ESCANABA - Fifth graders from seven schools throughout the area participated in the 2009 annual Agriculture and Natural Resources Tour Thursday. Students visited various sites around the county where they learned about the importance of agriculture and natural resources in the community.
Rapid River, Bark River, Holy Name, Lemmer, Mid Peninsula, Gladstone, Soo Hill and Hannahville schools all took part in the tour.
The purpose of the tour is for youth to gain a better understanding of the importance of agriculture and natural resources to Delta County. It also allows students to learn about various professions and career possibilities associated with agriculture, natural resources, and the environment. It also teaches environmental, agricultural and natural resource issues relevant to the Delta County area.
One of the sites Hannahville fifth-graders stopped at was the Escanaba Water Treatment Plant where staff purifies drinking water for city residents. They also toured the plant's laboratory and learned about the day-to-day operations and the water treatment specialist profession.
Operator/Mechanic Mark Rose was there to teach the students all about what goes on at the water treatment plant. Students were shown how water quality is tested by checking for a common type of bacteria. Students also learned how residents receive their water through the city's two water towers.
"In the towers the water is high enough so that it flows down to all the residences," said Rose.
Hannahville fifth-grader Wynnona Seymour said her favorite part of the water plant tour was seeing the room with all the water. She said she learned about the certain chemicals treatment specialists have to use in the water.
Rapid River students stopped at the Delta County Recycling and Landfill during the day. There they received a tour of the landfill facilities. During the tour, the students learned about landfill construction, leachate handling, and the fate of garbage delivered to the landfill. They also learned about the household hazardous waste and pesticide collection programs and got to see how these materials are temporarily stored at the landfill. Students also received a tour of the composting site and learned how grass, leaves, and brush become compost.
Students learned about the Delta County recycling program and how different types of materials are processed and packaged for shipment to recyclers. The importance of reusing and recycling waste materials was emphasized.
MSU Extension Educator Warren Schauer, who also went along for the tour, said one of the highlights of the day for the kids was visiting the North Shore Boat Launch where the U.S. Forest Service officials were demonstrating fisheries management.
"The students got to see them electro-fishing, where they shock the water and all these fish come up in the nets," said Schauer. "The kids thought that was really neat."
The students learned how electro-fishing provides data for fish population analysis, fish growth information and species summaries. The North Shore fisheries management was added to the tour just last year, said Schauer.
Schauer said stopping at area farms is always an exciting trip for the students, since for some, it's their only opportunity to see a farm.
At the Naults Double NN Ranch, students get to see the Naults' cow-calf operation of purebred Simmental and Angus-cross cows bred with purebred black and red Angus bulls. Students also saw crops grown there, which include corn, hay, pasture and oats. Students learned how these crops are stored and are used to feed the animals.
Students also learn about the history and importance of soil conservation. They also learned about the history of the Dust Bowl, and what conservationists and landowners have learned about soil erosion.
Seymour said the Double NN Ranch was her favorite stop of the day.
"We looked at all the baby cows, and baby cats and dogs," she said. "We did an experiment where we poured water into two boxes, one that had grass, and the other didn't to see which one came out cleaner. It came out cleaner with the grass."
Another site was the Upper Peninsula Tree Improvement Center (UPTIC) where students walked a half-mile trail observing various aspects of forest types, trees, and wildlife habitat and forest management. They learned that Michigan forests are among the most diverse in the world and the U.P. lies in one of the most heavily forested regions of the United States.
The UPTIC site was also where students learned about wildlife management, including how wildlife impacts and interacts with agriculture, and soil management, including the formation of soil, characteristics of soil such as texture and structure and soil interpretations, and the importance of soil in treating household wastewater.
Other stops on the Agriculture Tour include the Escanaba Wastewater Treatment Plant, DNR Pocket Park where students learn about sports fishing, Ford River Stabilization Project, Hyde-a-Way Stables, and Rappette's Beef Farm.
"I think overall the day went well," said Schauer of the agriculture tour. "The weather was great. The agriculture tour is a really great benefit for the kids. They get to go out in the real world and learn about the environment and Delta County's natural resource sites."
