BATAVIA, OH (Jan. 2, 2020) — In 2018, the Clermont Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and Clermont County Board of Developmental Disabilities (DD) began a partnership that has greatly benefitted both organizations. To celebrate this relationship, Clermont DD presented Clermont SWCD with a Friends of Developmental Disabilities Award at its annual banquet on Oct. 23.
The partnership began when Clermont SWCD was looking for assistance with preparing materials for the numerous education programs given throughout the year. Judy Krebs, the SWCD education specialist, typically presents over 360 programs in county schools annually, and had been spending considerable time making and organizing supplies for these.
“We knew that Clermont DD had several programs that help students become more involved in the community, so we decided to reach out,” Krebs said.
Clermont DD staff thought this was a wonderful idea. “This volunteer opportunity is beneficial to our program because it’s eco-friendly and applies our values of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle while offering an opportunity to volunteer for our community,” said Jo Praschak, program coordinator for Wildey Community Integration Program-Adult Services.
Soon, students from both the Wildey Center and the Donald A. Collins Center began to prepare materials for Krebs’s “Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly,” “Making Recycled Newspaper Christmas Ornaments,” and “Animal Tracks” programs.
“While they are working, the students also have a chance to learn something about nature,” Krebs said. “The students are able to see how butterflies go from a very small egg to a beautiful butterfly in their life cycle. Those helping make animal tracks learn about animal adaptations, characteristics, and how animals can be harmed when people litter.”
“It’s so cool learning about how the Monarch caterpillar becomes a butterfly and learning about recycling,” said one student.
For more information about education programs offered by Clermont SWCD, contact Judy Krebs at (513) 732-7213 or jkrebs@clermontcountyohio.gov. For more information about Clermont DD’s programs, contact Lisa Davis at 513-732-7000 or ldavis@clermontdd.org.
