West Virginia Success Story

Get Your Feet Wet in the Wetlands

Program or Category: Conservation Education

Overview: The 7th annual Wirt County Schools wetland field experience was held May 5, 2006.’ Wetlands Field Day is a school and community event. Environmental specialists visually demonstrated wetlands activities including: aquatics, water testing, watershed management, and connected them to soils, wildlife, forestry, geology, wild flower identification, entomology, archaeology, and other subjects. The activities take place at a 10 acre wetland on the County Farm. Get your Feet Wet in the Wetlands was the theme. Students designed the logo used for the front and back of the event t-shirt.

Accomplishments:
Wetlands Field Day in Wirt County provides forth, sixth, and eighth grade students’ hands-on experience at eight wetland related sessions. Groups of about 15 students circulate though the sessions. Presentations are tailored to the different grade levels. Students learned the characteristics and benefits of wetlands and their connection to other environmental topics.

This annual event is a cooperative effort. Partners include Federal and State agencies and many community sponsors.

Program Benefits to Community:
The purpose of the field day is to have kids take ownership of the environment and for them to realize how important it is for each individual person to do their part. “The wetlands field day is really beneficial to the students. They get to see a variety of work activities they don’t get to see on a regular basis. I think this is an excellent program”, said Bryan Lee, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Archaeologist.

Little Kanawha RC&D provided funds to assist with a picnic shelter/pavilion adjacent to the wetland for public use and expanded classroom opportunities. The wetland is located within the County Park System and provides the general public with wildlife observation and bird watching venues. The wetland viewing area consists of a scenic overlooks and over 100 feet of board walk with an observation deck.

Contact:
Marvin Kerr, Soil Conservation Technician
304-422-9072 ext 44
Marvin.Kerr@wv.usda.gov

Parkersburg Service Center-Serving Ritchie, Wirt, and Wood Counties
91 Boyles Lane
Parkersburg, WV 26104
Phone (304) 422-9072 Fax (304) 422-9086
http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/parkersburg.html

	Students learned that wetlands consist of water, hydric soils and hydric plants and benefit us by absorbing and filtering water.
	Get your Feet Wet in the Wetlands was the theme. Students designed the logo used for the front and back of the event t-shirt.

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