The State College High School Environmental Club’s goal is to inform and educate others on the many components of the ecosystem. The founder of the group, Susan Braun, who teaches tenth grade biology at State High, wants to provide more experience and opportunities for her students who want to explore the environmental field. Every first and third Tuesday of each month, the club meets up to discuss and explore in the environment and come up with ideas for going green.

On October 12th, the Environmental Club went on a field trip to Houserville Elementary School to teach fifth students about water quality in Spring Creek. “The kids loved it” Ms. Braun said with a smile on her face, “Our whole goal is to inform them on their environment. Since it is obviously a large part of their lives, we feel they should be educated on what is around them.”

They started by going into Spring Creek the night before and collecting organisms at the bottom of the water. The morning of the field trip, students brought in the organisms so that the students could explore what is living in the creek and determine the quality of the water. “The kids were very excited when we showed them what was in the water” Braun explained. The club provided the kids with background information so that they were pointed in the right direction. The students set up different groups each demonstrating a part of their main topic which was about the water quality. The Environmental Club students were able to benefit from this field trip greatly. “It gets them excited about being in the field,” said Ms. Braun, “It allows them to get to know each other while having a nice outdoor experience. Then it allows them to apply the knowledge they have learned in teaching to the kids.” Being able to go on this field trip has helped the Environmental Club members prepare for their future as they continue to research and practice in this particular field. Trips like this help add a little bit of fun to the already interesting practice of helping the environment.