April 25, 2016 at 3:58 p.m.
Crescent students welcome special visitors to Earth Day celebration
Sustainability Fair draws a crowd
Crescent students welcome special visitors to Earth Day celebration
By Kayla Thomason-
Students at Crescent Elementary School were treated to a special visit Friday from Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl and staff from the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
This is the first time in several years that Smokey Bear has visited the school, and the first time that he has come with Woodsy Owl.
This presentation reinforced what the children are learning in class.
"(The presentation is) really important on a number of levels," said Tina Vannatter, first/second-grade multiage teacher. "It's important because it's Earth Day and we need to celebrate that and we need to remind the kids we just finished a unit on taking care of our environment and learning different ways of coming up with electricity, clean energy."
The classes will learn more about Woodsy Owl and pollution this week.
Vannatter said she thinks the topics of pollution, recycling and caring for the earth are vital for children to understand.
"I think it's really important to our kids," she said. "They are really aware in a way that most of us adults weren't at their age of the importance of recycling, the importance of turning off the lights when you don't need them, the importance of keeping the heat down when you don't need it up, all of those different things and they're all interested in trying to figure out ways to come up with energy that's clean. They're really, really excited about cleaning up their earth," she said.
Recently, each child in the multiage classes sent letters to Bill Gates regarding clean energy. They have yet to get a response.
The students were excited to meet Smokey and Woodsy, and learn more about how to protect the earth.
"I just like that they're talking about helping the Earth because the Earth is an important part of our life," said Lucas Swierczynski, second-grader.
All of the students received a white spruce sapling from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Lucas said he was excited to get a tree and plans to give it a permanent home in his mom's backyard. This will be his first time planting a tree.
Madison Volkening, second-grader, learned how to put out fires as well as how to keep the Earth clean.
"If I see garbage on the ground I would pick it up or I would throw my garbage in the trash," she said.
Zach Webster enjoyed the presentation.
"I thought it was fun to do," he said. "(Preventing forest fires and pollution is) really important because it's going to save the earth."
He said he hadn't seen Woodsy and Smokey before, so he thought it was cool to meet them, and although it was his first time he knew a lot about the bear.
"Smokey Bear was found in a forest fire," Zach said. "He climbed up a tree and he was really scared and that's how Smokey Bear started."
Although there are many trees on his property already, he said he can't wait to plant the new one.
"I have lots of trees in my front yard, there are three different ones, they're all together and they're so big that you can go inside of it and there's a giant space inside of it," he said.
Hilary Markin, public affairs officer for the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, thought the presentation was well received by the students.
"I think all we had to do was bring Smokey and Woodsy," she said with a laugh.
She was surprised at how many children knew both slogans.
"Smokey Bear's slogan is 'Only you can prevent forest fires' so that was one of the big things that we wanted to share today with the kids that they're in charge of preventing forest fires, also to make sure that if they do have a fire that it is out when they're done and also with Woodsy Owl 'Give a hoot don't pollute' is his slogan so making sure they keep the forest clean when they go out and visit the forest," Markin said.
She finds it pertinent to stress the importance of protecting the earth, and instilling it in the students.
"It's all about caring for our land and we have to continually build up our next generation to care for the land, the public land, all of our land so that it's here for future generations," she said.
Sustainability Fair
Community members who attended the sixth annual Sustainability Fair at the Newbold Town Hall Friday learned valuable tricks and techniques for maintaining a more sustainable lifestyle.
One of the helpful tricks that got people's attention was storing root crops through the winter in a flue tile.
Jim Scholz presented the root cellar to attendees.
The flue tile he brought was 24 inches long, but smaller flue tiles are available.
The flue tile is buried vertically with the opening flush to the ground, a board covers it and styrofoam may be placed over that.
If styrofoam is used then two feet of leaves will be placed over the board, or three feet of leaves without styrofoam.
"When you have carrots in there you put a little skiff of sand on the bottom - very damp - then you put your carrots on and then you cover the carrots just a 1/4 inch with some more damp sand and then you put another layer of carrots and cover another layer of sand and do that til it's filled," Scholz said.
For those who are storing potatoes they can just be put straight in there. He said this method of storing works best with root crops but he's planning to try the technique with fruit crops later this year.
People should store their root crops in the fall, preferably before the snow falls, and can pull them out in April.
He advised that 30 degrees or warmer is the best time to dig out the produce.
Scholz has used this technique for four years. Due to the success he's had, he shared this knowledge at the fair.
He thought it was a nice turnout and that it is great that the public can participate in such an event.
"It's a good thing, it's good for people to come out and get these new ideas for what they can do and how they can do things themselves," Scholz said.
This was Frances Whitfield's first time at the Sustainability Fair and she was just amazed by it.
"I think it's incredible, I wish it was three days," she exclaimed.
The root cellar, aquaponics and hydroponics stations stood out to her, especially since she has an Aquaponics system at home.
"An Aquaponics system is utilizing the waste of fish to put nutrients into water to feed the plants above it, it's a circulating water system," she said.
With this process she has been able to grow kale, mint and celery from the six goldfish she has.
This has provided her with year-round growth.
Whitfield thought the root cellar was fantastic and it reminded her of her childhood root cellar.
"Being able to store your food for a long time without electricity appeals to me, that's why I like the root cellar idea," Whitfield said.
She is very much into sustainability, cans her own produce and is making a own root cellar at home.
She also liked the booth that had all-natural products that keep deer away.
Whitfield was quite impressed with the fair and wished students could learn from it as well.
"It's essential, absolutely essential," she said. "I think all of the schools should bring their kids to this."
She may have a booth next year with a focus on Earth art, which is natural, temporary art in the woods.
"I think it's sad that we call one day Earth Day, every day should be Earth Day," she said.
This was also Tess Stephens first time at the fair.
She liked the root cellar, the alternative funeral and teaching drums. She also enjoyed learning about all of the businesses, the gardening "stuff" and aquaponics and hydroponics.
"I just didn't know anything about doing a root cellar and this is a cool way to store your root crops outside," she said.
Stephens was surprised that a lot of the booths were giving out seed packets or very young saplings to plant.
Sandy Lotto, outreach coordinator for the Northwoods Land Trust in Eagle River, had a booth set up.
"We work with landowners who are interested in conserving their property in its natural state for years to come," she said. "If they go into a conservation easement that means that it is going to be protected forever."
The deed to the easement goes with the property and can be sold or given to descendents.
"It's a neat thing because generations to come are going to be able to see it in its natural state," she said.
Lotto was pleased with the foot traffic, and a local land owner actually signed an easement at the event.
Ann and Scott Eshelman, owners of the Munninghoff Marsh and the founders of the Sustainability Fair, signed an easement at the fair.
The main goal of the Northwoods Land Trust had originally been shorefront property, but is now spaning to riverfront and woodland property.
Kayla Breese may be reached at kayla@ rivernewsonline.com.
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