Virginia Outreach Update

Reaching Out to Our Future Decision Makers

What is the largest species of salamander in North America? What is a soil profile? What is Virginia’s largest watershed?  Answers to hundreds of questions about our natural resources, the environment and more were dished out to dozens of campers at Youth Conservation Camp at Virginia Tech.  For one week in July, the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (VASWCD) sponsored 55 high-school students from around the state to take part in this exciting educational experience.

One goal of conservation camp is to make a lasting impression about the importance of our natural resources on our youth.  Throughout the week, many partnering agencies and other environmental groups spent hours of their time with students to explain their role in the environment.  

NRCS Soil Scientist, Jeannine Freyman, set up five hands-on educational stations that demonstrated everything from soil texture types to determining the color of soil’s surface and subsoil layers.  Freyman explained the various reasons why soil surveys are necessary for landowners, developers and others.  Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Agent, Barry Fox, talked about water quality and more specifically, the state of the Chesapeake Bay.  He said that the cost to upgrade sewage plants, city sewers and control non-point source pollution to the Bay watershed would cost more than $19 billion. 

Students also heard from Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) on Fisheries Management and Lake Ecology.  They took guided tours to various VA Tech centers including equine, forest products, dairy science, swine research, aquaculture, and more.  Throughout the week, the campers visited with farmers who had installed Best Management Practices (BMP) on their operations.  BMP’s included forested riparian buffers, hardened stream crossings, efficient waste systems and more. 

The campers hiked four miles along the Cascades Trail mid-week.  To compensate for the 90 degree weather was a 66-foot waterfall at the center of the trail, which refreshed many of the campers as they dove in.  They also had the opportunity to canoe one of the world’s oldest rivers--the New River.  Experienced Canoeists guided all the groups about three miles down the river to enjoy the scenic view.  Every place, speaker and tour had an even greater message—to get them to appreciate their natural surroundings.

 VASWCD, NRCS, DCR, DGIF and other conservation agencies realize that the future of our natural resources and environment is in the hands of our youth.  They are our future decision-makers.  NRCS takes pride in emphasizing the importance of our land, and air and water quality to all groups of people.

To learn more about Youth Conservation Camp, contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District or USDA Service Center.

 The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment.

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

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