Students Study Local Environment

Friday's Capital reports students in the International Baccalaureate program at Old Mill High School have undertaken a number of projects researching the condition of a nearby stream which feeds into Marley Creek, integrating considerations of biology, chemistry, and physics.

The International Baccalaureate program is a course of advanced study for high school students that trains them in critical thinking and prepares them for college level work. Projects conducted by the students included looking at the effect of fertilization of the football field on the health of the stream (the students found no impacts, concluding that the wooded buffer between the two absorbed excess nutrients), as well as local biodiversity.

Future classes will look at the stream again, seeking the best options for restoration, and eventually track the effects of those improvements.

I heartily applaud this effort by the students and teachers of the Old Mill IB program, and I encourage other schools in the County to undertake similar monitoring and restoration efforts.