The Official Newspaper for Foster County
On August 31, Foster County Soil Conservation District held its annual Eco Ed Day tour for sixth graders from the Carrington and Midkota Schools.
Fifty-three students attended six learning sessions during the event. The goal of Eco Ed Day is to give students an outdoor educational experience that provides opportunities for fun and hands-on learning.
Foster County Extension Agent Jeff Gale taught the agronomy sessions about North Dakota crops and how they are used. The youth each took home a bottle that they filled with the seeds of fifteen North Dakota crops.
Foster County SCD Technician Easton Brown used a model provided by Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge to demonstrate how water flows through a landscape. He also used specimens including skulls, furs, and preserved insects to teach the students about wildlife living in wetland areas.
NRCS Soil Conservationist Zach Compson led the session on trees and woodlands. He talked with the students about different kinds of trees and tree structures and introduced some basic principles of tree identification.
The students had a chance to get their hands dirty while NRCS Soil Conservationist Kelly Satrom taught them about soils, soil texture, soil health, and erosion.
Ezra Aberle, a Research Specialist from the Carrington Research Extension Center, took the kids on a pasture walk to learn about rangelands and range management. He taught the students to identify a number of range plant species.
Emily Joynt and Emily Christensen from N.D. Dept. of Environmental Quality used a model to show what watersheds are and how they work. They also talked about water quality and how to avoid polluting our watersheds.
At the end of the day there was a special presentation by Tom Gibson from Project TREES (The Regional Environmental Education Series). Playing the role of "Sam Ting," Gibson talked to the group about the animals in the weasel family, the effects of pollution on wetlands, and the animals and people that depend on wetlands.
Foster County Soil Conservation District would like to thank all who assisted with this event. Besides the teachers and chaperones and all those who led the presentations, that includes Foster County for the use of Juanita Lake Park, Jon Stangeland for the use of his pasture for the range sessions, Prairie Inn for delivering lunch for the adults, and Hi-Way Drive-In for supplying ice and giving out ice cream coupons. We'd also like to thank the sponsors who paid for the T-shirts received by all attending: Arrowwood Prairie Co-op, Central City Grain, and SunOpta.