31 May 2016
 
I just spent the day with my students at Eden Mill Nature Center and Park, which is nestled in the rolling hills of northern Harford County.  The park occupies a 120 acre tract of land in the Deer Creek Valley.  The park has an intact 200 year old grist mill, a nature center, 5 miles of hiking trails, and a pavilion.  There is a canoe launch, an 18-foot dam, and educational wetlands that are fun for our students to share with their families after our day there and it is well worth the trip!
 
Our 7th grade students experience what we call "Deer Creek Days" every year, rain or shine, and today's weather was perfect!  This experience was the brainchild of two former teachers Les Lawson and Ed Goetz over 30 years ago.  Mr. Lawson and Mr. Goetz designed this trip as a way to expose people to life in and around the deer creek watershed and illustrate how each of us carries a responsibility.  The trip provides first-hand knowledge of characteristics, conditions, and methods used to assess the health of the water and teaches the students how they can be better stewards of the earth.
 
Students rotate through six stations throughout the day being taught by environmental expert specialists on topics such as aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates, terrestrial vertebrates, water quality, vegetation in the watershed, and ecological impacts.  This trip is my favorite field trip and it is in our own backyard!  It allows students an authentic hands-on experience of science practices that are hard to do in a brick and mortar room.  It allows those kinesthetic tactile non book smart kids to shine!
 
Thank you to the 7th grade science teachers at North Harford Middle School ~ Ms. Angela Golden, Ms. Melanie Thompson, and Ms. Diana Eisenhour ~ for a wonderful day and always readily accepting the torch that has been passed down over the years.
 
I'm still working on uploading pictures...stay tuned!

Enjoy this beautiful day!

Take care,
Sharalyn