The Carroll County Soil and Water Conservation District provides county second graders with an Earth Day program. The activities tie into the science curriculum from the State of Indiana. Students enjoy this "Earth Fair" and are able to practice what they learn at home and share the importance of stewardship with family and friends.
We provide each student with a live tree to plant at home. This represents the wise use of natural resources and teaches students how to plant and care for trees, nurturing that respect as they turn into adults charged with the forests and woodlands of Indiana.
Kim Hoover, wildlife rehabilitator, presents a live wildlife program enhancing the "natural" experience for parents, teachers and students during the day. We use flower planting to teach the students not only HOW to plant, but how to care for the earth. Students learn the importance of plants in the environment as they have fun playing in the "dirt."
The District also has a recycling project with one of the schools that brings in a recycling "dumpster." The school has contests to see which classrooms can recycle the most plastic milk jugs. Students, over a two week period, collect and bring in over 5,000 milk jugs. This program has increased many families awareness of recycling, as they start collecting milk jugs right after the Earth Fair is over for next year's event.
The SWCD also provides students with a "representation" of their recycling efforts. In the past they have funded picnic tables, benches or something for the grounds to represent the number of milk jugs collected. This year students were encouraged to REDUCE their plastic consumption by offering aluminum drinking bottles to replace their plastic water bottles they bring to school. This is a reminder that "reduce" and "reuse" is just as important as "recycle." This, of course, helps to keep plastic and other waste from entering our Indiana waterways.
Carroll County gathers fourth graders every March to attend the Annual Ag Day event hosted by the Soil and Water Conservation District. This event, in its 13th year, is a showcase of Indiana agriculture and sponsored by local agribusinesses and community volunteers. Students attend 18 sessions ranging from dairy, pork, beef and crops to ag marketing, careers, soils, water and watersheds.
This program is more than just one day during Ag Week, however. It is a six-month long process of planning and organizing every small detail, including lining up session leaders for the booths, volunteers to serve lunch, and procuring donations.
Each student is treated to a take home-bag at day's end with items from each booth to remind them of their experience. These items are meant to be shared at school and at home with siblings and parents for a better understanding of the agricultural community in which we live, including the important role conservation plays in the farmer's operation.