Rainy weather could not dampen the enthusiasm of 10 fifth-grade classes who participated in the annual 5th Grade Conservation Camp on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Hardin Park.
Hosted by Keep Greene Beautiful, the annual camp gives local fifth-grade students the opportunity to step outside the classroom and learn about conservation through hands-on experiences and interactive educational stations.
Although the morning began with rain, organizers and presenters adjusted the day’s activities, allowing students to continue learning and exploring, a press release from Keep Greene Beautiful said.
Throughout the camp, students rotated through educational stations focused on topics including archaeology, water conservation and pollution, aquatic habitats, environmental stewardship, native wildlife, recycling and litter prevention, wildfire safety, habitats, agriculture and composting, and electricity and fiber internet.
The variety of sessions allowed students to see how conservation connects to many different aspects of their daily lives. Students learned from professionals and community partners while participating in demonstrations and activities designed to make conservation concepts engaging and memorable, the press release said.
“We were so thankful for the flexibility of our presenters, teachers and students when the rain changed our plans,” said Jessie Beth Miller, director of Keep Greene Beautiful. “What could have been a challenging day turned into a wonderful learning experience. The students were engaged, curious and excited to participate, and we are grateful to everyone who helped make the day possible.”
The day ended with a conservation challenge that put the students’ learning into action. After visiting all of the educational stations, the fifth graders were challenged to see which class could collect the most trash around the park.
The press release congratulated Mrs. Kennedy’s class for winning the trash-collection challenge.
The activity provided a fun way for students to make an immediate, positive difference in the place where they had spent their day learning about conservation, the press release noted.
Keep Greene Beautiful expressed thanks to the following organizations and professionals who shared their knowledge and expertise with Greene County’s fifth-grade students:
- East Tennessee State University- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Archaeology Division
- Tennessee State Parks
- U.S. Forest Service
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Rural Resources
- Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA)
- Sullivan County Solid Waste and Recycling
- Tennessee Agriculture Forestry
- UT Clyde Austin 4-H Center
- Warriors’ Path State Park
- Greeneville Energy Authority
These presenters brought a wide range of conservation topics and hands-on learning experiences to the students. Their willingness to adapt to the rainy weather and make the day successful was greatly appreciated, the press release said.
Keep Greene Beautiful also thanks the 10 participating fifth-grade classes, their teachers and Hardin Park for helping make the annual Conservation Camp possible, the press release added.
The event serves as an important reminder that conservation education is not just about learning how to care for the environment-it is about giving students the knowledge and opportunity to become active stewards of their own communities, the press release concluded.
For more photos from the camp, visit “Keep Greene Beautiful” on Facebook.