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Program intended to spark love of land

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More than 100 Nancy Smith Elementary School students in third, fourth, and sixth grades participated in the Kids on the Land (KOL) program at Lambshead Ranch recently, where they were exposed to a variety of hands-on experiences designed to connect them to the land and spark a love of science.

A number of Albany volunteers attended training on Monday, Oct. 1, with KOL director Peggy Maddock, who brought a core group of instructors with her to Shackelford County.

Later last week each of the participating grades from NSES spent one day at the ranch, where they were taught by a group that included community volunteers, Albany ISD teachers and administrators, 17 FFA students, and six leaders from organizations across the state, including the NRCS, AgriLife Extension, and the Texas Honeybee Guild.

The third grade students were at Lambshead for most of the school day on Tuesday, Oct. 2, learning to do the work of an entomologist.

“We had an insect lab where they collected bugs using nets and traps, and learned about complete and incomplete metamorphosis life cycles,” said KOL founder and executive director Peggy Maddock. “The Texas Honeybee Guild used a traveling bee hive to help teach them about bees. We also looked at beneficial insects, and they got to help release lady bugs.”

At least one of the local third graders was surprised by one of the demonstrations done by the entomologist.

“He ate a fried bug!” she said. 

The fourth graders learned about becoming naturalists and about prairie preservation on Wednesday, Oct. 3, and sixth graders focused on the importance of healthy soil on Thursday, Oct. 4.

The KOL program is a unique Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) environmental program designed to teach children about the region where they live, connecting them to the land and a more sustainable future.

“Peggy feels that kids learn about other environments in school, like the rain forest and deserts, but they don’t have much in their curriculum about ranch land,” said Kalico Leech, coordinator for the local volunteers. “This program is meant to teach them appreciation for the place where they actually live, and if they appreciate it, they’re more apt to take care of it in the future.” 

Local adult community volunteers this year included retired teacher Myra Hise, ag teacher Chris Beard, Troy Reinke and Alex Smith from the Albany Conservation Service office and Ricky Linex from the NRCS office in Weatherford, and Throckmorton Agri-Life extension agent JerriAnne Shelly.

“KOL is so glad to be partnering again with Matt Mathews and Lambs-head Ranch to connect the school children of Albany to this historic place,” said Angie Dickson, one of the three founders of Kids on the Land. “The Albany community and folks across Texas really turn out to support this STEM Environmental Science program whose mission is to reconnect children to the place where they live.”

To learn more about KOL, go to www.kidsonthe land.org.