History
Located in the northeast corner of Mississippi, near the tiny town of Tishomingo, Crow's Neck Environmental Education Center sits on a 530-acre peninsula owned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and surrounded by 6,600-acre Bay Springs Lake. Since 2001, Northeast Mississippi Community College, in Booneville, has been fiscally responsible for Crow's Neck and handles all the day-to-day operations.
The facility was built under the supervision of the United States Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Mitigation Project. Serving nearly 6,000 guests per year, Crow's Neck is a "natural place to learn" where professional, skilled naturalists teach school children from the tri-state region in the "outdoor classroom".
Crow's Neck first opened its doors for programming in April 1993. Our programs and classes are aligned with the Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama state curriculum frameworks.
Mission Statement
Crow's Neck Environmental Education Center uses hands-on, outdoor education activities to create in-depth learning experiences which foster responsible stewardship of Northeast Mississippi's natural and cultural resources.
"We want to combine our very special place with legendary service, so our visitors can discover that Crow's Neck is a place that captures and holds your heart!"
Cynthia Harrell, Executive Director
Cynthia "took hold of the reins" in March 2002. She was introduced to Crow's Neck by her oldest son, who had several life-changing visits to "The Neck" while at Ole Miss. Cynthia believes being involved with the Center's future has been the opportunity of a lifetime! Her favorite place at Crow's Neck is The Point and she loves to canoe there with kids. In her spare time, you will find Cynthia reading, gardening, cycling or travelling the world with her husband, Woody, and two grown sons, Stephen and Adam.
"I knew right away that I wasn't going to be leaving this place anytime soon... Crow's Neck is the perfect combination of the things I love most: biology, the outdoors, lots of kids, and tons of fun!"
Debora Waz, Director Of Programs
Deb fell in love with Crow's Neck as an SCA Naturalist Intern in the fall of 2005. As Director of Programs, Deb brings a "fresh look" while aligning them to state curriculums. Deb obtained a B.S. in Biology from Drew University in 2005 where she was an all-American catcher for the softball team. Deb grew up in Higganum, CT with a twin sister, Laura, and older brother, Rob. She enjoys the outdoors, sports, and has become an avid bass fisherman.
"Well, I have more kids than the old woman who lived in the shoe and more animals than on Noah's Ark! I am very blessed!"
Donna Johnson, Naturalist
Donna began sharing animals and her expertise with Crow's Neck visitors in 1997. She has been collecting, rescuing and caring for plants, animals and people her entire life and has a wealth of knowledge. Donna considers all humans to be "keepers of the land", as nature truly is a gift. Her favorite place at Crow's Neck is the beach at dusk, where she enjoys waiting quietly for the animals to drink. Donna's pastimes include crafts, reading, church and saving snakes!
"It doesn't bother me so much now when someone mentions about me being from the "back woods". Since I have been with Crow's Neck, being from the "backwoods" is definitely considered a compliment."
Gina Williams, Administrative Assistant
Gina has been with Crow's Neck since March 2005. She grew up in the Hills Chapel community, but now lives in Red Bay, AL, with her husband, Ken, and daughter, Hillary. They are owner-operators of a large poultry farm. If Gina had to choose a favorite past-time, it would be reading.
"Crow's Neck is a place where there's no social scale; just friends, fun, and a whole lot of nature!"
Heath Robinson, Operations Manager
Heath's favorite place at Crow's Neck is Bay Springs Lake. He enjoys canoeing around the peninsula while searching for an occasional Bald Eagle. (He's been known to bring his fishing pole with him, just in case!) Heath likes to hunt, fish, travel and enjoys the company of his wife, Melanie, and their beautiful daughters, Sarah and Madelyn.
"Working at Crow's Neck is sort of an oxymoron to me. Yes, we work really hard here, but we have so much fun that it hardly seems like work! "
Debbie Browning, Food Service Specialist
Arriving at The Neck in August 2009, Debbie immediately started cooking up delicious, healthy, home-cooked meals. She created a new delectable menu which includes soups, casseroles, pastas, desserts, and the required daily serving of vegetables and fruits! Debbie enjoys cooking, gardening, flea markets, and most of all, spending time with her wonderful husband, Joe, and family!!
Part-time Food Service Staff/Maintenance Staff - Maxine Thompson
Night Watchman and After Hours Emergency Contact - Richard Workman
Naturalist Staff - Tracy Owens (NY), Emily Frost (PA), Brittany Gray (FL), and Kimberly Edwards (NY).