Wildlife Youth Education
As America becomes less rural, children grow up with fewer chances to experience the wonders of the natural world. The MSU Extension Service offers a variety of experiences, workshops, camps, 4-H projects, and curricula designed to introduce young people to wildlife, conservation, environmental science, outdoor recreation, and scientific inquiry.
Along with partners from several state and federal agencies, Extension hosts: annual summer camps to allow young people to explore and learn more about wildlife and natural science; teacher workshops; homeschool science events; Scout badge workshops; in-school programming like Youth Environmental Science, wildlife classroom enrichment guest presentations, and Eko-Kids curriculum; BioBlitz discovery events; and 4-H projects about wildlife and wildlife habitat.
EkoKids: Schoolyard Nature Guides - Page contains links to combined and individual PDFs.
Publications
News
Two conservation camps this summer offer students in grades six through 12 the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in wildlife science, outdoor recreation and conservation careers. Conservation Camp 2022 has a residential edition June 5-8 for rising eighth through 12th graders. The day camp edition is June 13-15 for rising sixth through eighth graders.
Armadillos are one of the most unique looking critters out there. These animals are covered in silver, armor-like plates that protect them The word “armadillo” actually means “little armored one” in Spanish!
Is it a frog or a toad? If you stumbled on this amphibian, would you be able to call it by its correct name? Many people believe that frogs and toads are two different types of amphibians. Technically, a toad is a type of frog! At first glance, they may appear very similar but there are a few differences that will help distinguish one from the other.
Birdwatching is a favorite pastime of many Mississippians. My grandmother had a bird book she wore out over the years. I fondly remember sitting on the porch swing with her as a child trying to identify the different birds that frequented her house. Sometimes we were successful in finding the bird, other times not so much.
Young people with an interest in the outdoors have a chance to engage with nature in Mississippi State University’s 2021 Conservation Camp hosted July 19-23. The weeklong day camp is for rising sixth- through ninth-graders. It is based on the MSU campus, and features wildlife science and outdoor exploration. A $100 fee includes lunch each day and all activity costs. The camp extends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Success Stories
Mississippi 4-H Introduces New Youth Leadership Positions
Administrators with the Mississippi State University Extension Center for 4-H Youth Development recently announced two new offices for 4-H’ers: president-elect and past president. These new positions will allow the 4-H’ers more training and opportunities, state leaders agree.
See what's new in Extension: a new monarch garden, a storytelling series will begin, the Garden Expo highlights Extension education, and Keep America Beautiful recognizes MSU Extension.
Joy Cantrell Jordan, 4-H alumna, shares her memories and other thoughts about Mississippi 4-H.