With opportunities for visiting students on day field trips, overnight programs, summer camps and access for families during festivals and special events, the new Joe Tanner Discovery Center will be an often-used and well-loved location by thousands, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for this new facility was held Mon. April 21. Speakers at the ceremony included Chairman Lynn Smith (Georgia House of Representatives, House Natural Resources and Environment Committee), Scott Tanner (son of the late Joe Tanner), and DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon.

“We are proud to celebrate the legacy of Joe Tanner and honor his memory by teaching students, families and more about our incredible environment and how to be good stewards,” said DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon.

The Joe Tanner Discovery Center will be used primarily as an education facility. It will feature an exhibit area taking visitors through the main physiographic regions of Georgia (mountains, piedmont, coastal plain and maritime/coast) featuring habitat and live animals native to those regions. An expansive classroom will allow for indoor teaching while also allowing quick access to the outdoors for further instruction.

The new center will also include an animal care area that will house the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center’s Ambassador Animal collection.  The new area would bring the entire animal collection (26 animals) under one roof and improve the overall care of our collection by providing them with housing that is in line with 21st century standards – wellness-inspired exhibits that promote animal health and increase natural behaviors, a quarantine area, and dedicated kitchen area to prepare diets.

Joe Tanner, who passed away in November 2024, was appointed as Georgia DNR Commissioner in 1972 and served until 1984, and then again from 1990 to 1995. Throughout his 26-year career in state government, Tanner consolidated 38 state agencies into the DNR and was responsible for more than 400 legislative efforts. Among his notable achievements was the creation of the Safe Dams Act following the Toccoa Falls dam failure in 1977. The legislation significantly improved dam safety regulations in Georgia. Known for his dedication to the law and the environment, as well as his compassion, Tanner’s legacy includes policies that have fostered protection for Georgia’s ecosystems and resources statewide.

This exciting addition was made possible through funding from the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund and will significantly enhance educational opportunities and recreational access for visitors. 
For more information on the Joe Tanner Discovery Center or to book a visit, go to https://georgiawildlife.com/charlie-elliott-wildlife-center.

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