Penn Manor High School students recently helped remove an invasive species from a popular nature preserve to reinforce what they had learned in the classroom. Students in the school's Wildlife and Natural Resources class spent the day at Kelly's Run Nature Preserve on Oct. 4 as part of the Chesapeake Bay Student Action and Restoration Program.
In the morning, they counted tree and plant species to research biodiversity and completed a stream study, identifying macroinvertebrates and conducting water quality testing. In the afternoon, students removed autumn olive, an invasive species, from the forest under the direction of staff from the Lancaster County Conservancy and Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Autumn olive can spread uncontrollably, negatively impacting native plants and soil quality.
Penn Manor agricultural education teacher Meagan Slates said that the experience gave students a hands-on opportunity to put into practice what they are learning in the classroom. Following the field trip, students discussed ideas for taking action in their own backyards to ensure that the environment remains healthy, including best management practices for farmland, removing invasive species and evaluating stream health.
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