Coming up on Kentucky Life.

Students in Pulaski County.

Spent part of their summer break learning about.

Problem solving and critical thinking.

We'll see how these young minds were challenged.

The Little Loomhouse is still going strong.

Some 125 years after it was established, and it remains.

A Cultural center of South Louisville.

We'll look at how feral cats are going to new homes in.

Kentucky, where they're working to help solve problems.

And we'll take you to the Falls of the Ohio where.

350 million-year-old fossils from a prehistoric ocean.

Can be readily seen and enjoyed.

All that's next on Kentucky life.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Hey, everybody, and welcome to Kentucky Life.

I'm your host, Chip Polston.

Welcome to Pine Mountain State Resort Park.

And the Laurel Cove Amphitheater.

Now, this venue is steeped in Kentucky tradition.

And it's a staple in this community.

For nearly 100 years, it's been the home.

Of the Mountain Laurel Festival which crowns the Mountain.

Laurel Queen.

It's a great part of this region's history.

And we're really looking forward to spending our day here.

But first, science, technology, engineering.

Math, or STEM, you've probably heard the acronym.

It connects fields of study that emphasize innovation.

Problem solving, and critical thinking.

But STEM also represents a curriculum that challenges.

Young minds with new concepts.

And as you'll see, one elementary school in Pulaski.

County is doing just that.

This is STEM Camp.

STEM is science, technology, engineering, and math.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ A lot of times in your larger cities.

There's just so many different resources.

And in the more rural communities you don't have that.

But they still need the same skills.

They still need all those experiences.

So you have to look for things to bring to the kids.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ They need it and they love it.

Once you bring it to them, it helps them to grow.

I think it's great for the area.

We haven't had a science camp ever that I know.

Of here in Pulaski County.

Everyone.

I thought 8:00 was [bad.]

My name is Natasha Craft.

I'm the STEM Lab teacher here at Pulaski Elementary.

For kindergarten through fifth grade.

And this week, we have Camp Invention.

Here at our school.

All right.

This is gonna be the games room.

So, Mr. Smith, you'll be in here.

Your boxes are on the filing cabinets in there.

Camp Invention is a STEM camp, but it's actually.

It's from the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

And the US Patent Office.

And the curriculum that we use is actually created by.

Inductees into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

The boxes are labeled to know exactly what activity.

It goes with, what day to use it on, every single.

Thing they need to do, it is in there.

If they need scissors, scissors are in the box.

If they need a glue gun, that's in the box too.

But it looks like there's a lot of fun stuff.

I mean, I've got inflatable pools, masking tape.

Markers, Frisbees, balloons, buckets.

There are several of us that are working that teach here.

So it is a special place for lots of us.

But I did try to pull teachers from other schools.

In the county because I've got kids here from every.

School in the district, from surrounding counties.

From the Christian schools.

I want it to be for all the kids, anybody.

That can make it.

Inventors here.

I can't wait for it to start.

The teachers are all in their rooms, everybody's.

Getting everything together.

So I think we've got it ready to go.

I just hope the kids have fun.

I'm excited to see their faces when they get here.

And see what all we're gonna be doing.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This is a camp like no other.

We have 92 participants, and they are from the Pulaski.

County area.

This camp introduces them to so many different aspe.. Of STEM, and gives them the opportunity to experience.

Science that maybe they don't get within.

The regular classroom.

It also gives them an opportunity to get their.

Hands into lots of activities.

And we're going to create a pop-up business.

When we talk about collaboration.

Problem solving or we like to say solution-seeking now.

Communication, those are critical skills that.

Everyone in society is going to need, especially our.

Young people coming up.

Maddox, do you want sew a green colored hat?

And so, they're in camp invention, they're learning.

Lots of science content.

But as they're learning the different science concepts.

And the math concepts, they're actually building.

And inventing.

In the school setting, students are very often.

Afraid of failure.

And when we put them in a STEM camp.

Setting, they're not afraid to fail.

And really, it's about providing experiences.

Where Young people can have interaction and play.

And really focus on the creativity.

The solution-seeking, the critical thinking.

And the collaboration.

Kids have got to learn how to face problems And solve them, learn that some things work.

Some things don't.

That's one of the reasons why this camp.

Is so important.

