Soil & Water Conservation District Educational Programs

The Pulaski County S.W.C.D. implements several programs each year to educate local students on a variety of relevant topics including food production, soil, wetlands, forestry, and endangered species.

Kindergarten
Who Grew My Soup: Students learn how the food they eat is grown and how important today’s farmers are to ensure that our world has food on the table. Each child receives a small cup with fresh vegetables to try.

First Grade
Introduction to Soil and Earthworms: Students are introduced to facts about our soil and earthworms to help foster a better understanding of the great significance soil is in our world and how earthworms help to enrich our valuable soil. Then students have a live interaction with earthworms!

Second Grade
Introduction to Wetlands: Students learn about how important wetlands are for our environment and how a large majority of wildlife depend on them. They also travel to Tippecanoe River State Park to further view and obtain additional education on wetland benefits.

Third Grade
Eastern Wild Turkey: Students learn about the history of our county’s turkey population, conservation efforts, and will see and handle real physical turkey body parts.

Fifth Grade
Students receive an in-depth study on a once Indiana endangered species by viewing them on a full day field trip to Jasper–Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area and traveling to Tippecanoe State Park to further learn about to environment that this waterfowl lives in.
This is a sampling of a few school education programs.

Countywide Library Programs
Our Education Coordinator also shares 19 other educational programs throughout the year at the different county libraries.

Envirothon
Our district partners with Arrow Head Country Resource Conservation and Development Area (R.C.&D.) Education Committee to host a high-school competitive learning event. Envirothon tests the student’s knowledge of environmental resources including aquatics, soils, forestry, wildlife, and current environmental issues. Teams of students, representing their school or organization, compete by answering questions and by studying resource problems in each of the five environmental areas. The top teams advance to the state-wide competition, and the winner from their goes on to the national competition.

River Rafting Expedition
S.W.C.D. partners with the R.C.&D. Education Committee on this program, too. This event is held at Tippecanoe River State Park for six days in September. High-school students from our area raft on the Tippecanoe River while learning about watersheds, river history, forestry, water testing (chemical and aquatic), river otters, and mussels.