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Resources for Schools and Organizations
HCCD works with local
schools and community organizations by offering a number of conservation education
and outreach projects and programs.
Click on the link below to be directed to the
desired program of interest.
Grades
1-6
Gro-Labs
Watershed Model
Conservation Poster Contest
6th Grade Conservation Field Day
NH Fish
& Game Wonders of Wildlife Guest Presentations (4-6)
Worm Factories
High
School
NH Envirothon
Competition
Conservation Scholarship
Soil Judging Contest
Gro-Labs
 Introducing
a Gro-Lab into your classroom is an excellent way to let students get swept up
in the excitement of discovery and accomplishment. HCCD currently has Gro-Labs
available for free to area teachers who would like to begin gardening in their
classrooms. Gro-Labs provide children with a hands-on understanding of
ecosystems, food origins, and the internal dynamics of plant growth. The Gro-Lab
was designed specifically for school gardening. Its light structure makes it
easy to grow many vegetables, flowers, and herbs to maturity within a reasonable
amount of time. Its durable frame holds enough pots for a full-size class
garden. HCCD also has support materials available describing ways to get your
garden started, lesson ideas, and other ways to introduce gardening into the
classroom. You don't need to have a green thumb to have a successful Gro-Lab in
your classroom. You can start out with small projects and learn with your class
as you go! Please call HCCD to schedule installation
of a Gro-Lab in your classroom!
 This project is supported by funds from the
sale of the Conservation
License Plate (Moose Plate) under the NH State Conservation Committee (NH SCC)
grant program.
Non-point Source Pollution Watershed Model
 This model demonstrates the different sources of water pollution in our
environment, literally! Students learn how land use surrounding our water
resources like rivers, lakes and ponds affect their water quality. They
see the results of runoff from roads, lawns, parking lots, farms and animal
wastes. It is an interactive, hands-on learning experience for your
students. They can set up the model with houses, cars, trucks and farms then add pollutants made out of kool aid, cocoa krispies and other
materials to the land. Rain is added by sprayers to demonstrate what
happens to the water when it runs off the land into a river or pond.
The model is available for loan or for guest presentations! Please email
Kerry Rickrode for more information, or call 673-2409.
Conservation Poster Contest
The 2010 Conservation Poster Contest
theme is "Conservation Habits = Healthy Habitats". The contest is usually held
in early Fall. Please check back for more information.
6th
Grade Conservation Field Day
This annual event is organized in cooperation with the UNH
Cooperation Extension. It's held annually for 6th grade students
in an outdoor setting, providing natural resource information and hands-on
experiences for students in such areas as soils, forestry, wetlands,
agriculture, wildlife, aquatics, etc. The event is normally held the first
Friday in October (subject to change). Please contact Kerry
Rickrode for more information.
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Jon Nute (UNH
Cooperative Extension) speaks on Tree Identification |
Jessica Brock (NH DES)
speaks on Groundwater |
George Hamilton (UNH
Cooperative Extension) speaks on NH Apple Crop |
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Deb Weymouth (NRCS)
speaks on Soils |
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NH
Fish & Game Wonders of Wildlife Presentations
Wonders of Wildlife is a series of active
educational programs designed to increase understanding and knowledge of
New Hampshire
’s wildlife resources. All programs are delivered by highly trained Fish and
Game volunteer docents. Wonders of Wildlife programs are offered FREE of charge.
Programs take place at your school or meeting place. A teacher must be
present at all times.
Available Programs Include:
Habits and Habitats of
New Hampshire
Wildlife (Hab)
Through a variety of activities, students explore the habits and haunts of
New Hampshire
wildlife. Hands-on activities are used to teach what habitat is and why it is
important. Audience: Grades 3-4,
Length: 1-1/2 hours.
Pond Ecology (PEco)
Explore the basics of life in the pond. Students will actively participate
in classroom activities to learn about ponds and do pond sampling. Audience:
Grades 3-4, Length: 1-1/2 hours.
