HCWA hosts School Superintendent during third-grade field trips at Cubihatcha

    
    (Locust Grove, GA – Oct. 8, 2025) The Henry County Water Authority (HCWA) welcomed a special guest to conclude two weeks of field trips for Henry County third graders at its Cubihatcha Outdoor Education Center, when the Superintendent of Henry County Schools came to see the students’ excitement first-hand.

    Dr. John Pace, III toured the three trails of outdoor classrooms at the Cubihatcha Center to observe this unique program made possible by the Henry County Outdoor Education Partnership. Approximately 3,000 third graders from 29 Henry County Elementary Schools enjoyed several classes and activities, which correlate with the Georgia Standards for Excellence and Applied STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Curricula. In addition, these field trips teach students about natural resources and the role the Authority plays in the community.

    The “Cubihatcha Kids” spent their designated day at the Cubihatcha Center learning about topics such as the water cycle, watersheds, farming, ecosystems, wildlife and habitats, stormwater pollution, forestry, bee keeping, environmental protection, and more.

    “I jumped right in with the students because I was drawn to join them,” says Dr. Pace. “What I saw were students excited to learn. Students succeed when they have exceptional teaching, which is what I want to see every day. We were all learning today, adults and students. I learned things I had not known before and loved learning something new.”

    During the final week of the field trips, Dr. Pace spent time touring the outdoor classrooms with HCWA staff as well as HCWA Chairman of the Board Warren Holder and HCWA General Manager Tony Carnell.

    “I want to thank the Henry County Water Authority for this partnership with our third graders,” adds Dr. Pace. “(This partnership) brings the classroom to the real world, with us working together and collaborating.” 

    The Henry County Outdoor Education Partnership – a non-profit partnership between the HCWA and Henry County Board of Education, among others – organizes the Cubihatcha Kids Field Trips, with the HCWA Cubihatcha Center staff, volunteers and sponsors all serving as teaching faculty during these two weeks.

    “The Cubihatcha Kids Outdoor Education Program allows our third-grade students to bring their science standards to life, and through these hands-on experiences, students investigate how plants and animals differ in our region and how adaptations like camouflage, migration, and hibernation help organisms survive,” says Kaneice Bembry, Science Coordinator for Henry County Schools. “Our partnership with the Henry County Water Authority provides unique opportunities for students to see why some organisms thrive in certain habitats but not others, strengthening their understanding of science while deepening their connection to the natural world.”

    The Cubihatcha Center was constructed in 1999, to coincide with the HCWA’s wetlands mitigation plan, which accompanied the construction of its reservoir network. The Center consists of approximately 1,000 acres of bottomland hardwood, forested wetlands and uplands, nature trails, outdoor classrooms, a community pavilion, the HCWA Reservoir and Land Management office, as well as avenues and areas for outdoor recreation.

    “The Cubihatcha Kids Program is more than an educational opportunity for students; it’s an investment in their future, which we hope will pay lifetime dividends,” says Carnell. “I’m hopeful that many of the kids will become ambassadors for us and maybe even consider a future in the water profession. Being able to share with students how the natural ecosystem revolves around our most precious resource, which we are called to preserve and protect every day, is very gratifying.”

    To date, Authority officials estimate nearly 60,000 “Cubihatcha Kids” from Henry County Schools have participated in these annual field trips since 2003, when the Henry County Outdoor Education Partnership established the program. As a result, the HCWA has won the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) Public Education Program of the Year Award on three occasions, the GAWP Public Education Program Excellence Award multiple times, as well as the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District’s STREAM Award for Education and Outreach Programming Excellence.





Dr. John Pace, Superintendent of Henry County Schools, assists a student with learning about “Owl Pellets” during the Cubihatcha Kids Field Trips, when all third-grade students in Henry County Schools enjoy learning in outdoor classrooms at the HCWA Cubihatcha Center.















Jean McCollough Dykes (far left), with the Henry County Farm Bureau, and Danny Harvey, with the Henry County Beekeepers, unveil the collection of honeybees during the Cubihatcha Kids Field Trips.







Rebecca Jenkins, 4-H Program Assistant, teaches a student about water striders during the Henry County third grade field trips at the HCWA Cubihatcha Center.
 







Representatives from the Georgia Forestry Commission teach third-grade students about forestry and wildfires during the Cubihatcha Kids Field Trips.