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Envirothon and Eco-days

Environmental Education plays a very important part in our world today.  Teaching children at an early age the importance of conservation-related subjects can only insure their involvement and awareness of environmental issues as they grow older.  As we present environmental programs to students, we hope that it instills values of being aware of what is going on such as littering, pollution, over development of areas, water and energy shortages, and other problems that can exist if conservation is not practiced.

Franklin County Conservation District staff members Tammy Gross and Donna Hays kept busy this summer assisting with Cub Scout Day Camp programs.  This photo shows Donna talking about the American Toad to one of the groups.

Envirothon

The Pennsylvania Envirothon educates high school students in natural resource and environmental sciences.  The program emphasizes the importance of environmental sensitivity while stressing a need to achieve a social, ecologic and economic balance.  The learning objectives emphasize awareness, knowledge, attitudes and application.  The Pennsylvania Envirothon provides future generations with the ability to be better equipped to address the complex natural resource concerns facing today’s world as well as the challenges of tomorrow.  All 67 counties in the state participate in this program.  The Envirothon program in Franklin County is open to all high school students in the 9th to 12th grades and co-sponsored by Valley Quarries, Inc..  The local envirothon is a joint effort with Fulton County and top winners earn the right to compete in the Pennsylvania Envirothon held in May.  Areas of study include aquatics, soils and land use, wildlife, forestry, and a current issue.  Waynesboro Gold, a team from the Waynesboro Area Senior High School, took first place for Franklin County at the Franklin/Fulton Envirothon held at Cowans Gap State Park on April 25. 

Photo below is: 
left-to-right; Randy Van Scyoc, Valley Quarries, Inc. representative; team members Preston Cook, Laura Rock, Mike Mishler, Laura Fawks, and Autumn Phillips.  Kathy Seiler is the team advisor.  The Waynesboro team completed in the Pennsylvania Envirothon at Penn State University, Mont Alto Campus on May 22-23.  Sixty-four teams from Pennsylvania participated in this event and the Waynesboro team finished in 22nd place.

Eco-Days

Eco-Days is an educational program specifically geared toward middle school students.  This program was first established to showcase work being done along Dennis Creek such as wetlands, riparian buffers, and stream crossings and was held at Twin Bridges Campground.  Different focuses are now being implemented since the program moved to Waltonian Meadows, owned and operated by the Franklin County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League.  Waltonian Meadows is located beside the Conococheague Creek.  Now various subjects are discussed depending on the availability of guest speakers.  This program was presented to Greencastle-Antrim Middle School students initially but now is being presented to Chambersburg and Fannett-Metal Middle Schools as well.  It is our goal to present this program to all middle school students in the county.