It is essential to provide education about natural resources to the youth. Things like soil, water, forests, and even the air we breathe. These are resources that every person relies on every single day. It is important for children to learn how natural resources are crucial for things like gardening and growing fresh produce, flowers providing food for pollinators, forest health, and more.

McCracken County Cooperative Extension Service's Horticulture Assistant visits the First Christian Church Preschool once a month and teaches 3 classes for a total of 36 students from ages 3 to 5. Savannah's goal is to do hands on activities that they may not have the chance to do otherwise. It could be as simple as potting flowers, getting their hands dirty in the soil and feeling the roots of plants. Or tasting fresh produce that they may have never tried, and learning how those fruits and vegetables came to be. Even going on a nature hunt in the fall to find things like acorns, red and orange leaves, pine cones, insects, and more.

The children get very excited over the simple things. Starting young children with basic activities like these gives them a chance to take what they learn and build on that knowledge. This program exposes the youth to different natural resources, gives them a chance to have hands on experiences, sparks curiosity, promotes them to get outdoors, and brings awareness to their surroundings.