Annual sixth grade campout held

The 42nd Annual Sixth Grade Tent Campout was held Sept. 16 and 17, 2022 at Belva Deer Park near Sigourney. There were 47 sixth grade students with 17 parent sponsors from Sigourney, Keota, English Valleys, Pekin and Tri-County Community Schools that attended the festivity.

Friday, Sept. 16, was a beautiful afternoon and evening for all the programs. The Friday activities presented were: Outdoor Cooking by Scott and Barb Shifflett; Hunter Safety by Bryan and Valerie Lee, Scott and Anne Leathers; Casting by Dennis Monroe and Steve Wehr, Furs by Wes Gould, DNR; Trapping by Kevin Anderson, DNR; and Archery by Jason Gritsch, DNR Wildlife Technician. The evening program was presented by Dr. Pete Eyheralde, a Professor at William Penn University, on Reptiles.

The campers and sponsors enjoyed a wiener roast with s’mores under the beautiful star lit sky and then headed back to the campground area to enjoy the late evening. After an evening of tent camping, the campers headed home in the morning.

The Keokuk County Soil and Water Conservation District, Keokuk County Conservation Board, and friends sponsored the campout.

The efforts of all the campers; activity leaders; sponsors; Jason Gritsch, Sharon Fritchen, Larry Stevens, and Joel Swanson of the Keokuk County Soil and Water Conservation District; along with Pie Reighard, Brian Ulin and Stratton Bond of the Keokuk County Conservation Board; and all unnamed helpers made this a great success.