Educational Trailer
The World Beneath Your Feet
In 2006, the District started the process to create a mobile educational display. With the help of the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, the District renovated a 35 foot trailer into an impressive educational exhibit showing soil and water.
Butler SWCD is proud to be able to have the opportunity to share this great project, to educate both children and adults through this educational display.Since the launch of the trailer in 2009, the district has assisted several other organizations with their own representations including a water trailer, a proposed forestry trailer, and a potential water water treatment exhibit.
In 2012, the trailer received an Outstanding Grant Project award from the Ohio EPA's Ohio Environmental Education Fund. To learn more about these awards and grants, visit OEEF's website.
Different ways the trailer has been used...
The District uses the trailer in several ways:
-
At events where it is staffed continually such as the Butler County Fair and Butler Rual Electic's Family Fun Day.
-
At schools
-
1st Grade: To teach about basic needs of living things
-
3rd Grade: to teach about soils
-
4th Grade: to teach about landforms
-
Other Conservation Dsitricts, County Fairs, School Districts, and other organizations have rented the trailer for use at the events and their schools.
Can You Borrow the Trailer...?
The District loans out the trailer for others to use.
-
Inside of Butler County: The Trailer is free to use at Butler County Schools (public and private) and events when it is available.
-
Outside of Butler County: When the trailer is take out of Butler County there is a rental fee to help to pay for upkeep. There is also a deposit and rental agreement that must be signed. Full information about renting the trailer can be found in our rental agreement brochure.
Please contact the District for more information and to schedule the trailer at (513) 887-3720 or by email.
We've Gone Solar
Thanks to the Duke Energy Foundation and Butler Rural Electric's Community Connections the trailer has been converted to run on solar. Now the trailer can be used in parks and other locations where there is no electric, without having to hook up to a noisy generator. Not only are we conserving energy, but we are also reducing sound and air pollution! Our solar panels provide enough energy to run the lights, fans, fridge, computer, and much more, even on an overcast day.
This is something that you can do with your own rv or trailer. We worked with Scott Thacker, with Total System Technology, who had previously converted his own personal trailer to solar power. As you can see, Scott was a great help, climbing on the roof of our trailer to help us with installation.
Touch Screen Kiosk
Touch Screen Interactive - Thanks to Warren Soil and Water Conservation District, the Duke Energy Foundation, and Butler Rural Electric, we now have a touch screen interactive tree stump. This can be used along with the trailer, or as a stand alone display. The touch screen can be used to learn about the conservation of soil, water, and energy.
Currently the "Tree" is loaded with a variety of short educational vidoes on conserving soil, water, and wildlife, along with information on how to conserve electicity.
The tree canbe plugged into the trailer to utilize its solar power, or plugged into any wall outlet.
The kiosk uses a mac mini and a touch screen display and is very easy to use.
Thank you to our sponsors and supporters
The trailer was funded through grants from:
The Solar Conservation was funded through grants from:
Other sponsors include:
