Environmental Education programs bring school children to camp to learn about the natural world out in nature. For the past two years, Casey County 4-H has coordinated a 4-H Environmental Education Field Day with the Lake Cumberland 4-H Camp.

With the dedication of the Walnut Hill Elementary (WHE) teachers and staff, Casey County planned and carried out the first Overnight 4-H Environmental Education Camp in Lake Cumberland 4-H Camp history. The teaching staff at WHE worked diligently in arranging adult chaperones for each of the four cabins and recruiting 4^th graders to attend. The agent worked on arranging teens to assist with the cabins and classes as the adult chaperones and campers had never attended 4-H Camp. The 4-H Camp director and agent worked together to arrange the instructors for the lessons including bird adaptations, nature scavenger hunt, rock identification, mammals, stream study, and rock wall and zip line. Blake Newton from the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Reptile Zoo also visited and shared their insects and reptiles with the students.

The 4^th grade teachers worked hard at school in raising funds to off-set the cost of camp. Through various programs, the teachers and students raised over $2000 helping cover the cost for all campers. Through Extension’s memorandum of agreement with the Casey County School Board, the bus transportation cost was covered. Campers, teens, and adults were equipped with water bottles, drawstring bags, bandanas, and name tags. After returning, all attendees received an environmental camp t-shirt.

A total of 80 participants (11 adults/teachers, 5 teens, and 64 campers) attended this first Overnight 4-H Environmental Education Camp – 7 of the campers registered to attend the 2019 4-H Camp week.

As this was a pilot program year, the program hopes to expand to the two other Casey County elementary schools for the 2020 year.