When most of us hear the word “classroom,” we envision a room with four walls, a blackboard, and desks neatly tucked into rows. This description did not hold true during October for Botetourt County fourth graders as they literally traveled out of the classroom and into the creek – Looney Creek that is.
On October 16th and 23rd, the Western Virginia Land Trust, a Roanoke-based conservation nonprofit, brought these students to the Preece property near Buchanan to experience firsthand their connection to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Funds for the trips were provided by a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund through the sale of Chesapeake Bay license plates.
Looney Creek, which meanders through the Preece property, flows into the James River near the town of Buchanan. The James River then flows eastward across Virginia, emptying into the Chesapeake Bay at Hampton Roads. Commonly, students here at the headwaters do not realize the important role their communities play in the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The land trust worked with local organizations to create five distinct activity stations related to the Chesapeake Bay. Students rotated throughout the stations, hearing from experts in each field of study and completing hands-on activities to increase their understanding of the various ecosystem components.
The partner organizations and their respective activities were Clean Valley Council doing a stream school to analyze the water quality of Looney Creek; Mountain Castles Soil and Water Conservation District and the Western Virginia Water Authority using the Enviroscape Model to teach about watersheds, Camp Bethel with soils and soil erosion, the Virginia Department of Forestry talking about the importance of forests, and Claytor Nature Study Center and the Virginia Cooperative Extension Agency teaching about animal adaptations.
“Learning and spending time outdoors is so important for today’s students, stressed Diana Hackenburg, project manager with the Western Virginia Land Trust and Bay Day coordinator. “These trips allow students to form a personal connection to the land that will one day influence their views about conservation and environmental protection.”
The Western Virginia Land Trust is a community-based, private, non-profit promoting the conservation of southwest Virginia’s unique scenic, historic, agricultural, recreational and natural features. Qualified by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, the land trust serves seven counties including: Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Montgomery, and Roanoke; and currently protects more than 15,000 acres of land and 33 miles of streams in 40 conservation easements.
To learn more about Bay Day and to view photos from the trips, visit www.westernvirginialandtrust.org/news_events/bayday.
