HOUSATONIC  RIVER  RESTORATION  
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Housatonic River Unit

 

Service Learning Project – Bartholomew’s Cobble

 

Focusing Question:

How have humans affected local ecosystems, and what can we do to help maintain healthy ecosystems in our area?

 

Standards:

Life Science (Grades 6-8) 13.0:  Give examples of ways in which organisms interact and have different functions within an ecosystem that enable the ecosystem to survive.

 

Length of Time Needed to Complete: 4 hours, including round trip travel to site.

 

Resources/Materials: 50 and100 meter tape measures (4), compasses (4), clippers (2) and gloves (optional).

 

Procedure:

Transport students to Bartholomew’s Cobble and meet preserve steward, Sarah Robotham, at visitor center. From the center, travel to a pre-designated area at the south end of the Cobble where invasive species (e.g. fragmites, European barberry, and purple loose strife) will be mapped and controlled. 

 

At the work site, discuss the origin and effects of invasive species on the ecosystem.  Discuss what invasive species are, where they have come from, and why they can be detrimental to an ecosystem.  Explain to students that in some cases it is important to remove invasive species in order to allow other members of the ecosystem to survive.  In other cases, a species may not have grown to the point where it is harming other species, and may only need to be monitored.  In areas where species need to be monitored, it is necessary to take baseline data on the density of species in the area to be monitored.  Each year after the baseline data is taken, species density measurements can be taken in the same plot area to determine whether or not the species is spreading and/or becoming denser.

 

Invasive Plant Removal:

Half of the 30+ students walked with Sarah and Mount Everett School resource teacher to the specific location for removal work.  Be sure to point out any poisonous plants (e.g. poison ivy and stinging nettle) in the area.  Show students how to identify the three plants to be removed. Explain the procedures for removing each species. The following methods of control and removal were used:

 

•       Purple Loosestrife: Cut and collect seed heads in bags to limit reproduction. Each plant can produce upwards of 2 million seeds per year. Late summer is the last chance to cut. We may cut again early next year.

•       Barberry: Cut main stems at base of plant. Dig out root with pick and Polaski. Tamp down soil to reduce disturbance area and minimize colonization by weeds.

•       Multiflora Rose: Same procedure as barberry.

Note: Make sure students are wearing long pants and gloves before cutting and removing invasive species.  Some students had a hard time getting into the work. Others made connections to math in nature and discovered interesting patterns/forms in various plants (e.g. helical tendrils on wild cucumber vines, and Velcro-like cocklebur seed heads).

 

Invasive Species Monitoring:

Asha Von Ruden and Dale Abrams walked with half the students to monitoring site on the banks of Housatonic River.  To gather the baseline data for a plot to be monitored, choose a large permanent object near the plot, and use tape measures and compasses to map out the plot area in relation to the permanent object.  First, measuring from the landmark tree, establish Northwest and Southwest corners, such that the majority of the fragmites plants lie between and to the East of the markers.  Each corner is located using a compass bearing and distance from the landmark tree.  Next, establish the Northeast and Southeast corners.  These corners are located using compass bearings and distance measurements from the preceding (NW and SW) corners.  Establish additional East boundary markers as needed to encompass the majority of the fragmites.  Be sure to stay a safe distance away from the bank of the river.  Within the mapped area, establish to density sampling plots (1 meter x 1 meter) measured from the NW and SW corners.  Within each square meter plot, cut all the fragmites to a even height of roughly 2 feet, and count the number of live (i.e. green inside) stalks.  Record findings as density (i.e. number of stalks/meter2) on the map.

 

On day one, the first group defined the boundary of the fragmites made the first rough density measurements.  We decided that we needed to cut the stems before counting to determine number of live stalks rather than including dead stems. We had no rotation the first day.  The second day we confirmed and adjusted the boundaries and both groups collected a number of density samples.  A rotation occurred on the second day and the groups completed both tasks despite very wet conditions.  We were chased out by rain mid-morning the first day and late morning the second.

 

Assessment:

We returned to visitor center to seek shelter from rain and asked students to summarize what they did, the specific procedures they had to follow, and why it was beneficial to the ecosystem.  Classroom follow-up was limited do to the challenge of working with larger numbers of students in the classroom, and students participated in two different service learning projects.  The logistics for successful preparation and follow-up needs to be worked out in advance of conducting service-learning projects next year.  Sarah expressed frustration with student disinterest and poor attitudes during the invasive control work.  She is open to doing the work again but wants to see improvement.

 

Schedule:

8:15 – Vans leave school

8:45 – Vans and students arrive at Cobble visitor center

8:45-9:15 – Welcome, bathroom break, introductions,&  travel to work site

9:15-10:30 – 1st rotation (half students on monitoring, half students on control)

10:30-11:30 – 2nd rotation (students switch projects)

11:45 – Vans return to school