Students Head to the Talawanda Wetlands

Students on the trek through the Talawanda natural area. Photo by Lauren Flum.

Part of the wetlands at THS. Photo by Lauren Flum.

Students explore the THS campus natural areas. Photo by Lauren Flum.

Students in environmental science have been heading out to the wetlands on Talawanda High School’s campus.

Mr. Pasquale’s class is currently studying if there is any runoff pesticides ffrom local farms to see how it affects the wildlife.

“If you look at southwest Ohio, there is a lot of farming,” said Pasquale.  “Whether or not it affects the wildlife is a question that a lot of people would want to know.”

The wetlands on the THS campus are quite unique. There are two natural wetlands and one man made, and Talawanda is one of the only schools in Ohio that have that type of land.

The woods and wetlands that the students explored and studied were close to a mile away from school  Because of this, the class was exempt from seventh period, and set out on their journey during sixth.

“It takes a lot of perseverance to head out here,” said Pasquale, while walking back from the woods. The trail to the wetlands and woods was not even created until the morning of the field trip.

Overall, this experience offers students an opportunity to learn about the local environment with a hands-on experience.