Watershed Protection Grant - 2002 Projects
Picture: Student from Auburn Middle School planting a sapling near Lake Auburn.
Steve Doucette and his 9th grade Earth Science class planted a buffer of trees and shrubs on the public boat landing on Long Lake. Prior to the planting, Steve and his students participated in the Long Lake watershed survey, which helped them to identify their project site. As a preparatory activity, the students were asked to design a buffer on a real or imagined shorefront property, with a scale drawing and pricing of all necessary materials. As a class, students consulted the DEP Buffer Manual to decide which plants would be best suited to the site. Following a field training day, the students obtained the plants from a local nursery and planted a vegetated buffer.
2002 Green/Mirror Pond Project -- Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School
Kathy Hockman and students of the OHCHS Envirothon Team performed an erosion control project on a private property at Mirror Pond. Prior to the planting, students studied watershed survey reports to learn how to make field asessments and mapped the watershed boundaries of Green and Mirror Ponds. They then surveyed 4 properties from which they chose their project site. Students contacted Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation officials to help estimate the numbers of plants they needed based on their measurements of the site. The students then planted a buffer and created a mulched, meandering path to the water to minimize the impact of foot traffic.
2002 Maranacook Lake Project -- Maranacook Community Middle School
Karen Laverty and her 6th grade students planted a vegetated buffer and held a "Celebration of Lakes" at the Readfield Town Boat Launch. This service learning project complemented the ecology unit for the class. The students presented a proposal for the planting at the boat launch to the Town Planning Board and spent a day planting a vegetated buffer at the site. After the planting, students published a newsletter that highlighted water quality issues and ways to protect lakes and distributed it to the community. At the completion of the project, the class held a "Celebration of Lakes" at the boat launch for the 6th grade and posted a sign to educate the public about the project.
2002 Watchic Lake Project -- Bonny Eagle High School
Ned Hatfield and his junior and senior students planted a vegetated buffer and created a mulched path at a private residence on Watchic Lake to control erosion from an area where a house was being torn down and a new one was being constructed. The class spent a day planting the buffer, and afterwards constructed a sign including pictures and a description of their project. The following summer, two students continued the public education component of the project by presenting information about the project at the Watchic Lake Association's July meeting.
2002 "Save the Wicked Big Puddle" Project -- Minot Consolidated School
Sandy Ferland and her 6th grade students use a vernal pool every year to learn how to identify and classify organisms, but the pool was threatened by the development of a subdivision on the lot adjacent to the school and by erosion from school activities. Ferland and her students took it upon themselves to protect the vernal pool. The part the students played was to educate others about the importance of wetlands and to protect the wetland from nearby erosion. To stop the erosion, they stabilized the main trail down to the pool with geotextile fabric covered with mulch and dug water bars to redirect the flow of water off the trail to prevent soil erosion. A buffer was also planted in the playground area to help prevent soil erosion from entering the pool. As a finishing touch, students constructed a bridge over the larger pool to use as a viewing platform when studying vernal pool ecology. Another team of students later spread crushed stone to create two other designated walkways, in hopes of preventing soil erosion.
