained 09:22 Fish Gotta Swim Program 12:02 Challenges and Changes 14:56 Lisa's Path to Leadership 18:47 Wild Stories in the Swamp 21:34 What's Next and Paddle Battle 23:04 Book a Tour and Connect 23:41 Closing Thanks and Outro 24:22 Science Center Membership Plug