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-Southwestern -innesota nvir ental air
<br />rings the experts to the i s . - -
<br />- How often do you f nd over a dozen the Science Museum and the Minne- "
<br />peopre in radically different profes-' sota Zoo. .
<br />= th d t th t h th '
<br />stuns ga ere oge er o-s are eir
<br />knowledge?
<br />If their audience issixth-graders
<br />from all over southwestern Minne- -
<br />sota, then the answer is simple: once
<br />a year, at the Southwest"Minnesota -
<br />Environmental Fair.
<br />The 14-county Southwest Minnesota
<br />Association of Conservation District
<br />Employees puts on the event each
<br />year, and held the fourth annual
<br />Southwest Minnesota Environmental
<br />Fair last September 20 and 21 in.
<br />- Marshall.
<br />About 2,500 students from 52 ,~
<br />schools attended. Learning-stations
<br />were presented by resource profes-
<br />sionalsfrom public and private
<br />- sources, and. covered trees, wetlands,
<br />recycling, household hazardous
<br />waste; soils and other topics.
<br />Evaluations from both teachers and
<br />students were overwhelmingly
<br />positive; according to Rose•.Ander-
<br />son, administrator of the Lyon Soil .
<br />and Water Conservation District
<br />(SWCD) and chair of the 1995_
<br />Environmental Fair.Committee.
<br />Many groups helped make the event
<br />a success,~Anderson -said. The soil
<br />acid water conservation districts,'the -
<br />Board of Water and. Soil Resources
<br />(BWSR), and local businesses '
<br />. helped support the event financially;
<br />other groups contributed staff time
<br />or other resources.
<br />One major benefit of the fair is the
<br />relationship it helps build'between
<br />schools and S WCDs, Anderson said.
<br />"It's shown them the versatility of '
<br />the SWCDs," she said. "A lot of
<br />times people think we're just doing -
<br />waterways and terraces.and _
<br />such...they don't see. the scope that
<br />we've branched out to."
<br />The fair h-as earned two awards, the
<br />Education Award. from the Minne-
<br />sotaAssociation of Conservation
<br />Districts; and. Trainer of the Year
<br />from the Natural Resources-Conser-
<br />vation Service (MRCS). -
<br />Denise Severtson, chair ofthe 1996
<br />fair, said that it is to be held Septem-
<br />ber 18 and 19, at the Nobles. County
<br />Fair in Worthington.
<br />Over 1800 students from 47 schools
<br />are planning on attending the 1996
<br />-fair, she said; with 18 presentations
<br />from organizations as diverse as the
<br />National Weather Service, Nobles
<br />County Electric, Prairie Wind Zoo,
<br />and the Minnesota Science Museum.
<br />= The results of pre- and post-testing
<br />- indicate that students retained quite a
<br />bit of what they learned at the fair,
<br />she'said. -
<br />The fair also gives students a-chance
<br />to~see presentations from places like
<br />/996 North American Lake Management Society /nternational Symposium
<br />People, Lakes and Land: Puzzling Relationships
<br />November. 13-16,-Radisson South Hotel. Minneapolis MN ,
<br />The symposium will address important developments in lake and watershed management
<br />with a full array of sessions, workshops, and exibitors. The agenda includes information for
<br />professional and lay lake managers, lake association and state chapter. representatives,
<br />educators and students. Sessions, special workshops and training will focus on the challenge
<br />of managing the relationships between people, lakes and land. - .
<br />Program information: Steven Heiskary, Conference registration:
<br />Minnesota Pollution Control Agency NALMS
<br />Water Quality Division, attn: NALM Conf. P.O. Box t-01294
<br />5~0 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN 55155 - Denver; CO 80250
<br />e-mailsteven.heiskary@pca.state.mn.us fax: 303-781-6538
<br />fax: 6 12-297-8683 phone: 303-78 I -8287 _
<br />Summer..1996 .
<br />"How Can. Something as Icky and
<br />Smelly as a Swamp Turn Out - _
<br />Fresh Water?" - ,.
<br />Dave Johnson rriay~be used to
<br />putting on the waders and tromping `
<br />through wetlands; as it's ofte"n just ~ ,
<br />part of his job as a board conserva-
<br />tionist for BWSR. Traveling _
<br />through a wetland with a=television ,
<br />crew in tow is a first, though. -
<br />Johnsonand Su Chin Pak, host of
<br />public television's Newton's Apple,
<br />above, visited wetland areas in
<br />Alclen.and White Bear Lake to film
<br />a special segment on wetlands for .
<br />the public television-series..
<br />Newton's Apple, carried nationwide
<br />on public television stations, offers -
<br />a lightLhearted look at a broad range "
<br />of scientific topics. - ! " _
<br />Johnson served as the resident =
<br />wetland expert, explaining to the .
<br />host that wetlands serve as water '
<br />purifiers and help to control floods:
<br />Johnson's reaction to being in the-
<br />spotlight?
<br />"It was a blast," he said. "I'd do it-
<br />again in a heartbeat." - •
<br />(The segment will air this Septem- /
<br />ber or October, but a final date
<br />hadn 't been announced when the
<br />Mentor went to press. Check your ,
<br />local public television listings for
<br />dates and times.)
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