ALABAMA A&M and AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

EXTENSION CONFERENCE BUILDS APPRECIATION FOR ENVIRONMENT

AUBURN, AUG. 13---From a forestry and water-quality standpoint, Alabama is rich beyond comparison.

Yet, polls consistently show Alabamians rank near the bottom in environmental stewardship. Complicating the problem is the increasing number of urban dwellers in the state.

Only a few decades ago, virtually every Alabamian was connected in some way to rural living. The vast majority of state residents either lived in a rural locality or could point to a parent or grandparent who did.

Today, roughly 1 out of 2 Alabamians lives in the city. If Alabama’s resources are to be safeguarded for future generations, experts believe a growing number of urban-dwelling Alabamians must be brought into the environmental "big picture" – namely through educational outreach efforts.

With this in mind, 4-H agents and volunteers started the annual 4-H Environmental Stewardship Conference.

Every year, hundreds of 4-H’ers from Alabama, urban and rural alike, are brought to a rustic setting for three days of intensive, hands-on instruction in environmental stewardship. Through these events, Alabama 4-H hopes to build a new vanguard of young people committed to increasing awareness about the important role environment stewardship plays, and will continue to play, in the state’s future.

Subject matter varies from year to year. This year’s conference, held at the Alabama 4-H Youth Development Center near Columbiana, focused on aquatic life and animal habitat.

While the main focus is on instilling kids with a deeper appreciation for the environment, organizers hope the conference will inspire some of the youngsters to reach farther, by pursuing environmentally related careers.

Morgan County 4-H’er Paul McLoughlin is one such youngster. First introduced to 4-H environmental programs in middle school, McLoughin eventually competed in 4-H wildlife judging competition. From there, he got interested in the program’s environmental stewardship conferences, which he now attends every summer.

"One of the things I learned last year in camp is that there are so many different kinds of jobs in the wildlife industry," he says. "From an ecology standpoint, I never knew there were people specializing in marine-animal life even in urban settings.

McLoughlin, a senior at Decatur High School, plans to pursue a degree in environmental engineering after graduation.

McLoughlin’s brother, John, also has developed a keen interest in the environment after being introduced to the programs by his teachers. While he considers science his best subject, he is still debating whether to pursue a career in the environment.

"I’m really not sure what I want to do," says the Decatur High School sophomore. "There are just so many choices, but I’m interested in chemistry and there’s plenty of that type thing in water pollution – so I may end up settling on that."

Whatever the case, virtually all of the youngsters agree the stewardship conferences have given them a big advantage over fellow students.

Coosa County 4-H’er Jonathan Jones, who will be starting college next year at Central Alabama Community College, says some of the training seems to be on par with college-level courses.

"I’ve talked with college-aged friends of mine who have gone threw these seminars and are now holding seminars for other college students," Jones says. "You’ve got 8^th and 9^th graders with just as much knowledge – and maybe even more – than some freshmen and sophomores in college."

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SOURCE: JIM LANGCUSTER, Extension communications specialist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System.