Brandon Twp.-For the past five years, middle school science teacher Dave Green, along with a few students, has ventured from the classroom and investigated the creeks that flow through school property.
On May 11, about 20 seventh-graders, along with two eighth-graders, donned waders and entered the swift current of Kearsley Creek southeast of the middle school. Science related topics including water quality and identifying species of organisms, along with an environmental evaluation of the area, were recorded.
The outside classroom has recently taken on a greater importance for students and the community with heavy excavation equipment working just a few yards from the creeks and wetlands as progress is made on a new activities complex and other projects for the school district..
Assitisting in the investigation was Dan Keifer, development director for the Clinton River Watershed Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Clinton River, its watershed and Lake St. Clair.
‘The creek is still good’this is darn good,? said Kiefer. ‘But these wetlands and small streams are very sensitive it does not take a lot to change things.?
Green agrees.
‘We have not seen a lot of change in the water over the past few years,? said Green, after changing the location of the study area from Duck Creek just south of Brandon Tire to the Kearsley Creek. ‘The water and stream are in pretty good shape from what we see. Some of the data we collect will be added to other studies by students as part of the Stream Leaders program.
The morning event was sponsored in part by Oxford Bank as about 2,500 area students from Macomb and Oakland counties studied the quality of water in the Clinton River and it’s tributaries in a variety of locations.
The program helps students evaluate the amount of erosion and sedimentation at each site, perform tests to measure levels of nitrates, phosphates, dissolved oxygen, and temperature. Also, a variety of aquatic life was identified.
Diane Wiley, school trustee joined the stream investigation after concern regarding the area environment arose at a recent board meeting.
By a vote of 5-2 on April 9 the Brandon School Board rejected an agenda item to construct a parking lot on recently acquired school property south of the current high school campus.
The vote came after several in attendance at the meeting expressed opposition to the construction of the new 450 space parking lot on four acres due to the possible environmental impact the project would have on the wooded area next to the current lot.
The board eventually OK’d the project only after several concessions were made including a plant rescue project and a system to channel warm rainwater created from parking lot asphalt, stores it in a underground chambers for retention, then trickles the water into the soil where it will be cooled, prior to entering the stream as groundwater.
‘We need to be more aware of the area environment,? said Wiley. ‘There are some valuable wetlands and waterways here in the area’we need to learn more about them. The school building project is important but so is the well-being of the environment. We need to keep in touch.?