By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

CAMDEN, Ohio — Last week more than 550 sixth-graders from all five grade schools in Preble County came together on the grounds of Pleasant Vineyard near Camden. Two hours later, they returned to school with a better understanding and appreciation for wildlife, agriculture, soils, conservation and the environment.

“The students are seeing many things that they normally wouldn’t see in a classroom setting,” said Preble County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) technician B.J. Price. “It’s a very hands-on experience. We like students to know what conservation really is and want them to make wise use of these natural resources.”

The students were divided into 25 groups and every 20 minutes a horn blared, giving the groups the signal to move to the next station. At each station students learned something new from the 25 volunteer presenters at this year’s Earth Day event – for agriculture, soil, water quality, beekeeping, surveying, fossils, trees, recycling, energy, fossil fuels, trapping and wildlife management.
Presenter Lisa Clevenger spoke about natural (and unnatural) ingredients found in the packaged foods we eat. Clevenger, who taught ag production for 30 years at Twin Valley High School before retiring, also showed how a farmer’s crop makes it to the dinner table.

Presenter Steve Boeder not only spoke about soil composition and types, he allowed each student the opportunity to use a soil sampler. Wendy Aker incorporated relay races in getting her point across to students about the value of recycling.

“Fewer and fewer kids nowadays come from the farms and this gives those students a better understanding about the environment they live in,” Price said.

It was the 13th such event for sixth-grade students in the county. Officials are hoping the tradition continues.

“All Soil and Water Conservation Districts in the state are having difficulties with their budgets,” said Jim Leedy, chair of the Preble County SWCD. “All ag entities in the counties are taking hits because we’re not mandated departments.

“I wonder if the current group of commissioners that we have now had this great opportunity when they were in the sixth grade. I think if they did, they would think differently about it. I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep this event from being cut from the budget.”

This year the event was sponsored by the Preble County SWCD and the Preble County Solid Waste Management District. Schools represented included those at Eaton, Twin Valley South, Preble Shawnee, Tri-County North and National Trail.

Celebrated on April 22, Earth Day is designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the planet’s environment. It was founded by the late U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-Wis.) as an environmental teach-in in 1970, and is celebrated in many countries, including the United States, every year.