Nearly six years after it opened its doors, the Flint RiverQuarium seems to be coming into its own. Its niche extends beyond entertaining a crowd and into educating anyone who walks through its doors.

“We started from scratch,” said Wendy Bellacomo, marketing coordinator for the RiverQuarium, one of the world’s few open-air, freshwater aquariums.

With programming that covers all interests and age groups, downtown Albany’s crown jewel has become a go-to for school groups and families.

“We are primarily an educational facility,” said Bellacomo.

Indeed, the facility’s mission is “Inspiring education and conservation of the Flint River.”

“Some of this (the effect of the RiverQuarium’s mission and programming) you will see immediately,”  Bellacomo said, “but a lot you won’t until they (today’s children) are adults and good stewards of the Flint River.”

Summer 2010 has been a busy one for the RiverQuarium, what with everything from summer camps for the kids to twilight canoe floats for the adults.

The themes of the weeklong nature-science summer camps, all of which sold out this year, rotated every week. Themes were Dinosaur Camp, Wild Ocean, River Rats, Wild and Wacky Science II and Small Fry. The camps, which will return for summer 2011, are an “ed-venture” for children ages 5-11.

The RiverQuarium partnered with Thronateeska Heritage Center in programming the summer camps.

As the academic year begins, things won’t slow down much at the facility, which to date has welcomed visiting school groups from 53 Georgia counties as well as some from North Florida and East Alabama.  As an educational resource, the RiverQuarium is one giant classroom for teachers and students. The facility’s science programming is in line with the Georgia Performance Standards.

The RiverQuarium and Thronateeska have extended their partnership into the school year, with programming for traditional schools and home school groups.

“A lot of schools are now restricted,” said Bellacomo of budgetary effects on school field trips. Thronateeska is a five minute trail walk from the RiverQuarium. Joint programming provides a two-for-one educational punch.

The "Water Water Everywhere”  program is an example of the resources available to the home school students.

Giving visitors a reason to return to the RiverQuarium is always at the forefront of programming.

“One of our challenges is to keep things fresh and interesting,” Bellacomo said. “We do that through programming, exhibits.”

One of the facility’s big hits is “Alien Attack,” whose whose stars are animals nonindigenous to the area, including certain exotic frogs and a 10-foot Burmese python. Another standout is Tadpole Time for preschool students, a program which has been gaining presence in the years since the RiverQuarium opened.

Having already created interest with its programs, the RiverQuarium is now working on extending that buzz to the Web. An enhanced Web site, a presence on Facebook (where the facility has 1,500 fans) and an in-the-works blog with a behind-the-scenes focus are all part of the RiverQuarium’s strategy to keep its audience engaged while constantly growing it.

“We are looking for (more) ways to tell the stories,” Bellacomo said.

For details about the RiverQuarium and its programming, visit www.flintriverquarium.com
or call (229) 639-2650.