CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/27/21

Mitchell County Extension honored for water conservation, 4-H2O Camp

By Sue W. Chapman
4-H educators lead a class on meteorology during the Mitchell County 4-H2O camp in 2019.
4-H educators teach meteorology during the 4-H2O Camp, which recently earned Mitchell County Extension the Clean Water Hero award. Learning about water conservation is particularly important in southwest Georgia, where the essential resource has a significant impact on the extensive farming community.

The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension 4-H program in Mitchell County was recognized as a Clean Water Hero by the Georgia Water Coalition’s 2021 Clean 13 Report. The annual Clean 13 Report highlights exceptional efforts to protect Georgia’s water resources.

Mitchell County 4-H is the only youth-serving organization to receive the honor in the five years since the report was established.

Mitchell County Extension created a 4-H2O Camp in 2008 as a collaboration between UGA’s C.M. Stripling Irrigation Research Park and Mitchell County 4-H. The camp provides an innovative way to educate children and adults about the importance of Georgia’s water resources and water conservation. 

Learning about water conservation education is particularly important in southwest Georgia, where the essential resource has a significant impact on the extensive farming community. In recent years, this region has also experienced extended droughts, ongoing political battles with neighboring states over water use, and a devastating hurricane.   

Since its founding, hundreds of youth from Mitchell County, as well as surrounding counties in south Georgia and Alabama, have attended the annual, three-day 4-H2O Camp, where students learn from experts including irrigation specialists, solar energy specialists, meteorologists and wildlife biologists. Mitchell County 4-H agent Debra Cox coordinates the camp alongside Agriculture and Natural Resources agent Brian Hayes.

Cox emphasized that students learn while having fun as they use food, interactive models and other hands-on activities as educational tools, noting that several graduates of the 4-H2O Camp are now working in water conservation and related fields.

“Mitchell County 4-H has hosted the 4-H2O Camp for 14 years and this is the second award we have received. In 2019, Mitchell County 4-H and C.M. Stripling Irrigation Research Park received the Georgia Project WET Organization of the Year. 4-H2O Camp is a program that will continue to teach our youth to be good stewards of water in and around southwest Georgia,” Cox said.

Hayes added, “It is a great honor to be the first youth organization to win the Clean 13 award and to be recognized among some great honorees.”

The 4-H2O Camp is a partner with the Stripling Irrigation Research Park, a UGA research and education center in Camilla, Georgia, and 2018 Clean 13 awardee.

For more information on 4-H2O Camp, contact the Mitchell County Extension.

Sue Chapman is the associate state 4-H leader for UGA Extension.

Authors:
Sue W. Chapman
Experts/Sources:
Brian Hayes
Debra Cox
Georgia Simmons at the office of U.S. Sen. Warnock CAES News
Georgia 4-H alum, CAES student spends semester serving at the nation's Capitol 12/03/24 Josie Smith, Cooper Hardy
Third-year University of Georgia student and Banks County 4-H alum Georgia Simmons has been in the center of the political action this fall with the Georgia 4-H Washington DC Intern Program. Simmons, an environmental resource science major in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, works in the office of U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. As an intern on his staff, she interacts directly with policy experts and lawmakers, participating in the legislative process while earning a semester of credit hours.
Seth McAllister and farmer Mark Daniel discuss crop production and agritourism. CAES News
UGA Extension supports agritourism through expert advice and collaboration 10/24/24 Emily Cabrera
On a sunny day with bright-blue skies, I arrive at Mark’s Melon Patch in Sasser, Georgia, and immediately spot the familiar white University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pickup truck, the Terrell County Extension logo prominently displayed on the door. Seth McAllister, the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Terrell County, greets me with a broad grin and a firm handshake. Terrell County alone has 60,000 acres of row crops, half in cotton. But what McAllister loves most about his role as an Extension agent is the diversity of his work.
Ropes course at Georgia 4-H camp CAES News
Campers create lasting memories of summer at Georgia's 4-H centers 10/07/24 Josie Smith
By the end of his first week at 4-H summer camp, fifth grader Cooper Hardy already had many memories of new and exciting experiences. “That was the first time I got in a canoe,” Hardy said. “It was a big deal for me.” Now, 10 years later, Hardy serves as a Georgia 4-H camp counselor at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia. It’s a dream he’s held since the first time he set foot on the sprawling, wooded 1,500-acre campus as a camper.
Caroline Hinton is the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA) CAES News
Director of experiential learning herds students toward new fields of education 10/02/24 Averi Caldwell
Caroline Hinton wants to foster a love of learning for all students who walk through her door. As the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Hinton helps students connect with their fields of study outside of the classroom. “I find joy and excitement in getting to watch students experience different parts of agriculture and find a place in our state’s own agriculture industry,” she said.
The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel saw some damage from the winds and rain of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA) CAES News
UGA weathers Hurricane Helene 09/27/24
The University of Georgia’s main campus was fortunate to emerge relatively unscathed after Hurricane Helene barreled through the state early Friday morning. However, the impact was more significant at our extended campus locations. While the UGA Griffin campus reported no major damage, UGA-Tifton was hit much harder, with dozens of downed trees and power outages, as well as flooding in several buildings. Damage to farm operations across south Georgia appears to be extensive.
Honorees at the 2024 State 4-H Congress included 4-H Green Jacket Award winner Jay Morgan, Master 4-H’er Vidhi Patel, Warnell Associate Dean for Outreach Nick Fuhrman for Warnell accepting the Friend of 4-H Award on behalf of the college, Georgia 4-H State President Kingston Ryals, William H. Booth Award winner Patrick Willis, and Ryles Rising Star Award Laura Mirarchi. CAES News
Outstanding youth, supportive adults celebrated at Georgia 4-H State Congress 08/14/24 Josie Smith
Accomplished 4-H youth and the adults who empower them gathered at the 81st Georgia 4-H State Congress in Atlanta July 23-26. The weeklong event for top 4-H’ers features state-level Project Achievement and Leadership in Action competitions and recognizes youth development professionals and community supporters contributing to the success of 4-H in Georgia. More than 200 youth delegates competed in 50 Project Achievement areas and eight youth delegates competed in the Leadership in Action contest during annual event.