Environmental Education:  Kiersten Rugg, 803/329-5527, krugg@cityofrockhill.com

Now Available:
Look for 2010 Nature Play Camps led by PRT's Environmental Education staff in PRT's Summer Camp Guide.


About Environmental Education
PRT’s Environmental Education team presents topics such as water quality, orienteering, plant identification, animal identification and recycling to school groups from kindergarten through high school, tailoring the discussions to the age of the participants.  These classes are most often presented at River Park, Glencairn Garden,  and Fewell Park, but they can be held at any of our parks, or brought to a classroom at your school.  Classes at River Park may also include an opportunity to learn kayaking.  Additionally, home-school groups can coordinate classes with our staff to meet their specific needs. 

For the younger children, our popular teaching mascots make the experience memorable.  Children can learn from Gabby Greenleaves or Chatty Evergreen.  Gabby Greenleaves and Chatty Evergreen teach environmental topics such as plant identification, animal habitats and tree biology. 

As part of the Environmental Education program, PRT also offers the Leopold Education Project (LEP) curriculum.  This interdisciplinary curriculum uses A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold to help students in grades 5-8 learn about the natural world and their place within it. 

 
Environmental Education Program Topics
A variety of topics can be presented by PRT’s Environmental Education team, facilitated by our staff members.  A current list of topics is listed below, but you can also check our Environmental Education Brochure, Connecting to the Natural World, for descriptions of each class and information on registering.  SC State Standard Alignments for these classes are available.  Classes can also be tailored to your needs.

Grades K4 - 2nd 
Animal Biomes (Habitats)
Everything Froggy (Frog Life Cycle)
Flutter By (Butterfly Life Cycle)
Gabby Greenleaves
Little Watchers (Bird Adaptations)
My Life As An Elm (Tree Life Cycle)
Sense of Place (Glencairn History)
Where in the World is Glencairn Garden (Mapping)
You, Me and the Trees

Grades 3 - 5
Animal Biomes (Habitats)
Beak Buffet (Bird Adaptations)
Catawba H2O
Exploration Navigation (Compassing)
Litter in the World
Plant Life Cycles
Soil Studies
Within Reach (Team building/Wall climbing)
You, Me and the Trees

Grades 5 - 8 
Catawba River Watershed
The Force Be With You (Kayaking)
Leopold Education
Macroinvertabrate Study
Navigation Exploration (Compassing)
Water Quality/Stream Assessment
Wetlands
You, Me and the Trees

High School
Kayaking
Macroinvertabrats Studies
Water Quality/Stream Assessment
Within Reach

For more information and to register for a class, call Kiersten Rugg at 803/329-5527.   

Field Trip Forms
Directions to Parks
Making the Most of Your PRT Field Trip
Preparing for Your River Park Field Trip
Paddling Release Form
Permission Slip 

Leopold Education Project (LEP) 
Environmental Educator: Kiersten Rugg, 803/329-5527, krugg@cityofrockhill.com 

PRT offers the Leopold Education Project to home school students in the Rock Hill area at River Park  This interdisciplinary program meets once a month during the school year and uses A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold to help students in grades 5-8 learn about the natural world and their place within it.  By combining the sound educational offerings of the Leopold Education Project (LEP) and the tried-and-true community values of the 4-H program, students are introduced to local culture and learn to appreciate how South Carolinians enjoy the great outdoors.  Students also benefit from community volunteers as they see how are they are connected to nature and new ways to become good stewards of the earth.


Junior Master Gardners Program (JMG)
Junior Master Gardeners Flyer

PRT is now offering the Junior Master Gardeners Program/ 4-H Club to home school students in the Rock Hill area. This innovative 4-H gardening project, modeled after the highly successful Master Gardener program, will teach horticulture, envirnomental education and leadership through  fun and creative activities for students grades 3 - 5. Youth  can become certified Junior Master Gardeners by attending  all classes and completing monthly individual  activities found in the student handbook. Classes will meet once a month at the Glencairn Garden Learning Center, 825 Edgemont Ave. in Rock Hill and will be held on the third Tuesday of each month from September 2010 until May 2011 at 9 am - 12 noon. In December, the meeting will be held on December 14, 2010 due to the holidays.

For more information on the Junior Master Gardeners program and to register, see the Junior Master Gardeners flyer or contact Margie Sippel, at 803/684-9919 ext. 113.