Soil & Water Conservation District
Conservation Education
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In 1977, the Defiance Soil and Water Conservation District expanded its education program by hiring a Education/Public Information Specialist. The District's objective was to promote conservation education in the classroom.
A variety of activities such as educator's workshops, in-class presentations, various contests, and much more has been provided through this position.
The educators' workshops included:
- Celebrate the Harvest A-Z
- Project FLP (Food, Land, and People)
- Project Learning Tree
- Project WET
- Project WILD
- Project WOW (Windows on Waste)
The Defiance Soil and Water also participates in a multicounty educators' workshop, known as the Black Swamp Educator's Extravaganza. This is a favorite among teachers in the county.
The education program also spends a great amount of time in the classroom conducting various activities for students as well as teachers. The subjects of the in-class presentations often include: soils, water quality, wildlife, forestry, and agriculture.
Throughout the year, the District continues to promote conservation education by offering contests to the students such as the Envirothon, poster contest, and the sixth grade essay contest.
Defiance Soil and Water Conservation District is also very focused on making resources available for the teachers. The education program has a resource library that is available to educators throughout the county. The library contains videos, books, resource guides, and a listing of various in-class programs.
The education program was recently focusing on, "Celebrating the Harvest A-Z." Celebrate the Harvest A-Z is a complete teaching kit designed to help educators teach students in first through third grade about the harvest season. The District worked with the Chamber of Commerce's Agricultural Committee to raise money to purchase a kit for every elementary school in Defiance County. Over $3,000 was raised from local and private businesses. The kits were then purcahsed and distributed to all elementary schools in the county. The activities from Celebrate the Harvest A-Z meet all the required proficiency standards.
As you can clearly see, the District's objective of promoting conservation through education has been successful. The education program continues its development and expansion to meet the needs of educators and students throughout the county. If you have any questions, please call Bill Grimes at (419) 782-8751. The office hours are Monday - Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM.