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At the 55th Governor’s State Conservation Awards ceremony in April 2019, Chris Pearce, Sabine Parish 4-H agent, was awarded the Conservation Educator of the Year.
The award recognizes individuals, organizations and businesses that have made a significant and outstanding contribution toward the protection and wise use of Louisiana’s natural resources.
Recently, Pearce discussed his conservation work.
Conservation is important to me on many levels. As a child, I was taught by my father to always appreciate and take care of our environment and natural resources. Throughout my childhood, whether we were fishing in Little River, duck hunting on Catahoula Lake or running rabbits in central Louisiana, there was always an opportunity for a lesson. He was forever the teacher.
The AgCenter has provided an opportunity for me to increase my knowledge and education in many areas of conservation. I can then, in turn, teach the youth and adults that I come in contact with through 4-H. Hopefully, I can inspire these people to see the importance of conservation and to be proper stewards of our environment.
As part of my job with the LSU AgCenter, I bring conservation-minded youth to Mini Marsh Maneuvers at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge and Marsh Madness at Palmetto Island State Park, where youth from north Louisiana are exposed to a completely different environment than most have ever seen. Approximately 10 to 20 of my 4H’ers attend each of these events annually.
I also helped plan, organize and teach sessions at Camp Roughin’ It and Survivor Camp. These camps are held at Jimmy Davis State Park in Jackson Parish and are designed to educate our children on outdoor topics, include fishing, survival skills, first aid, wild edibles, canoeing and outdoor cooking.
