GILBOA _ The Gilboa-Conesville Central School and community members will have a day of learning about agriculture and nature Friday to celebrate the skills and interests of William Terry, an eighth-grader who died last month.
The events at the school will be from 8 a.m. to 2:40 p.m., beginning with a student assembly and including a hayride, petting zoo, animal calling, archery and logging.
The day will conclude with a ceremonial planting of an apple tree and a balloon release.
Billed as ``William's Day: An Agricultural Life,'' it was planned to be a day that William Terry would have loved, school spokeswoman Kristin Tompkins said.
William, 13, died unexpectedly after being stricken at his home Sept. 25. He loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter, fisherman and woodsman, according to his obituary. Farming was a passion; he worked for the Danforth Jersey farm of Jefferson, School Hill farm of Cobleskill and Scotch View farm, Hacienda de le Rocca and Loyal Maples, all of Gilboa.
He also was involved in 4-H and showed Jersey cattle for four years at Cooperstown's Junior Livestock Show, the Schoharie County Fair and the Delaware County Fair.
Principal Ben Badurina said Friday will be "a program that promises to be both fun and educational. The hope is that the day's events might fan latent embers of our interest in the natural world around us."
There will be agricultural displays and demonstrations as well as opportunities for hands-on learning, the school said.
Tompkins said it was not difficult to find community members and businesses willing to donate their time, skills or goods to teach these skills.
``As William was involved in so many aspects, the day will be a virtual living museum of New York state agriculture, addressing learning standards in multiple areas of education,'' she said.
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