Environmental Educator is Nuturing Wildlife
| Author: Patrica Sowell Date: Thursday, March 15th, 2012 |  Return to Archive |
Click here for image gallery of FFA Club ditributing and mounting duck boxes.
Scott Cronin received his Environmental Education Endorsement at WKU. He currently teaches Agriculture at N. Muhlenberg High School. Scott is very dedicated to improving habitat and safe nesting for wood ducks. For several years he has led his Agriculture classes in making wood duck nesting boxes. On March 5, 2012, this is what Scott has to say. "Today was the day to hang a few boxes here local in the county....so 32 boxes later we made it back to school...Students not only build the boxes but also hang them...Thanks to Muhlenberg County School District for always supporting me in allowing events like this to happen...Students have built and or put out over 200 boxes this year!"
Project Description: Students worked with a partner in building a nesting box to be mounted in the local community around ponds, lakes, swamps, reclaimed mining sites, and other watersheds. The project is to help improve a habitat for the wood ducks to have more nesting areas. Students researched wood ducks, their habitat, organizational efforts for waterfowl, and learned about waterfowl reproduction, habitat, and other characteristics.
Outcomes/Evaluation Brief Description: One of the project outcomes is to show how basic efforts can help improve wildlife and environment along with showing students basic construction skills for projects. Students took ownership of their world to help understand sustainability and how public land can be managed in big and small portions. This project also opened up career opportunities for students. Students found this experience to be fun, rewarding, exciting, practical, realistic, and productive.
After more than a year of planning, the WKU-Habitat for Humanity (HFH) Durbin Project broke ground on Friday, Aug. 3rd with the installation of a vernal pond. Most of the work was completed as planned, with wetland plantings to be done later this fall.
The season of Fall welcomes Potter-Gray Elementary School to Trammel Creek in Alvaton, KY to learn about water quality testing.
The CEES has been awarded a 3-year $655,000 grant 319(h) nonpoint source (NPS) pollution grant from the Kentucky Division of Water. This is a partnership project between WKU, Habitat for Humanity and other regional partners.
The Center's office associate, Trish Sowell worked with CCC teacher, Linda Jenkins, and CCC's facilities associate, Dan Burch, with planning and developing an area for the pre- kindergarden students to plant seeds and study the growth of plants.
The CEES has been awarded a 3-year $655,000 grant 319(h) nonpoint source (NPS) pollution grant from the Kentucky Division of Water. This is a partnership project between WKU, Habitat for Humanity and other regional partners.
