The fifth Annual Agriscience Everywhere Camp, held July 5-8 challenged and enlightened 18 5th-8th grade students from Oceana and Mason Counties in a three-day hands-on learning and real-world agriculture experience. “This camp truly brought agriscience to life!” said camp instructor and Pentwater Public School science teacher Erika Fatura.
Some of the activities students participated in included:
• A marble maze STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) challenge
• Tour of the MSU Research Station with manager Ashley Fleser
• A fascinating presentation on bees by Randy Slikkers of Humble Bee-ginnings
• A behind-the-scenes look at Gourmet Mushroom Inc. in Scottville with Trevor Page and Jeremy Radvansky
• A visit to local agritourism attraction, Up North Farm Market
• Practice flying drones with Noah Dodson, Rob Alway, Tasha Smith and Jeff Kiessel to learn more about how this exciting technology is now being used in agriculture
• Conducting a tasty science lab making their own ice cream
• A visit to the Ag Science CTE program at West Shore Community College with Mark Willis, where they explored pond ecology, tried fishing, visited the animals and planted beans
• And put all their teamwork and knowledge to the test with review “breakout boxes”
“I’d like to thank the West Michigan/MSU Research Station for hosting us, our amazing driver Cal Miller, who doubled as a field trip helper, Shelby Hughes, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes and secured funding through the West Shore CTE Program and of course, the parents—your kids were fantastic, respectful, and truly a joy to work with," Fatura concluded. "We’re proud of what this camp offers—real, hands-on connections to the world of agriscience. There’s something special about watching kids unplug, explore nature and discover where their food comes from while learning lifelong skills.”
