Dr. Mathias reviews turf tools with 4H Adventures in Science participants
Image Credit: Roy Walls Jr.
Turf evaluators. Range finders. Trimble GPS receivers. To the average person, these devices might seem strange and confusing, but for IAA instructors Roy Walls and Kevin Mathias, they’re all part of a good day’s work. And last Saturday, on a beautifully bright, sunny morning, Ray and Kevin shared those skills with a dozen 4-Hers on the practice football field in front of Jull Hall. With the helping hands of IAA oral communication lecturers Tony Pagnotti and Nina LaTassa, the students learned how to effectively use the gadgets to check the soil temperature of the playing field, as well as determine the field’s hardness. To test their pitching skills—and to add a little fun on the job—the 4-Hers used an odometer to measure how far they threw a baseball.
“It’s an awesome way for 4-H members to learn about factors of sports turf management,” said Walls, who gave the students the lay of the IAA land before heading out to apply the skills they learned in his morning lecture.
The students, aged 6 through 12, not only impressed the IAA faculty with their superb soil testing abilities, but also with the way they were able to easily communicate with each other about the knowledge they received.
“I’m impressed that they were able to take very scientific findings and relay that information in a very understandable way,” said Pagnotti, who worked with the little ones to measure soil temperature.
In terms of the overall success of the event, IAA members agreed it was a good time to be had by all.
“I liked that I was able to get an understanding of the tools the IAA uses and some of the concepts they relay to their students,” said LaTassa, who, in addition to Pagnotti, is one of the newest members of the IAA family. “And I liked working with the kids. It enabled me to hone my communication skills with an audience other than college students, and being able to do that is important!”
