Youth Conservation Education Opportunities for Soil & Water Conservation Districts

1. Youth Conservation Education Opportunities for Soil & Water Conservation Districts Jennifer Standridge GA Soil and Water Conservation Commission Education & Certification Department jstandridge@gaswcc.org phone: (706) 552-4482

2. Many Opportunities for Local Youth Education/Outreach • Extension Service – 4-H Clubs and Junior Master Gardener programs in elementary schools • NRCW – National Resources Conservation Workshop (NRCW) need Supervisors to recruit and encourage students to attend

3. Envirothon Competition Competition for High School Students Provides students with hands on science based training in natural resource and ecology topics Statewide winners go on to compete in national competition 2014 National Competition to be hosted in Georgia

4. Envirothon Competition • Need more teams to participate. Supervisors can help by contacting local schools and encouraging them to form teams. Offer District assistance if possible.

5. Local Schools – most have FFA, 4H, environmental or gardening clubs Boy & Girl Scouts – need to earn badges in conservation related areas Many Opportunities for Local Youth Education/Outreach

6. Soil Stewardship Week • Purchase printed soil stewardship materials for distribution to local school classrooms and libraries • Purchase bulletin inserts to send to local churches. • Send letters to local churches asking preachers to highlight soil and water stewardship in their sermons. • Essay contest with winner receiving cash prize & 1 year scholarship to ABAC • Purchase rain gauges and thermometers to be handed out to local citizens

7. Soil Stewardship Week Host yearly poster contest with awards banquet for the winner.

8. Examples of outreach activities: • Give presentations to groups about gardening, conservation, farming, etc. • Participate in youth agricultural field days • Participate in a group gardening activity or sponsor a field trip to your farm • Donate items for use in class projects (seed, fruit, vegetables or herbs to sample, plant cuttings, coloring/activity books, brochures)

9. Resources / Materials • GACDS & GSWCC has: -Pollinator Posters -Teaching Hive -Table Top Displays -Conservation Related Brochures -Conservation Coloring & Activity Books Contact your regional rep if you are interested in using these items.

10. Resources / Materials www.myamericanfarm.org (educational games, videos, lessons, and group activities) www.gfb.org/programs/aic (GA Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom activities) www.organicvalley.coop(order free coloring/activity booklets) www.jmgkids/us (junior master gardener website offers activities & games) www.scouting.org (Boy Scouts of America website) www.girlscouts.org (Girl Scouts of America website) www.georgiaenvirothon.org (Envirothon website)

11. January – Bring One fore the Chipper www.keepgeorgiabeaufitul.org February – Georgia Arbor Day (3rd Friday) www.fgc.state.ga.us March – National Groundwater Awareness Week www.ngwa.org National Ag Day www.agday.org April – Earth Day www.earthday.org Soil Stewardship Week (last Sun in April to 1st Sun in May) www.nacdnet.org/stewardship/ May – American Wetlands Month – www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/awmsuggestedways.html June – Natural Resources Conservation Workshop www.abac.edu/psbo/nrcw National Pollinator Week www.pollinator.org Calendar of Opportunities July – National Clean Beaches Week www.cleanbeaches.com Smart Irrigation Month www.irrigation.org August – National Farmers Market Week www.ams.usda.gov September – National Public Lands Day www.publiclandsday.org October – Forest Products Week www.fgc.state.ga.us/education Rivers Alive Clean Up Month www.riversalive.org November – National Farm City Week www.farmcity.org America Recycles Day www.americarecyclesday.org December – Register teams for Georgia Envirothon competition in Spring www.georgiaenvirothon.org

12. Questions?