I turned mine off, I turned mine off.

Laughs You know, I want them to be okay with failure.

And learn how to move on from that.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ So, I come from a family of teachers.

My mom taught third grade.

My dad was a middle school principal.

And my grandmother even rode a mule to a one-room schoolhouse.

To teach in Breathitt County.

And so, when I heard about this STEM program going on.

In Pulaski County, I had to see it for myself.

Hi, thanks.

Can I come in for a little bit?

I'm always amazed when I get back into an elementary school.

I always forget how tiny the chairs are.

And how low the water fountains are.

So, it does take a little bit of getting used to it.

When you're back in a place like this.

So it's a robot that makes a party?

Yeah.

And I got a robot.

Now, does the golf ball count as one.

Of our two things?

Oh, you don't fold the box first?

Okay, okay.

Now, do I go ahead and fold all this stuff?

No, you have to do it a different way.

It's great to watch the kids learn.

I could keep talking about how involved the kids are.

And how engaged they are and everything.

It's fun.

There's ots of activities.

They're building robots and playing with mini.

Skateboards, and making a lot of party hats.

They're doing all kinds of fun stuff.

But the whole time they're given a task and they have To invent something doesn't exist already.

They've been given a little debit card.

Okay.

With $1,000.

So they talked about how to get a loan.

So they buy the things that they're gonna put in their.

Store and they kind of learn the value of it that way.

Okay.

Yes.

Oh, cool.

Okay.

You now have the umbrella.

The umbrella goes up and down for the table.

That's so cool.

Are you gonna put it right -- oh, there you go.

They're leaving here jumping up and down, talking to.

Their parents, showing them what they're making.

I don't see any long faces.

I don't see anybody that's upset.

They're all having a great time, I think.

Just a new experience that's really great for them.

Bye, Mr. Chippy!

Bye, all my new friends.

I'll see you back in a little bit, okay?

I think at the end of the day, camps.

They're promoting positive experiences in STEM.

And that's what we want students to leave with.

Not every student is going to go into STEM.

And that's.

completely okay.

What we want them to get out of these experiences is.

Positive experiences that they'll be able to take.

And apply into other areas of their life.

I'm Chip Polston, cherishing this Kentucky life.

I'm Chip Polston, cherishing this Kentucky life.

Located in the heart of southern Jefferson County.

The Little Loomhouse has been a center for.

Cultural Life since 1898.

They teach weaving and other artistic crafts.

There to all ages.

The rustic area was known by two former first ladies of.

The United States, and was the site of the first.

Singing of a world famous song that I guarantee.

That you know.

The Little Loomhouse really is still.

A vibrant part of the cultural makeup of Louisville.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm here with Michelle Amos who is Executive Director of.

The Little Loomhouse.

Michelle, tell us about the facility we're in right now.

What is this cabin?

We are in Esta Cabin, which is the oldest of our cabins.

Here on the property.

So you had planned on staying here six weeks.

What kept you coming back after all this time?

This place is pretty magical, and it's been.

A stronghold for female creatives since 1898.

And I felt like I wanted to be a part of that history.

Of growing and preserving that history, as well as.

Growing and preserving the history of weaving.

And spinning.

So, in a nutshell, the history of this entire.

Location, how did it come to be, and how has it evolved.

To where it is today?

For us, it did start in 1898, with Etta Hest buying.

The three cabins, and we're just under an acre.

And she started this as a cultural hub and a gathering.

Space for artists and teachers to exchange ideas.

And then from there, it was sold to another woman.

And then sold to our founder, Lou Tate, in 1939. Who specifically made it about weaving.

So we've been a weaving community a thriving healthy.

Weaving community since 1939, and just a arts.

Place since 1898.

Before she came here, she was friends with Lou Henry Hoover.

President Hoover's wife, and had taught for the.

Hoovers in the Blue Ridge Mountains, um, teaching weaving.

Then she had also been commissioned by the.

Hoovers for a breakfast set.

She later was friends with Eleanor Roosevelt.

And was commissioned by the Roosevelts to weave.

A luncheon set.

In fact, Eleanor Roosevelt came to her weaving studio.

On South Third Street, which was on the middle floor of.

Her parents' house to learn about weaving and all that.

