Fifth grade students from A-P-W Middle School stepped away from their classrooms for a day to participate in the 2009 Conservation Field Day at Selkirk Shores State Park. Developed and sponsored by Oswego County’s Soil and Water Conservation District as a way to introduce students to a variety of environmentally relevant topics and help develop an understanding and appreciation for natural resources, the fifth graders spent the day learning from and participating in discussions and hands-on activities with specialists from a variety of backgrounds.
Highlights from the day’s activities included a presentation about wildland fire safety, prevention and suppression by NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Ranger Scott Jackson. The students learned helpful hints and key safety measures to keep in mind when having a campfire and also how Forest Rangers fight wild fires and a discussion about the equipment that is contained in a Ranger’s 30-plus pound survival and safety backpack.

Learning and understanding nutrient cycling in today’s ecosystem was also one of the favorite stations amongst the A-P-W students. Botanist Joseph McMullen asked the students to pull a single strand of hair from their heads and drop it on the ground and then walked the students through understanding how the nutrients from that piece of hair could end up in a piece of fruit that is grown in Florida and then purchased by their mom or dad at a local grocery market.

Another favorite was a station about the dwellings and habitats of animals that can be found in wetlands, woodlands, dunes, on the beach or in aquatic settings. From identify the animal described in their mystery card to understanding and replicating the animals’ habitat and presenting their finished project to their peers, volunteers from the NY Sea Grant and Steward Program helped the students became better acquainted with the world of nature that surrounds them