Rowan County 4-H Council had identified environmental education as a need for local students. During that time, a newly developed group of volunteers called Friends of Rodburn Hollow was interested in partnering with Rowan County 4-H to conduct environmental youth education days for elementary age students.

Fourth and fifth graders in Rowan County Elementary Schools lacked understanding and practical knowledge of environmental education and its components. During the 2018-2019 school year, Rowan County 4-H Extension Agent, Friends of Rodburn Hollow, Morehead Parks & Recreation Department and Rowan County Schools, collaborated on teaching environmental education to 219 students. Other agencies involved were Morehead Public Works, Jennings Portable Toilet Rentals, KY State Division of Forestry and Painted Hills Garden Club.

The day camp was offered to three of the four elementary schools and was to reinforce classroom instruction to students. Students were divided into groups and had the opportunity to visit each station that consisted of Archery, Spiders and Webs, Leaf Prints, Madagascar Cockroaches, Poison Ivy, Monarchs, Forestry, Wildlife Skulls, Honeybees, and Mapping. The volunteers had multiple hands-on activities to help engage students at each station. In working with local teachers, these classes were identified as covering a broad range of the natural sciences curriculum.

Impact: 219 students, 10 adult volunteers and 8 youth volunteers participated in the program; 95% of the students reported that it was their first time being acquainted with that local park; 97% of the students rated the camp as “a lot” of fun and educational; 100% of the teachers reported that it was a nice and inexpensive field trip that allowed a great outdoor learning experience.

When verbally asking the students, what they learned, some of the comments included the following:

-I learned how to hike in the woods with a map.

-I learned how to identify trees by the shape of the leaf.

-I learned the importance of leaving no trace behind and respecting the environment.

Volunteer comments:

-It was a joy for me to be a part of this effort and yes it went off like clockwork.

-I enjoyed doing it. A new experience for me. Mixing some technical with hiking was good.

The Environmental Youth Day Camp program will be implemented during the 2019-2020 school year at Rodburn, Tilden Hogge, McBrayer and Clearfield Elementary Schools.