She had done to preserve the weaving drafts, which is.

What tells the weaver how to get the patterns.

And so, she also got scholarship money from.

Eleanor Roosevelt to teach students.

It was in 1939 that her mother actually purchased.

The cabins as a retirement home for herself.

And for Lou Tate to run her business.

Unfortunately, her mother passed away.

So, Lou Tate ran this place by herself.

And you mentioned the Eleanor Roosevelt tie-in there.

I love the letter that she got from Eleanor Roosevelt.

That didn't start off with the floral language of the.

President, and I would like to invite you to make this.

Sort of thing.

It opened with, “What's it gonna cost for me to get.

Something like this done?” I thought that.

Was pretty cool.

We do have a binder that has, like, communication.

That went back and forth.

So I don't know how much has been published of that.

But Eleanor Roosevelt and Lou Tate did write to each.

Other, off and on, for several years.

And the history of this property also ties back kind.

Of randomly to what Guinness lists as, I believe.

The most popular song in the world.

How did that happen?

Mildred and Patty Hill were pioneers.

Early childhood education.

They were composers, and they had written a song, “Good Morning to All” to greet their kindergarten students.

They were invited to a birthday party here for.

Etta Hest's sister, Lisette, and they changed the words.

From, “Good morning to all,” to, “Happy birthday to.

You.” So, local legend is it was first sung, the Happy.

Birthday song, in this cabin that we're sitting in.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ So we're here with Gwendolyn Kelly.

She's the Capacity Building Director, here at The Little.

Loomhouse.

So with what The Little Loomhouse does in the.

Louisville and South Louisville community right.

Now, what's your connection back to the community?

Our connection really is we do a lot with schools.

And with school children.

And one of the things we're doing now is actually trying.

To get weaving out, but also to make sure that we.

Connect with some of the immigrant communities that.

Are here, and hear about their weaving traditions.

And see about how we can incorporate the weaving.

Traditions from around the world into what we do just.

To let people know that weaving is literally.

something that has been done throughout time in almost.

Every culture.

What does somebody really get out of participating in.

An exercise like this?

There's a number of things.

One of the most immediate things with school children.

Is that sense of being able to do something new and to.

Create something.

A lot of people don't get that feeling anymore where.

They can like start from, “I have no idea what this.

Contraption is in front of me,” to, “Look, I made.

Ssomething and the thing that I made is useful.” It's also useful, as I said, in just helping people make.

Some connections between different cultures because.

People will see weaving all over the place.

But sometimes just don't even recognize that the clothes.

That they are wearing could be woven, and that that's.

Something they could do if they wanted to.

Make something.

All right.

So what are we doing here?

Show me how to get started working on this loom.

From right to left.

Pass through there.

Uh-huh, you got it.

Okay, all right.

That's right.

And then you just want the yarn to touch, this is the.

Warp thread.

You just want this yarn to touch the warp thread.

Now you're gonna pull this down and beat.

Okay.

That's right.

Like that?

Yeah.

That's your beater bar.

This is pretty simple for what I'm doing right here.

But it's a great way to get people hooked on it so that.

They learn, and they learn about it and they're like.

“Hey, this looks like something I could really do.

” It's very simple, clearly, to do.

You're making your own fabric.

And I'm having that moment right now.

This is really cool.

When feral cats are brought to animal shelters.

It can be tough to find a home that's suitable.

For their needs.

But The Working Cat Project has found a “pawsitive”, see.

what I did there, solution.

Their mission is to connect these furry friends with.

Property owners who are struggling with rodent.

Problems in their barns, stables and warehouses.

These cats provide chemical-free pest control.

And find their forever home in the process.

She's an early employee.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ She gets let out first thing in the morning, screams a.

Little bit for breakfast, and gets breakfast.

And then she checks around on the barn, checks around.

On the stalls.

Pumpkin works sunrise to sunset, unless it's super.

Cold, and then she clocks out at 5:00, for sure.

And goes and lays on her fleece blanket or her little.

Snuggly bed in the feed room, and screams.

About the weather.

laughs I'm Ginger Dannemiller.

This is my daughter and business partner, Caroline.

And we're at TrueBlue Farm in Lexington, Kentucky.

We bought the farm in late 2019.

And when we took it over, there was a lot of rats.