Here Today -- Gone
Tomorrow? (End)
This program provides a look at endangered animals in New Hampshire. Specifically designed activities focus on why animals become endangered and
what you can do to help them. Audience: Grades
5-6, Length: 1-1/2 hours.
Wetlands (Wet)
Wetlands are important to all kinds of wildlife. This program will focus on
what wetlands are and why they are necessary if we are to maintain healthy
wildlife populations. Audience: Grades
5-6, Length: 1-1/2 hours.
Please call Kerry Rickrode for more
information at 673-2409 or email
her.
Composting
in the Classroom
Get your
worm composting program off to a great start with a Worm Factory!
The bin comes with a base, 4 stacking trays, a plastic spigot, and a
cover. This bin can fit comfortably
on a tabletop or on the floor. Each
tray measures 14”x14”x5”H. You
can compost up to 5-8 lbs. of food per day!
These
models would work perfectly with our Gro-Labs.
Use the compost you create using the Worm Factory to make your plants
grow in the Gro-Lab.
Please
contact Kerry Rickrode or
call 673-2409 if you would like more information.
This project is supported by funds from the
sale of the Conservation License Plate (Moose Plate) under the NH State
Conservation Committee (NH SCC) grant program.
NH Envirothon
The
NH ENVIROTHON is the only Environmental and Natural Resource Education Program
in New Hampshire high schools. Each year's competition has a different theme
(for 2007, its "Recreational Impacts on Natural Resources") in which student teams compete.
They attend a day of "Spring Training" before the competition for
additional input on the current issue, tips on presentations, and exposure to
each of the competition areas. The NH ENVIROTHON is supported by grants,
donations and the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts (NHACD), with
countless hours donated by environmental and natural resources professionals. NH
has consistently placed in the top ten, and frequently in the top five over the
past decade in the national competition. Visit the Canon
Envirothon website for more information.
Any high school in New Hampshire is eligible to
participate. If you know of a school, and particularly a potential advisor on
the faculty of a high school who might be interested, or to volunteer at Spring
Training or Competition, contact the Envirothon
Coordinator, Sue Kessler, at (603)
358-6484.
Conservation Scholarship
The Hillsborough County Conservation District annually awards a $500 scholarship
to a student choosing a career in the field of agriculture, forestry,
environmental science, soil science, or a related resource program. Those
eligible are residents of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, entering into the
first year of a 2 or 4 year college/university as a full-time student.
The scholarship announcement usually goes out
in early April with an early May deadline. A recipient is chosen with the
hopes to award the scholarship at the school's awards night. For more
information, please contact Kerry
Rickrode at 673-2409.
NH
Soil Judging Contest
NH Association of Conservation
District’s (NHACD) in partnership with the Conservation District’s holds a
Soil Judging Contest every year for High School students.
The main objective of this contest is to educate students on soil, its
characteristics, properties, and how some land uses may be better than others
based on soil features. The
competition aspect of the contest is a secondary intent but it does provide
students with the opportunity to study and research information with their peers
and then individually apply the information. Overall, NH Soil Judging is great
fun and great training for future decision-makers!
Many of the schools participate in both Soil Judging and the
Envirothon.
If you would like more information on this
educational contest, please contact Lisa
Morin at 603-527-5880.
Conservation
Teacher of Year Recognition Award
The Hillsborough County
Conservation District annually presents this award for teachers in grades
K-12 whom have excelled in natural resources conservation education. The winner
is recognized at the
HCCD Annual Meeting in April/May. For more information,
please contact Kerry Rickrode at 673-2409.
Other Programs
For information on additional information for
New Hampshire educational programs, here are a few links:
Amoskeag
Fishways
Beaver Brook Association
UNH
Cooperative Extension
New Hampshire Agriculture
in the Classroom
New
Hampshire Project Learning Tree
Harris Center for Conservation Education
Little Nature Museum
Tin
Mountain Conservation Center
DeMeritt
Hill Farm
Stonewall
Farm
Peabody Mill Environmental Center
Kids Gardening
Enviroscapes - Non-Point Source
Pollution Watershed Models
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Hillsborough
County Conservation District