School Field Trips

A watershed education project located in the Pedlar River watershed of western Amherst County, VA.

Designed and hosted by One Source Graphics LLC

AMS Critter Hunt 2006

AMS Critter Hunt 2007

Teacher Derek Mays looks on as students dig a
diversion channel to manage stormwater and prevent
erosion of the new Williams
Creek foot trail at Amherst County High School

Students from teacher Rebekah Cox’s
Ecology/Biology II courses assess the stability of
the stream bottom of Williams Creek, in a field trip
on their school’s property.

Students conduct an eco-inventory in the riparian
(streamside) habitat next to Williams Creek at their
high school, noting evidence of mammals and types
of plants and found in their sampling area.

A student draws the stream channel features
of Williams Creek on the property of Amherst
County High School.

High School Students Adopt Creek, Create Trail for Younger Students

“Just think, when we come back in 50 years we can say we made this trail,” said a ninth grader as he walked up the new

foot trail that he and others had just created, leading from Amherst County High School to Williams Creek. 10 classes and 3

teachers have taken field trips this month to the stream on their school’s property to study water quality and create an interpretive

trail for students from elementary schools to visit.

“When younger students visit the trail, high school students can be their trail guides,” explains Judy Strang, Education Specialist for

the R.E. Lee Soil and Water District, who is directing the project that was first envisioned by Joey Tichacek, science teacher at

ACHS. Strang secured an MWEE grant (Meaningful Watershed Education Experience) from the Commonwealth of Virginia and

Va. Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries, to purchase water quality monitoring equipment and tools for field study of plants, trees,

animals, and watershed concepts. “Since storm water runoff from the high school is a principal cause of problems in Williams

Creek, it makes sense for students to adopt it,” said Strang.

On Nov. 2, students from Derek Mays’ Applied Agriculture Concepts classes created the trail, including diversion channels to

prevent the bulk of the school’s stormwater runoff from eroding the trail. Brandi Ray’s A.P. Biology students and Mike Pekar’s

Chemistry II class teamed up to conduct a variety of water tests on Nov. 9, measuring dissolved oxygen levels, pH, and testing

for the presence of various metals and chemicals. The last of the three outings took place on Nov. 16, when Ecology/Biology II

students from Rebekah Cox’s classes gathered a variety of data to lay the groundwork for long-term study of the stream channel

and the riparian habitat (vegetated area along the stream). Certain groups assessed erosion at the stormwater outlets in the trail

area, in order to plan the steps necessary to protect water quality in Williams Creek from the impact of impervious areas (pavement,

rooftops) on the school’s campus. Volunteers from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Va. Dept. of Forestry, and

the Lynchburg Master Naturalists chapter helped students on these field trips.

Coming up with a plan for mitigating the high school’s impact on Williams Creek involves students in the kind of real-world

environmental problems that are affecting their communities every day. But the project doesn’t just focus on problems. Students are

also learning to manage their school’s forest for educational use, giving back to their community by creating a field trip destination for

younger students.

“The best way to get people to take care of water resources is to introduce them to these natural wonders first hand. This trail may be

the path for making this happen,” said Anne Marie Clarke, Watershed Coordinator for Amherst County, and a partner in the project.

ACHS students follow the path that water takes from their

parking lot to Williams Creek as they learn about stormwater

impacts created by their school.