Coshocton County - Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District

Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District

Conservation Education

Enviroscape Model

This model is available for Classroom Demonstrations for grades K-12. It is used as an educational tool to demonstrate how everyday activities can result in Non-Point Source Water Pollution (NPS). Non-Point Source pollution refers to pollution which does not come from one single identifiable source, however it includes runoff from lawns, streets, farms and other surfaces. With the model, students are able to see and discuss the cause and effect of daily activities within the watershed. The model is designed for grades K-6, however high school students can benefit from the presentation as well. The model involves a hands-on approach for students.

Groundwater Model

The groundwater model is available for classroom demonstrations for grades 4-12. The model is designed to help teach principles of groundwater movement and contamination. The model is a cross-section of a soil profile, highlighting the different textures (sand, silt, clay and rock) which make up our soils. Dye is added to the model to demonstrate various types of groundwater pollution. Students can see how pollution can enter into the groundwater supply and how it travels.

Ag Awareness Day

Coshocton County Farm Bureau sponsors an Ag Awareness Day for all fourth graders in Coshocton County every fall. Several volunteers from Coshocton County Farm Bureau, agricultural related businesses and agencies as well as individuals participate. The Farm Bureau puts the program together for the day with stations set up to give students a chance to participate in activities directly related to farming. Some stations include honeybees, food production, dairy cattle, fish, forestry, goats, grain production, greenhouse, llama, safety and 4-wheelers, sheep, soybean uses, swine, GPS technology, watershed education and soil conservation.

Due to limited school funding for special events such as Ag Awareness Day, Coshocton SWCD and Coshocton County Farm Bureau work together to generate funds for the schools' transportation costs.

Thank You
to these area individuals, businesses and
organizations for donating towards transportation
costs over the past several years:

Bluck & Sons, Inc.
Chase Bank
Coshocton Broadcasting Company
Coshocton County Advertiser
Coshocton County Beacon
Coshocton County Farm Bureau
Coshocton Grain Company
Coshocton Soil & Water Conservation District
Finton Equipment - John Deere
Frontier Power Company
Hopewell PTO
Ridgewood FFA
River View FFA
Tim & Nanci Rogers
Smurfit Stone Corporation
Tumblin Farms - David Tumblin
WenMar Farms, Inc.

This event would not be possible
without these generous donations.

Thank You!

Ecco Challenge & Stream Monitoring

Each year Coshocton SWCD assists the American Electric Power Company with their Annual Earth Day Celebration and Ecco Challenge. More than 850 students from area schools grades 6-8 take part in several different activities throughout the day. This event has been held on AEP Conesville's reclaimed acreage and at the Muskingum Valley Boy Scout Camp. Wtih the SWCD, students collect samples for stream monitoring. Depending on macroinvertebrates found, students can determine the quality of water. Macroinvertebrates are identified and listed on a stream assessment in groups. Group 1 are pollution-sensitive organisms found in good water quality. Group 2 are somewhat pollution tolerant and can survive in good or fair water quality. Group 3 includes pollution tolerant organisms and can be in any quality of water. Students learn how people can make a difference in the environment by using conservation practices to help protect the environment from pollutants.

Envirothon Competition

This is a competitive outdoor team event for high school students that tests their knowledge in 5 areas: aquatic ecology, forestry, soils, wildlife and current environmental issues. The contest is designed to stimulate and reinforce their interests in the environment and our natural resources. The event is sponsored by the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Thank you to American Electric Power for providing funding for the Area 3 Envirothon Competition.

All area high schools are encouraged to participate in this competition. Each participating school is permitted to have a maximum of two teams. Teams should consist of 5 students per team. For more information visit:

ODNR Envirothon

2011 Coshocton County Teams competing in the Area 3 Envirothon held April 27 at the Holmes County Training Center in Holmes County

Coshocton Co. Career Center Lobo Legends L-R Dakota McConnell, Sam Hall, Shawn Cognion, Brianna Arnold, Josh McCourt	Coshocton Co. Career Center Wolf Pack L-R Matt Hedrick, Lauren Selders, Cory Barnett, Vernon Chanay, Cory Dieter

River View FFA Blue L-R Kurtis Croft, Marion Stutzman, Molly Daniel, Jordon Mullett, Lisa Stutzman	River View FFA Gold L-R Shawna Arvai, Clinton Hedrick, Jake Ellis, James Ellis, Casey Wilson

Forestry and Wildlife Conservation Camp - Scholarships Available

Coshocton SWCD co-sponsors delegates to the Ohio Forestry and Wildlife Conservation Camp held at Camp Muskingum in Carroll County. Students participate in hands on conservation training and develop a better understanding and appreciation of our natural resources. They participate in classes covering tree identification, silviculture, ecology and forest products. Students will also learn how to measure the size of standing trees and logs and determine their value. This camp is held in June each year. Those interested in being considered for a scholarship must contact the office in April.

5th Grade Poster Contest

Coshocton SWCD sponsors a 5^th Grade Poster Contest in conjunction with our display at the Coshocton County Fair. Coshocton city and county fifth graders receive a classroom presentation titled "Soil - It All Starts Here." Students are then asked to draw a poster about something they learned from the lesson that everything we eat can be traced back to a plant grown in the soil. Teachers select the best poster for their classroom. All entries are displayed in the Coshocton SWCD Fair Booth, and the fair going public takes it upon themselves to decide a winner. First place receives $25 and a pizza party for their class, second place $15 and an ice cream party for their class, and third place $10 and an ice cream party for their class.

2011 Winners were:

1st Place - Madelyn Nelson, Lincoln Elementary School 2nd Place - Payne Mathias, Central Elementary School 3rd Place - Johnny Crider, Keene Elementary School

Congratulations!!

1st Place
Madelyn Nelson

2nd Place
Payne Mathias

3rd Place
Johnny Crider

Junior Fair Hay Show

The Coshocton SWCD sponsors the Junior Fair Hay Show every year as part of the Coshocton County Fair. Five classes are judged - Alfalfa, Clover, Grass, Light Mixed Hay and Mixed Hay. The top winner in each class is given a complimentary ticket to the Coshocton SWCD Annual Banquet, a rosette for their class and a $10 cash prize for attending the banquet.

Hay show winners for 2011 include Alfalfa Hay - Clinton Hedrick, River View FFA; Clover Hay - Michaela Greten, This-N-That 4-H; Grass Hay and Light Mixed Hay - Kurt Wyler, Ridgewood FFA; and Mixed Hay - Jenna Wyler, White Eyes Livestock 4-H.

Clinton Hedrick and Michaela Greten

Hay Show Judge Don Meyers

Project Wet Workshop For Teachers

The goal of Project Wet is to facilitate and promote awareness, appreciation, knowledge and stewardship of water resources through classroom resources and a Project Wet Curriculum Guide. Grades K-12 - for more information on Project Wet in Ohio go to the OWEP website.