GAMBIER — Official observations of Earth Day began April 22, 1970, spearheaded by volunteers concerned about environmental conditions and sanctioned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Today, groups around the world celebrate Earth Day in a variety of ways to raise awareness of the interdependence of the earth’s organisms and to encourage citizens to help preserve our natural resources.
Part of Earth Day is learning about the environment, and Knox County fifth-graders did just that. Last week, fifth-graders from Centerburg, Fredericktown and Danville, in turn, visited the Brown Family Environmental Center at Kenyon College to discover and study the diversity of life in different habitats: Prairie, ponds and streams.
Heather Dorherty, education director at the center, and volunteer Denny Weigman, escorted the students to the various learning sites and talked about how distinct ecosystems support different types of organisms.
The students also had the chance scoop up water from the streams and ponds, and observe the different microscopic organisms and animal life such as water bugs. Tadpoles and small frogs were the largest ones netted.
The pupils learned that although ponds and streams are both aquatic environments, the plants and animals that live within those environments are different. Dorherty also explained how excessive fertilizer run-off can affect a pond and its life forms, and Weigman explained why prairie fires are actually beneficial for that ecosystem.
The habitat diversity field trips were sponsored by the Knox County Educational Service Center.
The Environmental Club at Mount Vernon High School is in the midst of Ride Your Bike to School Week as part of Earth Day celebrations. Each day during the week, students will be eligible to enter a raffle if they walk or ride a bicycle to school.
According to Marcie Steen, Environmental Club advisor, students from MVHS solicited local businesses to acquire prizes for the daily raffles throughout the week. Steen also said that bicycle racks have been set up at the school and even some teachers will take part in the event and leave their cars at home.
News reporter Eric Burdette contributed to this article.
