VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The annual Eco Ed classes and demonstrations are being held this week at Wesley Acres Camp and Retreat north of Valley City.
The annual event focuses on groups of students learning about woodlands, wetlands, soils, watersheds, and prairie ecosystems.
Jessica Jones, Administrative Professional/ Outreach Coordinator with the Barnes County Soil Conservation District provided a question and answer session below as a guide to the focus of this 36 year old event.
Eco Ed day-what it is, what are the objectives. Eco Ed is a statewide initiative to The objectives of Eco Ed are to educate the campers on 5 main topics, including Prairies, Soils, Woodlands, Wetlands and Watersheds/Water Quality. At the end of the day, the campers take a post test about topics that they learned that day.
Who runs or owns Eco Ed? Organized and ran by Barnes County Soil Conservation District. Counties around the state hold their Eco Ed camps at various locations.
Where is the event held? Barnes County holds Eco Ed camp at Wesley Acres Camp and Retreat Center.
What grade is participating and from what areas? Eco Ed is for 6th graders. Washington Elementary will participate on September 3rd. St. Kate’s, Barnes County North School, and Maple Valley will participate on September 5th.
What are some things the kids will learn & experience? Eco Ed campers will learn about prairies, soils, woodlands, wetlands, and watersheds/ water quality. Campers will also get to enjoy some team building exercise, canoeing, and games. Jim Gerholdt from Remarkable Reptiles will educate campers on many different reptiles from turtles to snakes!
How many years this has been part of the curriculum. Barnes County Soil Conservation District initiated the Eco Ed Program in 1988. It has been running statewide for 36 years across many counties in North Dakota!
Do you see Eco Ed being part of the curriculum for many years to come? Yes, because the program brings an interactive, engaging, and hands-on approach to learning about the environment and conservation that may not be explicitly covered in the classroom.
How is Eco Ed funded? EPA Section 319 I&E Grant funds with monetary assistance from North Dakota Wetlands Trust. Sponsors also donate funds that help us to provide t-shirts to each participant.
Do you need volunteers? If so, where can people sign up or call for more information? We accept chaperones through the schools that participate in Eco Ed.
Check out the gallery of photos below taken during the September 3rd event.
