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Postcards from Elliott County in Kentucky
This is one of the white pines we measured in the school yard perimeter. We learned we sould estimate the age of a white pine by counting the whorls of branches from the bottom to the top and add 5 since it takes about 5 years from the time of sprouting until it reaches the level of the first whorl. If the branches had been broken or cut we had to count where they had been.
Whitney is learning about snakes and overcoming her fear of them. Grayson RECC, our local electric company, brought amphibians and reptiles to the school so we could learn more about them.
This is another photo showing tobacco fields (some cut and some still green ) and the tobacco barn that is a common site for most area tobacco farms.
One of the last trees we measured around our school was a huge sycamore that we found in a wooded area behind the school near Newcombe Creek. This is a view of the top of teh trees and shows the typical white
branches where the bark has peeled.
Kayla brought in this photo of a rattlesnake that her family had killed. We have two poisonous snakes in eastern Kentucky, the copperhead and the rattlesnake, and both species are well camouflaged in the forest.
Children are taught from an early age to be careful of snakes when they are playing outside or in the woods.
In Elliott County we can find spectaculer views and colors when we drive around and look. This overview of the hills shows a road far below us and gives the viewer an idea of the depth and complexity of our wooded areas.
Isonville Elementary is growing. This year we are scheduled for a new library and two addional classrooms. We are excited about getting a new school. This photo shows a drilling rig making a core sample to check where the foundation of the new part will be.
Elliott County is begining to see development which should help with the economic status. This photo shows the beginning of the construction of the prison which is located on Route 7 near Lakeside Elementary.
The students are pacing to find the correct distance away from the tree so tehy could measure how tall it is.
After tobacco has been cut in the field it is brought into a tobacco barn and hung up to dry or cure. This is a picture Amy took of the tobacco in her family's barn. This looks like it is almost ready to strip off the stalk and bundle in bales to sell.
Amy also found this incredible waterfall behind her house. Notice the forest florr and the ferns, moss and fallen leaves. We all loved this picture which seemed to invite us to go swimming.
This is one of the typical water sources we find in our forests. Amy took this picture of the branch behind her home.
This log house picture demonstates one of the uses of the forest we found in our area. Kayla brought this picture in. She and her family live in this 200-year-old house.
Fall is a special time around our big tree. Playing in the leaves is a lot of fun.
Basketball is a very important thing to the students at IES. They designed and made "spirit" caps to wear at the ball games. Here are some of the students and Mrs. Adkins showing off their caps.
We use the forest around our school for many things. In this picture the 5th graders were drawing the interesting overlapping lines they found in the branches of the big maple tree in the school yard.
This elm tree was one of the tree we measured it was 26 inches in diameter, approximately 90 feet tall and about 50 years old. We didn't have a clinometer to measure the height so we used a couple of other methods including the biltmore stick and artist's method. We estimated the age by knowing when it was planted (in 1955 when the school was built).
Using a biltmore stick to find the diameter of a tree.
Using a guide to find the tree species.
Recording the information on a data sheet.
Tobacco is a major cash crop for the farmers in Elliott County. Here is a small field of tobacco that has been cut and put on tobacco sticks ready for hanging in the barn. After it is dried (cured) the tobacco is stripped off the stick and pressed into bales. The it is sold at the tobacco market.
The Isonville Elementary students got to experience the diversity of our forest wildlife first hand when the local electric company brought reptiles and amphibians for a hands on lesson. Brittany and Zachary are holding two different species of salamanders.
This is a picture of Bob Wheeler on his visit to Kentucky last fall during his presentation to the Isonville 5th & 6th Graders.
This is a different view of the students measuring the height of the big maple tree in the front yard of the school building. You can see the elm tree in the distance. We took meaurements of both trees which were planted in the school yard in 1955 when the school was built.
This is a picture of the 5th graders at Isonville Elementary using biltmore sticks to measure the trees in our school environment.The weather wasn't too bad for November in Kentucky.
Here we are with Ms. Greene ready for the Christmas break.
Here we are clowning around after the Christmas party December 18th. Ms. Greene's fifth grade class.
Some smaller trees we measured at our school. Ms. Greene's fifth grade clas
This maple tree is located back of Lakeside Elem. in Elliott Co. KY and it was the largest tree measured when the forester came to our school in November. We lost all the fall foilage scenes when the camera was dropped and batteries came out. Ms. Greene's fifth grad
Keshena befriends a baby raccoon. She has since released it back into the
wild.
taken November 4, 2002
9-11-02 Entire Isonville Elementary student and staff conduct honorary Flag Raising with pledge of allegiance and Star Spangled Banner in remembrance of disaster of 01.
Photo taken in Elliott County. Please notice the forest floor which is
common in KY forest.October 26,2002.
Breaks-StatePark over look. Located on KY-VA border.
Forest harvest shown in Morgan Co., KY which borders Elliott Co.
Photo is taken of the cliffs at the Laurel Gorge located in Elliott County, KY.
Taken on October 22 in the Laurel Gorge in Elliott
County. A total of 46 students, 2 teachers, 2 Rangers from the KY
Division of Forestry, 2 volunteers and 1 4-H Agent attended this
field trip.
Taken on October 22 in the Laurel Gorge in Elliott
County. A total of 46 students, 2 teachers, 2 Rangers from the KY
Division of Forestry, 2 volunteers and 1 4-H Agent attended this
field trip.
Students measure tree height by using Builtmore sticks
and guidance from the Div. of Forestry.
From Sharon Sloas, Isonville School, Kentucky
This photograph was taken by one of the students when we had representatives
from the Forestry Department come to our school to teach us about measuring
trees. It shows students learning how to measure with a biltmore stick.
Emily says this about the picture, "We were learning to measure the
telephone pole using the biltmore stick."
From Sharon Sloas, Isonville School, Kentucky
Emily says this is the American Chestnut seed pod. It felt
like porcupine spines or burrs. The mushroom shaped seeds felt soft and
furry. To Darren's suprise, the seed is edible.Isonville Fourth Grade during Ed McNeil's visit Oct. 9.
From Sharon Sloas, Isonville School, Kentucky
This is a picture of a small herd of cattle near Isonville school typical of
our small rural farms.
Cooperative Extension Service
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