Participants learn more about soil and water conservation at the Paddlefest | News, Sports, Jobs
TL Photos/JOSIE BURKHART Hannah Ulrich, administrator of the Belmont County Soil and Water Conservation District, says the Paddlefest event is an opportunity for people to learn what they love to do and learn about soil and water conservation.
BELMONT – Canoeing, fishing and more were the popular activities at this year’s Paddlefest at Barkcamp State Park.
The Belmont County Soil and Water Conservation District hosted its annual dinner, this year combined with the Paddlefest event to attract more visitors.
Hannah Ulrich, administrator of the Belmont SWCD, said this event gives people the opportunity to experience places they have never been before, including Barkcamp State Park.
“It gives people the opportunity to get to know some places in the country they have never been to before,” she said. “People tell us every year that we have a lot of events here at Barkcamp, a beautiful state park… Many people tell us that without one of our events, they would never have been here.”
Ulrich also said the team has partnered with the Paddlefest event to provide people with more entertainment and activities.
The Paddlefest & Partnership Appreciation was held on Friday night. Attendees were able to enjoy a free dinner, fishing, cornhole, water sports such as canoeing and badminton. Attendees were also able to win prizes as everyone received a ticket to be entered into a drawing for a prize they desired at this free event.
“In this way, people can enjoy and appreciate our natural resources,” Said Ulrich. “That’s our job as conservationists, and people only preserve what they love. They only love what they know, and they only know what they are shown.”
Ulrich said the Belmont SWCD’s mission is to bring people closer to nature so they can learn, love and ultimately preserve it, and hosting events at a state park helps them do that.
“Since it is a state park, it goes hand in hand with our goal of nature conservation,” she said.
She noted that it’s important for people to find out what they enjoy, and by trying out watercraft and other activities, they can do that.
The event featured a fur table where visitors could learn about different animals and observe wildlife, and a stream table where people could learn about different species of fish that live in the water. The event also featured tables set up with equipment, including a backpack with an electric fish shocker and a trailer for biological monitoring and education, as well as information about the Belmont SWCD.
The team provided free watercraft for the event, including canoes, kayaks and fishing equipment.
Ulrich said the best way to show people what they love to do is to expose them to activities they don’t normally come into contact with.
She mentioned that this event is a way to introduce people to these opportunities without having to make any investment before they know if they like water sports.
The Belmont County Tourism Council awarded a grant to the Belmont SWCD to host this event, the third in its summer series following Birds and Breakfast and the Ohio River Festival.
“I think this is a unique event,” Said Ulrich. “There is no other county agency, at least not in Belmont County, that does something like this.”
