Lakekeepers' Program Teaches Students about Environment

Where does rain come from? How does it get into the clouds? How does pollution get into the ground? These are just some of the questions Nancy Caston of Lakekeepers typically answers when fourth and fifth grade students from throughout St. Tammany Parish travel to the Lakekeepers site at Camp St. Mark in Covington for a field trip. It is there, amidst the flora and fauna, that Caston and her fellow facilitators take the children on a four-hour nature adventure that includes hiking, hands-on activities, games, and lectures to help students gain a better understanding of the water, air and soil cycles of the earth.

"We try to show them how the air, soil, and water has been around since the earth has been here, and how to take care of it," Caston explained.

	From left: Pineview Middle School students Kevin Cousin and T.J. Gautier learned about air, water and soil during a field trip to Camp St. Mark for the Lakekeepers program.

A non-profit program funded by the Lake Ponchatrain Basin Foundation, Lakekeepers is presented by another non-profit organization, TREE, (Teaching Responsible Earth Education), founded by Sue Brown. Now in its fourth year, four Lakekeepers team members present about 35 programs to students each year. In addition to Nancy Caston, know to students by her nature alias, "Wildflower", the three other team members are Donna Caire, "Honeysuckle", Mary Giovio, "Hummingbird", and Martha Fauntleroy, "Red Bud". So far, the group presented 20 programs last fall, and is welcoming more groups in the spring. Thanks to a grant by the Lake Ponchartrain Basin Foundation, the Lakekeepers program is free and open to all fourth and fifth grade students in the parish.

The day begins with hiking down three "speck" trails where students learn about the cycles of nature. They collect items that have fallen off the trees, hold an audition for "dancing leaves" and pretend to be raindrops falling from the sky. They also learn ways they can personally help preserve their world around them, from using cloth napkins and reusable containers instead of throw away items, to turning off the tap when brushing their teeth to preserve water. "It's a very full day," Caston explained.

Students at Abita Middle School recently attended a Lakekeepers field trip, and agreed they learned a great deal about their environment.

"I saw a lot of thing s I never saw before," said Adrianna Farria. "I felt maybe I can make a difference," said Christopher Lemane. Schools and organizations who wish to obtain more information about Lakekeepers or schedule a field trip are invited to call Caston at 893-9663 [updated contact information].