For many people in the state, fishing is a favorite hobby that they tend to do alone or in a group/ family setting is coined by some as a “pass time” a skill that can be used to provide food for yourself and your family. The Owen County 4-H Youth Development Agent partnered with Maurice Bowling Middle School to help plan and implement some Natural Resources programs to help educate youth on Ecosystems, Water Quality/ Erosion and Fishing.

This Three-Day enrichment series at Maurice Bowling Middle School allowed students to participate in classes and do activities that were appealing to them based on their interest.

On day one the Owen County Agent for 4-H Youth Development taught a class on water quality and erosion, using a stream table. Students built an Ecosystem near the stream bed. This shows the importance of not dumping fuel and oil out in ditches or beside ponds to protect our watersheds and our food systems that ight be close by. After the water table was used, the students went outside to look at a pond and determine where they would focus on the help control erosion if it was their own property.

On day two the Owen County Agent for 4-H Youth Development taught a Nature Class, in this class students made food chains from different wildlife that are Native to Kentucky, and what the animal’s behaviors were, and what their desirable habitat is. The students also dissected owl pellets to further understand a food chain.  After that discussion, the class went on a small nature walk where they found deer trails and saw a few smaller animals like birds and squirrels.

The third and final day was by far the most hands on, this was the Fishing class day. The Owen County Agent for 4-H Youth Development worked in cooperation with The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Aquatic Education Department to borrow fishing equipment and resources to tech students a skill that can be used to feed themselves or others, in this program there were 10 students, all with different skill levels and knowledge about fishing. Some had fished and knew what to do, others had gone a few times, and some students had never been fishing until that day. After teaching students how to cast, reel, bait their hook, and wait……. It was fish after fish, every student caught at least one fish on their own, one student caught seven bluegill. That student then began to help other students and mentor them. After the fishing, the Owen County Agent for 4-H Youth Development gave the students a Cook Wild recipe for if they decide to fish in their own free time and want to make a fresh meal.