District Digest News Stories

Children ‘Get Outdoors’ with local agencies

Lake Cumberland Resource Manager's Office
Published June 17, 2016
Children learn how different surfaces and vegetation effect runoff and erosion at the Natural Resource Conservation Service's booth during the Get Outdoors Day activities at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District's Lake Cumberland Natural Resource Manager's Office in Somerset, Ky., June 16, 2016.

Children learn how different surfaces and vegetation effect runoff and erosion at the Natural Resource Conservation Service's booth during the Get Outdoors Day activities at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District's Lake Cumberland Natural Resource Manager's Office in Somerset, Ky., June 16, 2016.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Park Ranger Robert Hill presents one of the many native mammal pelts of Kentucky, a wildcat, to the students during the annual Get Outdoors Day June 16, 2016 at Lake Cumberland Natural Resource Manager's Office in Somerset, Ky.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Park Ranger Robert Hill presents one of the many native mammal pelts of Kentucky, a wildcat, to the students during the annual Get Outdoors Day June 16, 2016 at Lake Cumberland Natural Resource Manager's Office in Somerset, Ky.

Tammy Wilson with PRIDE demonstrates to the children how to make bird feeders at their station during the Get Outdoors Day activities at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District's Lake Cumberland Natural Resource Manager's Office in Somerset, Ky., June 16, 2016.

Tammy Wilson with PRIDE demonstrates to the children how to make bird feeders at their station during the Get Outdoors Day activities at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District's Lake Cumberland Natural Resource Manager's Office in Somerset, Ky., June 16, 2016.

SOMERSET, Ky. (June 17, 2016) – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District park rangers from Lake Cumberland held their annual Get Outdoors Day June 16, 2016, an opportunity for local kids to visit the lake and learn about nature and protecting the environment.

It is the fourth year the Lake Cumberland staff has hosted the event at the Natural Resource Management Office. The weather this year, as with previous years, was perfect due to the dry conditions and sunshine.

Park Ranger Judy Daulton was the lead coordinator for this year’s event.  She worked with two local summer program groups, General’s Kids of Burnside Elementary and Corral Kids of Pulaski County Elementary.  Between the two summer program groups, a total of 90 kids were able to Get Outdoors.

“The goal was for the children to get outdoors and gain an appreciation for nature,” said Daulton.  “With the support from our presenters, we were able to help kids understand how interconnected life on Earth really is and the role they play in caring for the environment.”

Mike Boles, Natural Resource manager, said the event was a great collaboration of agencies from around the lake.  Other agencies included the Kentucky Division of Forestry, Liberty Nature Center, Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, PRIDE, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The Corps of Engineers also contributed to two of the eight stations with a quarter mile trail walk and a lesson on hypothermia and the importance of water safety.

“National Get Outdoors Day supports the Let’s Move Outside Campaign to help foster exercise, nature, and memories for our future generations,” said Boles.  “I feel it is a great achievement and the overall knowledge these kids will leave with today is priceless.”

The event ended with the children having a picnic in the shade while sharing stories of their adventures amongst themselves and chaperones.

Lunch was provided for the presenters by the non-profit group the Friends of Lake Cumberland. The Friends of Lake Cumberland hosts an annual clean up; this year’s event is scheduled for Sept. 17, 2016 and aims to clean Lake Cumberland’s 1,200 miles of shoreline.

(The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps.  The public can also visit Lake Cumberland’s Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lakecumberland)