And rodents that we didn't want.

And the rats were literally eating through the sheet.

Rock to get to our grain.

So it was a big issue.

And we tried traps, which was really not very fun.

For Anybody.

We didn't wanna put chemicals down.

So we found out about The Working Cat Project.

And we got our first two working cats.

No more rat problem in a day, no more rats in the.

Feed room.

And it took them a while to eradicate the.

Rest of the rats in the barn because we did have a lot.

But they were amazing hunters from day one.

The Working Cat Project places cats unsuitable for.

Indoor living on barn homes here in central Kentucky.

To date, we have placed 491 cats at over 200 farms for.

Rural areas that don't have a TNR program, which stands.

For trap, neuter, return, like Lexington.

Or Louisville, those cats end up being euthanized.

So that's where we stepped in and found a solution to.

Help them find a permanent home, and preventing them.

From being euthanized.

Additionally, when people reach out to us in need of.

Assistance with paying medical bills for their.

Animals, I always try and help out as much as we can.

To ensure that all the cats are taken care of.

We are essentially a liaison between shelters and farms.

We are contacted by the rural shelters, and we.

Coordinate to do the farm placement the same day that.

We receive the cat.

We have adopted.

Six cats from The Working Cat Project.

We really liked that idea to give a home to a cat that.

Wouldn't have a home otherwise.

The cats have really contributed to the farm by.

Keeping down the mice, rat, and bird population.

Horses are extremely picky eaters sometimes.

And so it has helped a lot because, before we got our.

Cats, the mice were in the grain and making messes.

And a lot of times horses refuse to eat grain that's been.

Messed with.

And they don't like the smell of rodents on their.

Grain, which I can't say I blame them.

So, the cats have taken care of them.

And aside from that, they're kind of our farm mascots.

So everybody knows the cats and loves to see them when.

They come to visit.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ To my knowledge, we are the only organization in the.

United States that strictly does barn cat placements.

We have thousands of farms within a 50-mile radius.

So our location has been very important.

Sometimes when cats are in a shelter environment.

Their behavior and temperament.

Is not what it will be on a farm.

But after a few short weeks, the cats bloom at.

Farms and they get comfortable and learn that.

This is their new family, and their.

Behavior tends to improve.

A lot of people, you know, think that a feral cat is.

Just going to be, you know, mean, hiss at them, scratch.

bite, claw, all that good stuff.

But, you know, our cats, you know, when they first came in.

They were a little wary of us, but we have three.

That are very friendly, love to be petted.

Love to interact now.

And then we have three that are kind of standoffish.

But they're not aggressive or mean, they just, you know.

Would prefer to look at you from afar.

So they get a bad rap, but they do a great job.

It's so sad to think that they just at a couple.

After a couple of days in the shelter say, “No, that one.

Can't be domesticated.

Because we can pet all of them.

We could pick most of them up.

They rub on your legs.

They are friendly with our border.

So they're not super feral anymore.

No, they just needed more time.

Um-hum, a little patience.

Caroline and I were discussing this very.

Disturbing rat situation.

So I turned to Caroline.

And said, “Well, clearly, the answer is more cats.” So now.

That's our running joke whenever there's an issue.

In the barn.

Well, clearly, the answer is more cats.

And we're at 13 now.

kittens meowing.

Where can you go 350 million years back in time and only.

Be five minutes from downtown Louisville?

It's at the Falls of the Ohio located just across the.

River there, in Clarksville, Indiana.

Now, at one point, the entire area was a. Prehistoric sea, and many of the creatures and plants.

That existed back then have been fossilized.

And are still visible to this day.

Let's take a look.

The Falls of the Ohio has one of the largest exposed.

Devonian fossil beds in the world, what's left of a. Prehistoric coral reef.

So, the Falls of the Ohio today is 220 acres on a day.

Like today, when the river is low.

But if we could go back in time, let's say 100 years.

150 years ago, the falls actually started by downtown.

Louisville, where the historic wharf is.

The lower coral zone, which is near the river, has a lot.

Of well-preserved fossils.

For example, this is a tube coral.

It's a coral that has little hollow tubes in it that fan out.

The branching corals in the upper coral zone are.

All shattered because of the hurricanes.

But down here, the storms just knocked them over.

