Fifth
Graders Visit the Dump
This past spring,
fifth graders from three elementary schools in the county participated
in a field trip sponsored by the chapter and the Pennsylvania Association
of Conservation Districts. Over 160 students and teachers from Juniata
Valley, Standing Stone, and Jackson Miller Elementary saw and smelled
a dumpsite up close.
They
did not stop there, though. An experiment at the dumpsite gave the students
an up close look at what pollution does to the ground and surface water.
Students made a mini dumpsite and saw how rain washes through the pollutants
carrying them to the nearby river.
Presenters
Jim Garthe and Nichole Cook Monica also explained to the youngsters
the threats associated with garbage that holds water. A discarded refrigerator
drawer was a great example of trash collecting water and providing a
breeding ground for mosquitoes this spring and summer.
Students
also received a handout describing ways to deal with garbage. Reduce,
reuse, and recycle were at the top of the list, and the students were
proud to give examples of how they do all three at their homes.
This
is the second year the chapter has sponsored these field trips. Any
school or youth group interested in this interactive, environmental
field trip can contact the chapter office.
The
following comments are taken from notes that the chapter received following
the dump field trips this past spring:
"Thank
you for showing us the different kinds of things at the garbage dump.
The mini dump will be the only dump I ever have. My favorite thing I
learned is how the tires are breeding places for the mosquitoes."
—Shenae
"Thanks
for letting us know why we should not make a dumpsite. I will never
do that. When I am older, I am going to be a part of PA CleanWays."
—Emili
"I
learned many things I had no idea about. I learned that there are things
right under our noses that we would never think about." —Terra
"I
really liked what you did to show us how bad it is to dump garbage on
the side of the road. I really learned a lot from it. The thing that
convinced me the most was the experiment. I would never want to drink
water like that." —Thomas
"I
enjoyed learning how dumpsites were started and how the oil, gas, and
freon gets in our drinking water. I didn't know that mosquitoes could
breed in tires. That night I told my mom and dad about mosquitoes breeding
in tires." —Elizabeth
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This page last updated:
February 18, 2004
