Todd County

IPM School Yard
"I learned to take care of the Earth."

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Many of the young, elementary school students came away from the Todd County IPM School Yard experience with new knowledge and a desire to take care of their Earth.

The Todd County Extension Service, 4-H program partnered with the South Todd Elementary School to develop this outdoor classroom. More than 500 elementary school students, 15 high school students, over 45 volunteers and a grant from the Kentucky Integrated Pest Management Program made the project possible.

Local High School agriculture students assisted the younger, elementary school students in preparing the soil and planting the disease resistant apple trees for the school orchard. Teachers shared aspects of Earth Day and Integrated Pest Management practices with students while working. IPM principles including soil testing, recognizing beneficial insects and reducing pesticides when possible were emphasized.

Over 30 acres of the school yard now include Integrated pest management resources for learning including 2 purple martin houses, codling moth traps, a butterfly garden, an apple and pear orchard, and a grape vineyard. Because of the IPM grant funding, teachers now have Golden Guide resource books to aid them in identification of beneficial insects, butterflies, birds and much more.

For additional information on this project contact: Lee Ann McCuiston Todd County Extension Agent for 4-H/Youth Development P.O. Box 97 Elkton, KY 42220 (270) 265-5659 lmccuist@uky.edu

	Original document: 16 January 2002 Last updated: 16 January 2002