And buried them, so they're preserved.

More or less intact.

One of the common fossils on the fossil beds is.

Kentucky's state fossil, the brachiopod.

I like to tell people that the brachiopod is the most.

Common fossil shell you never heard of.

But during the Devonian period, brachiopods crowded.

The shorelines and were in the shallow oceans.

All over the place.

And as a result, we can find a lot of them.

Over the last 100 million years, that ancient.

Saltwater sea has transformed itself into.

A freshwater river because of four major glaciations in.

The last 200,000 years.

As those glaciers began to recede and melt.

Some mammals began to occupy.

The region and roam along the grasslands.

As they did, they were also able to cross.

The only natural foraging point or crossing along the.

Entire Ohio River, and that is here at the falls.

So during Paleo-Indian times, it would have been.

Cold and wet, and it would have been a grassland area.

Like tundra, as you might find in Alaska today.

Also, they were there, the Paleo-Indians, to hunt the.

Large game, the mammoth, the mastodon, the saber-toothed.

Tiger, giant ground sloth, all of these creatures that.

Were living here, and the remains of those animals.

Are common finds here today.

So, these communities are really just moving around.

The Falls area, you know, that geographic region.

With the movements of the game that they are hunting.

And so, through time, things became more livable.

And people started staying here longer.

So that during the Middle Archaic well, in the Early.

Archaic as well, but in the Middle Archaic, people were.

living in rock shelters.

And we have a number of those around here.

Some of the first crops that were cultivated and allowed.

The people in the area to actually coalesce into.

Larger villages were goosefoot, sumpweed.

Sunflower seeds.

And what was that there?

Mayflower.

Mayflower.

And knotweed.

And knotweed.

And that's actually what allowed the communities to.

Start building these large towns.

And those were the genesis of the mound-building towns.

This was a period of time in which agriculture really.

Took center stage.

It had this large center with all these mounds.

And those people would have a number of residences.

Around them, and areas where they manufactured goods.

Et cetera, and had religious ceremonies, et cetera.

But then you also had outlying settlements where.

There would be small secondary centers.

The only place that we have an extant site that was a.

Mound center in this area was the Prather site.

And there were four mounds there.

But that seemed to be the center for this area.

We had other mounds on the Louisville floodplain.

But those have long been destroyed, and we haven't.

Any evidence to be able to analyze or interpret.

Anything from those.

But our last radiocarbon date that we have in this.

Area is 449.

What we see from archaeological evidence.

At Fort Ancient towns is when the first European trade.

Goods start showing up in excavations is also around.

The same time period that those villages become depopulated.

What does come with those trade goods is.

European diseases, of which our communities had no.

Resistance to.

As the Revolutionary War started and carried on.

Much attention is paid to the Eastern campaigns.

But here in the Northwest, Old Northwest Territory.

And today, the Ohio Valley, a famous individual named.

George Rogers Clark conducted what's known as.

The Illinois campaign.

With a few surprise attacks, he was not only able to.

Capture that area, but also captured a British commander.

At the time, found the Revolutionary War.

That land was then succeeded to the colonist.

When the colonists started to occupy that area.

They began to push the Native Americans further west.

Or relocate them.

The American Indian peoples from this area are not gone.

We're not gone.

We're still here today.

Our communities, our tribes, nations are alive and well.

A majority of the tribes that were from Indiana.

Ohio, and Kentucky are now all located in Northeastern.

Oklahoma because of the Indian Removal.

Act of the 1830s.

Today, at the Falls of the Ohio, people are working.

Together to learn about and tell stories of the past.

Conservation of the land and the animals found here is.

Becoming more important.

And the use of new technologies helps people.

And nature work together.

Well, we've had a great time at the Laurel Cove.

Amphitheater at Pine Mountain.

I mean, just look at this.

The sights here are absolutely breathtaking.

And I am so glad we've been able to share this.

Experience with you.

Now, for more information about Pine Mountain, be sure.

To like the Kentucky Life Facebook page or subscribe.

To the KET YouTube channel for more Kentucky Life extras.

Where you'll learn more about this great place.

And have access to lots of other terrific videos.

Until next time, I'll leave you with this moment.

I'm Chip Polston, cherishing this Kentucky Life.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