Students attend Earth Energy program

About 350 Sussex County elementary school students from Sparta, Hardyston, Frankford, Andover, Hamburg, Franklin, Ogdensburg, and Newton recently participated in the 14th annual Earth Energy Day organized by the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority and the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group.
Eight of the 24 municipalities in Sussex County were represented at the event, the largest number of townships to ever participate in an Earth Energy Day celebration.
Students rotated through eight different hands-on stations led by the AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassador Program, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), New Jersey Audubon, Cornerstone Environmental Group, SCS Engineers, Foam Cycle, Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs, and Jack Branagan (Community Steward).
Each station presented information focused around the themes of solid waste disposal, recycling, wildlife, and natural resource conservation.
During the event, students watched a puppet show to learn how plastic harms local rivers and wildlife, examined live aquatic insects collected from the Wallkill River, played a game to learn about fish characteristics and habitat needs, and touched numerous soil samples to observe the different soil textures found throughout New Jersey.
The children also had a chance to interact with Woodsy the Owl as he spread his message to, “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute.”
Each child left the event with a better sense of how he or she can protect Sussex County’s natural environment while also giving back to the community through a food drive that was conducted to benefit the SCARC food pantry.