Mountain Home High School AP Environmental Science teacher Tom Ethridge and student Stephanie Jones were among more than 150 from around the state attending the ninth annual environmental and agricultural sustainability field trip this week. The University of Arkansas department of crop, soil, and environmental sciences hosts the event every year. The event is held at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agricultures Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center.
The event connects students with environmental and agricultural experts for hands-on experiences related to what theyre learning in the classroom.
Ethridge says he loves the hand-on nature of the trip. He says his students get to come to the extension center where they touch everything and see everything, and maybe just open up their eyes to whats close to their house they might not know about.
Ethridges student, Stephanie Jones, says she thinks learning about sustainability is important for all high school students. Jones says sustainability is going to affect everybody later in the future. Its definitely something to take interest in.
Ethridge adds living sustainably hurts nobody and helps everybody.
Students arrived at the research and extension center first thing Tuesday morning. Following a brief welcome address, students split into small groups and loaded into rustic hay wagons toted by tractors. Each group visited stations led by faculty and personnel of the CSES department and visiting specialists from the Beaver Water District. Each session lasted about 15 minutes and introduced students to sustainability concepts that are shaping the future of agricultural practices and environmental management.
Two tours, each with six stations, covered a wide range of topics, including water resource management, soybean breeding and erosion control. A biodiesel plant demonstration was particularly popular. Used cooking oil from University of Arkansas dining halls is recycled into biodiesel fuel that powers farm equipment at the research and extension center.
Another favorite session demonstrated how researchers are using drones to improve soybean production.
To learn more about the impact of agricultural sciences in Arkansas, contact local Cooperative Extension Service agents or visit www.uaex.edu.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agricultures mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nations historic land grant education system.
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