Team Ecology set, and volunteers still welcome

Laurens County, S.C. – In late March and early April, 560 third graders from across District 55 and District 56 will be learning anti-littering skills and conservation practices as Team Ecology returns to in-person classes at the Joe Adair Education Center in Laurens.

To make it happen, however, the Laurens County Conservation District is look- ing for a few more volunteers, including someone with nursing skills.

“We have a lot of volunteers who can come one day or two days and I’m working out the schedule right now,” said Renee Gibbs, the district coordinator for the Laurens County Conservation District.

“But we still need some volunteers,” Gibbs said, “such as someone with nursing skills like a retired nurse, someone to drive volunteers on the golf carts from the parking area to the Joe Adair Center or someone to pass out lunch bags.”

This is the first in-person Team Ecology since 2019. The 2020 program was completely canceled and last year the program was done virtually, but it’s never as good as when the children can be there in person, learning about the value of earthworms for healthy soil, the need for clean air and some of the many reasons not to litter.

“In past years retired teachers and master gardeners have been our main workforce, but very few people can work every day and we have to fill slots for four days,” Gibbs said.

Team Ecology runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, March 29 through April 1.

Anyone interested in assisting on any of the Team Ecology days can email Gibbs for more information at rgibbs.conservation@gmail.com.