Environmental Education

Environmental Education is a key component of the District's conservation efforts. The Coordinator for this program has established a working partnership with the Tunkhannock Area and Lackawanna Trail School Districts and Keystone College. Several annual programs are available to both school districts, and workshops are provided for area teachers. These workshops are designed to help educators meet the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Standards for Environment and Ecology. Educators receive curriculum and project materials to help them incorporate the standards into their classroom lessons and activities.

Community clubs and groups, local businesses, environmental agencies, and neighboring Conservation Districts also request assistance through the Environmental Education Program.

The following are some of the annual events featured in the District's Environmental Education Program:

• Arbor Day - This program, which is supported by local businesses, provides each preschool, elementary, and middle school student in the local area with seedlings.

• Jim Rice Memorial Conservation Field Days - This event, which is held each May at Rice's Tree Farm on Mile Road in Tunkhannock, is for all 5th graders at Tunkhannock Area and Lackawanna Trail schools. Presenters provide information on topics such as watersheds, Pennsylvania's native animals, soils, beekeeping, forestry, land conservation, stream quality, & conservation of the Susquehanna River. 2011 marked the 32^nd anniversary of this event.

• Lackawanna/Wyoming County Envirothon - This annual event, which is sponsored by Wyoming and Lackawanna Counties and Keystone College, serves to educate high school students in natural resources and environmental sciences. High school students grades 9-12 spend the day competing on a variety of environmental topics including wildlife, aquatic ecology, soil/land use, forestry, & current issue.  The 2012 current issue is non-point source pollution & low impact development. The winning team from each county goes on to compete at the state event The 29th annual State Envirothon will be May 22 & 23 2012, at the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown. The winning team from the PA envirothon will advance to the Canon Envirothon being held July 22-27 2012 at the Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA. Over 45 states and nine Canadian Provinces/Territories are expected to participate in the 25^th North American event.

• Earth Camp - This event is held for 3 weeks in July and August of each year for 5^th, 6^th and 7^th grade students. The Education Coordinator provides  the following programs; fish printing on T-shirts, watershed education with The Enviroscape model, provided equipment for macroinvertebrate analysis, PA wildlife exhibit introducing the students to PA mammals.

• 4th Grade Ag Day - This event is held each September at the Wyoming County Fair Grounds. All 4th grade students from Tunkhannock and Lackawanna Trail School Districts, & the Salt -n- Light home school students attend. The students rotate through 18 stations and learn about the importance of agriculture in their everyday lives. Topics include vintage farm equipment, maple syrup making, wool spinning, bees, livestock (chickens, horses, cows, sheep, pigs, rabbits), verterinarian, organic dairy farming, Harness Horse Youth Foundation, fair queens, trees, dairy princess, & food pyramid. This event helps teachers meet the state requirements for Environment and Ecology.

Contact: Laura Anderson, (570) 836-2589 Ext. 105