The B.L.U.E. Conservation Education Program is an outdoor, science-based learning approach that gives students hands-on lessons in the importance of protecting land and water resources.
Check out a recent article in the Journal Opinion- here.
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History: The White River Natural Resources Conservation District (WR NRCD) has worked locally since the 1940’s to promote and support soil and water conservation. During 2005, the WR NRCD conducted a long range planning process. District Supervisors were asked to describe how the region that it serves might appear in 5 years, including how it may differ, as a result of actions taken by the WR NRCD. Concerns that arose included:
- development pressure as the population increases;
- a decline in the number of working farms. In an effort to meet these challenges and opportunities, the WR NRCD developed the following mission statement: “Help provide conservation assistance to the people living in the area through education programs and partnerships with federal, state and local entities involved in natural resource management.” The concept for B.L.U.E. arose around these discussions as a means of providing youth conservation education programming to the greater White River District community.
In an effort to meet these challenges and opportunities, the WR NRCD developed the following mission statement:
“Help provide conservation assistance to the people living in the area through education programs and partnerships with federal, state and local entities involved in natural resource management.”
The concept for B.L.U.E. arose around these discussions as a means of providing youth conservation education programming to the greater White River District community.
The WR NRCD ran the B.L.U.E. Conservation Day Camp out of the Al-Lens Farm, along the banks of the Wells River during summers 2004-06. The camp offered local children the opportunity to understand human impacts upon the Wells River watershed. Hence the name: Boltonville Land Use Explorers. To learn about the 2004 B.L.U.E. Conservation Day Camp, click here.
During these years, the WR NRCD received in-kind and financial support - to develop and deliver B.L.U.E. - from the local community as well as from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, the Connecticut River Joint Commissions, and the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The White River NRCD is thankful to all of the individuals, businesses, and organizations that supported BLUE in its infancy.
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While enthusiasm resulted among those students who attended the B.L.U.E. Conservation Day Camp, the costs to operate the camp were not sustainable, and as a result the camp did not run during 2006. However, during 2007, a feasibility study was conducted to gather community perspectives on the value and need of a place-based watershed stewardship learning program in the Wells River area. WR NRCD gained enhanced community support for B.L.U.E, resulting in new partnerships and the potential for an expanded year-round B.L.U.E Program experience.
Expanded Program: During 2008 - 2009, WR NRCD is partnering with Newbury Elementary School (NES), Four Winds Nature Institute, and the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) to make the B.L.U.E. Program more diversified and available year-round to a greater student population in the Wells River community.
Please follow the links to learn more:
B.L.U.E./Four Winds Nature Institute Partnership: Newbury Elementary School
B.L.U.E./Newbury SPLASH
VINS/B.L.U.E. Conservation Day Camp
Thanks to the following for their generous contributions to the B.L.U.E. Conservation Education Program:
A C & M R Sigler Foundation & Norwich Farms (Norwich, VT)
Organic Valley Farmer Profit Share Fund (La Farge, WI)
Organic Valley Regional Working Group (Randolph, VT)
Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation