Projects

A New Educational Resource Available for Teachers

A new educational wetland is being constructed for use by Lebanon County teachers and students at the Lebanon County Career and Technology Center (CTC) during the spring 2002. Kindergarten through college teachers will be able to use this centrally located wetland as an invaluable tool, providing hands-on learning experiences for students as teachers implement strategies incorporating the new Science & Technology and Environment & Ecology Standards into their curriculum.

The construction of the wetland has been made possible by a grant received by the Quittapahilla Creek Watershed Association (QCWA) from the Department for Community and Economic Development (DCED) and an educational partnership forged with the CTC. The QCWA received permission and board approval from the CTC Joint Operating Committee to restore the headwater wetland located on their property. 

The central location of this site ensures easy access for all students attending school in Lebanon County. The educational wetland development plan was created by a county committee of elementary through college teachers, members of the QCWA, Lebanon County Conservation District, CTC, and the state Department of Environmental Protection.

This spring the wetland will be restored, creating a safe environment that includes a host of habitats. Boardwalks will be constructed from upland trails to access wet areas and provide students with the opportunity to collect water and soil samples. In addition to the restoration of the wetland, a pavilion will be constructed complete with benches, tables, electricity, and a storage shed. A continuum of successional stages will be created allowing students to observe, collect, measure, and study concepts such as watersheds, wetlands, ecosystems, and their interactions; threatened, endangered, and extinct species; as well as a whole host of other topics related to the new Science standards.

Students and teachers are the key to this project's success. Students will be involved in the planting of wetland species appropriate to this environment. This living lab will provide teachers with an opportunity to engage their students in hands-on learning, involve them in the development of the wetlands, provide ongoing monitoring of the wetlands, and the study of its habitats.

For more information about this project or to learn about getting your students involved, contact Ralph Heister, biology teacher, Lebanon High School, Lebanon School District and QCWA liaison at 273-9391 (rheister@lebanon.k12.pa.us) or Leigh Beamesderfer, Lebanon County Conservation District, 272-3908.