Morgan County Wetland
Soils on Display
by Myra Badger, Public Relations Coordinator, SWCD/NRCS,
Morgan County, Alabama
|
Christopher Ford (l) delivers the finished soil samples to
Nichole Mashburn in the Morgan County SWCD office. |
When discussing future conservation education programs on
the Morgan County Flint Creek wetland property, Debbie Segars and Nicole
Mashburn, education coordinators for the Morgan County SWCD, decided that to
fully explain the variations in soil types in wetlands, students would need to
see them.
They teamed up with
NRCS Resource Soil Scientist Christopher Ford to create a
portable soil study sample. The sample would be a visual for use in classroom
conservation education programs or in the field.
“Soil
has an effect on everything we do in life, directly or indirectly", states Ford.
"The
conservation education efforts in Morgan County will give people a good
understanding of soils including their formation, uses, and properties. It is
definitely my pleasure to do a small part for soil conservation education.”
With
Christopher's help, they pulled core samples from various locations in the
Flint Creek wetland, including an upland sample and a wetland sample.
Christopher
took the soil and secured it permanently onto a display board without
changing the visible layers. From these samples students can observe the color
changes and texture differences of the various types of soils quickly and with
less mess.
|
Education Coordinators for the Morgan County
SWCD
Nicole Mashburn (l) and Debbie Segars (c) observe as
NRCS Soil Scientist
Christopher Ford points out the water table on the wetland soil sample. |
“Conservation education opportunities are endless in
Morgan County. We have a 647-acre wetland literally in our backyard." states
Mashburn.
"We want to use every possible aspect of the wetland for education. These soil
samples are just the beginning of many ideas we plan to implement to benefit the
residents of our county.”
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