Braden River Elementary brings the Everglades to school

Students learn about the Everglades as the school works to become an Everglades Championship School.

By Liz Ramos
| 5:00 a.m. September 19, 2023

John Kenyon, or "Gator John," who is an educational outreach programmer, tries to calm students as they scream over the carpet python he's holding.

East County
Schools

As John Kenyon, an educational outreach programmer for Big Cat Habitat, pulled out a carpet python, dozens of Braden River Elementary School students screamed.

It took a few minutes for Kenyon, who also is known as "Gator John," to calm them so he can share facts about the python.

The python wasn't the only animal to induce a rise out of students. They reacted similarly when he pulled out an alligator, three other snakes, a turtle and a tortoise.

The presentation was the end to Everglades Week at Braden River Elementary School, which is working toward becoming the School District of Manatee County's first Everglades Championship School.

"We want our students to be aware of what they can do to help nature and be stewards of the Earth," said Tammy Peters, a first grade teacher.

Braden River Elementary School teachers participated in a training with the Everglades Foundation over the summer.

Peters said the teachers were thrilled to bring the Everglades to the school.

Teachers stayed after school Sept. 8 to decorate the halls of the school to look like the Everglades to surprise students as they walked into class Sept. 11.

Every first grade and kindergarten class chose an animal that lives in the Everglades to research. Peters' class chose pig frogs and learned about their habitat and lifecycle.

"They're learning a lot," Peters said. "They're gaining a lot of knowledge and not even knowing they're doing it because we've having so much fun doing it."

Second graders Charlotte Ferris and Juliet Fernandez scream as they see a large carpet python. The python was Ferris' favorite animal she saw during Big Cat Habitat's presentation.

John Kenyon, or "Gator John," an educational outreach programmer for Big Cat Habitat, shares information about the king snake he's holding.

Turbo, a turtle, makes an appearance at Braden River Elementary School.

A sulcata tortoise can grow to weigh more than 150 pounds and live between 80 and 150 years. This one is only 1 year old.

John Kenyon, an educational outreach programmer for Big Cat Habitat, watches as a red rat snack tries to sneak into his shirt pocket.

Sasha Kenyon, an educational outreach programmer for Big Cat Habitat, holds up a snake so students can see its skin color.

Sasha Kenyon, an educational outreach programmer with Big Cat Habitat, holds onto an American alligator for students to see. Students screamed as soon as she took the alligator out of its container.

Courtney Walker, the media specialist, pushes a button that produces the sounds that a pig frog makes. Tammy Peters' first grade class spent the week learning about pig frogs and made their own frogs that were posted on the wall.

The halls of Braden River Elementary School are decorated to look like the Everglades.

First graders Elyssa Riggs, Tyler Shomo and Brixtyn Murphy separate the animals that live in the Everglades from those that don't.

Second grader Braxxton Garcia-Pineda acts like he's digging a hole as Lillian Titus narrates. They are acting out "Who Lives in an Alligator Hole?"

Kindergarten students make their own white-tailed deer that are posted on the walls in the hallway. Each class chose an animal that lives in the Everglades to research.

Third graders Rose Kessler and Hadley Drohan dress as tacky tourists. "I got to wear this fanny pack and carry a notebook and pen inside it," Drohan says.

Kyla Kotlarczyk, a third grader, says she liked learning about different animals and habitats in the Everglades.

Penelope Riggs, a third grader, shows off her astronaut costume.

Students react to seeing a carpet python and alligator.

Wendy Thielen, a food service worker, holds an alligator with the help of John Kenyon, an educational outreach programmer for Big Cat Habitat.

author

Liz Ramos

Managing Editor Liz Ramos previously covered education and community for the East County Observer. Before moving to Florida, Liz was an education reporter for the Lynchburg News & Advance in Virginia for two years after graduating from the Missouri School of Journalism.