Each year, The National Association of Conservation Districts holds a poster contest about natural resources. Students put their creativity on display as they learn about topics like

• healthy forests
• pollinators
• and in this year’s case, “Healthy Soil, Healthy Life”

This year we helped Emerald Hills Elementary submit entries to the poster contest. We visited classrooms and taught activities about soil organisms and the benefits of healthy soil. Afterwards the students spent time turning their learning into artwork and we submitted their posters for them.

We would like to congratulate Morgan, a 2^nd grader, for submitting the winning poster! We can’t wait to see what the students come up for next years’ contest.

Just as salmon have started returning to Clarks Creek this fall, so have the field trips to the Clarks Creek Hatchery! 

PCD has teamed up with the Puyallup Historical Hatchery Foundation to host 4^th graders at the local salmon hatchery. The hatchery building has undergone extensive renovations over the past few years and is now ready to be shown off. Students get to learn how a fish hatchery operates, witness salmon spawning, and explore the habitat of Clarks Creek. 

This fall, ten Puyallup classes will attend these field trips, and this number will only grow in future years!

During one of those particularly hot August days, kids at the Puyallup Parks and Recreation Day Camp took a break from their usual activities for a special visit from staff from the City of Puyallup and Pierce Conservation District. 

As the fans worked to keep everyone cool, the kids learned about the water cycle and stormwater pollution from the guest educators. They were then invited to create artwork with messaging about keeping pollution out of water. Bryana Solis, with the City of Puyallup, took this artwork and turned it into a calendar, with each month featuring a different picture and message. What better way to highlight actions that protect our water than with the creativity of these young artists!