For the first time since Covid, Rowan County held its first Environmental Camp at Rodburn Park. This program allowed us to partner with local stakeholders and educational professionals within Rowan County to teach the county's 4th graders about the importance of natural resources. Some of the partners that we worked with included local NRCS employees, volunteers from Friends of Rodburn, retired teachers and current education professionals at the collegiate level. Some of the classes offered included Creature Feature, Leaf Prints, Tree ID, Seed Balls for Monarchs, and learning about ecosystems in creeks and bodies of water. 

The students and teachers made several comments about how fun and educational the classes were and hope that this becomes an annual opportunity for kids within Rowan County. While walking through classes, I noticed that students would relate their current class to things they had learned in previous classes throughout the day. This showed how they gained a better understanding about all parts of an ecosystem work together be successful. They also learned about being respectful while in the outdoors and to be sure to "leave no trace".