4-H Summer Fun Starts on a “Clean” Note!

4-H Summer Fun is in full swing!  Several new & returning 4-H’ers spent the last three days at Millstone 4-H Camp in Ellerbe at the first class of the summer, Enviro-Camp.  The three day camp was coordinated by Jackie McAuley, Administrative Assistant with Richmond Soil & Water Conservation District.  4-H’ers spent time with local experts in each of the subjects covered in the Envirothon Contest, which include Forestry, Soils, Aquatics, Wildlife and Current Environmental Issues. 

The youth started the camp with Tim McFadden and Brad Allen with the NC Forest Service.  They reviewed what a forest is and discussed types of trees and different parts of a forest.  We took a walk through an area that had been  control burned and saw some of the new growth that results.  Controlled burns help to burn off the leaves, needles and debris that collect on the forest floor & helps prevent bigger damaging fires while helping to control problem plants.  While we were on our walk, the youth learned how to use Biltmore Sticks to measure the diameter and height of trees and about how to identify types of trees. 

Rupert Medford of the NC Wildlife Service was our next guest of the day.  He brought all sorts of animal skins and skulls with him for us to investigate and compare.  We compared the skulls of different species to discover what they might eat.  For instance, otters had very thick jaw bones so that they can open clams to eat and the owl skull had large eye sockets since they need to be able to see at night.  We took another walk with Mr. Medford to find habitats where animals including lizards, birds, spiders and other animals live and eat. 

Day Two of the Camp saw more visitors & fun information.  Doug Hinshaw and Troy Thompson from NC Wildlife Service visited in the morning to cover Aquatics.  After hiking to the lake and taking a sample by seining the lake (taking a large net to take samples along the shore) the youth got to help identify the fish, insects and plants that we had found.  We looked at different equipment including special buckets for fish to give birth in, fish shock equipment and more.  Everyone in the class even got a tackle box with fishing equipment to help encourage future trips to North Carolina waterways. 

Our last guest was Bill Dunlap, Soil & Water Conservation District Area 7 Coordinator.  Mr. Dunlap helped us get down & dirty while learning about soil.  We learned how to judge the amount of sand, silt and clay in the soil by testing how long a ribbon we could make and what other properties it had.  We also discussed types of erosion and what each does to the landscape,  We even make an edible aquifer in order to see how pollution travels into groundwater. 

We finished our week by spending time reviewing what we had learned about each of the subjects.  Even though school is out, we took some tests to figure out all that we had learned throughout the week too.  To finish our time together, Ms. Jackie gave out awards for everyone’s hard work throughout the week.  There are even plans to continue meeting in order to train a team of young people from Richmond County to compete in the Envirothon this year.  If you are interested in participating and learning more about participating in the contest, contact Jackie McAuley or Michelle Stumbo.  If you are interested in other Summer Fun classes that are offered, contact Michelle Stumbo at michelle_stumbo@ncsu.edu or 997-8255.  Click here to check out the rest of our pictures!