Just prior to Halloween, the Northern Neck Master Gardeners (NNMG) visited Lancaster Primary School and Northumberland Elementary School to teach third graders about soils and the spooky critters that live in its dark places.
Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H Agent Tara Brent joined the NNMG for the program.
“We are very proud of our Soils Program that teaches environmental stewardship and supplements the third grade science curriculum standards of learning,” said president Tami McCauley. “It is designed so that students can investigate the components of soil and its importance to life. Our volunteer educators strive to impart many little-known facts about the critical need for soil conservation. But perhaps the most important part of this program is the pure fun children experience while learning.”
Four stations were set up where volunteer educators explained various aspects of soils. They learned how rock particles form different types of soil and how soil creatures such as ants, worms, centipedes, grubs…