It’s no secret that kids learn by doing: Learning to care for the land, lakes and rivers at a young age could form an early habit of protecting Mother Nature.

About 800 second graders from Auburn city schools recently got the chance to take part in an interactive Earth Day learning program hosted by the city of Auburn’s Parks and Recreation, Information Technology, Recycling and Water departments. The groups teamed up with Kreher Preserve and Nature Center, Alabama Power and other partners to make several presentations at Frank Brown Recreation Center.

This year, 18 city employees hosted, along with presenters who led rotating sessions for kids during the three-day program, said Sarah Cook, Community Programs coordinator for Auburn Parks and Recreation.

Second graders took part in arts and crafts during the educational program. (contributed)

Children got an up-close look at a turtle during the educational program. (Rod Cater)

Learning what items to recycle – or not – was part of children’s learning during the educational program hosted by Auburn Parks and Recreation. (Rod Cater)

Arts and crafts projects provided lots of fun for children. (Rod Cater)

Children listened in rapt attention during the educational program. (contributed)

This year saw the addition of youngsters from Woodland Pines Elementary, along with students from the Auburn Early Education Center, Cary Woods Elementary, Creekside Elementary, Dean Wood Elementary and Richland Road Elementary schools.

With help from an interactive program by Auburn IT, kids learned about the topography of the state. Cook said the program is used for community events, and this was the children’s first year to use the IT device.

“Kids can put their hands on it, and it changes, based on what they move around,” Cook said. “It’s really cool.”

Auburn’s Recycling group held a relay race while teaching the kids what belongs – or doesn’t – in recycling cans.

“That’s a mistake many people make,” Cook remarked, “so that’s a lot of fun. They get to decide what goes into recycling or trash, so it teaches them the basics.”

During an art project, children made paper beads from newspapers and magazines to create a recycled necklace, which Cook said is “really cute and easy for them to do.”

Alabama Power’s Unzell Kelley shared with children the importance of keeping the land, lakes and rivers clean, so they can be enjoyed for years to come. (Rod Cater)

As a first-time presenter, Alabama Power Real Estate Specialist Unzell Kelley shared about environmental preservation and shoreline recreation.

“It’s important for the company to take part in public educational events to communicate the environmental stewardship of the company, through our employees and volunteers,” said Kelley, who works in Shoreline Compliance. “We wanted to highlight the preservation efforts that the company provides to the public.”

Kelley enjoyed sharing with the children about educational topics that involve Alabama Power.

“I wanted to share as much information about what Alabama Power does to help them expand their educational knowledge about the environment, and how they think about Earth Day and what that really means,” said Kelley, a Coosa County native and a Talladega College graduate. “We work to help preserve the natural and scenic beauty of our reservoirs, lands and our recreational areas.”

Giving mother Earth the attention she deserves

Cook said she and other presenters want to “show the love” for nature and the Earth.

“Being able to see these kids come in and learn – and actually be engaged and enjoy it – has a huge impact on me, as well as all the other presenters, to see them wanting to know more and asking questions,” she said. “It’s a great program.”