Silverton Trip

Freshpeople traveled to Silverton yesterday with their biology class to to learn about wetlands and how they affect rivers.

9th grade biology teacher Mike Bienkowski explained: “We visited Silverton to learn about the ecosystem services provided by wetlands, to examine how wetland restoration can mitigate human impacts on the water cycle.”

A wetland is a damp area where the soil is constantly wet and acquires moisture from groundwater and the river ecosystem. There are different types of wetlands: fens, marshes, and wet meadows, and each performs a different function.

In collaboration with the Mountain Studies Institute, the 9th graders participated in different stations where they could make a wetland, take a hike to see a wetland, and test the water health through measuring Ph levels and biodiversity.

9th grader Bennett Esterday shared, “The information I learned with the Mountain Studies Institute was incredibly insightful and helpful in understanding how marshes and wetlands develop, and their part in the ecosystem.”