Ninth grade class explores old growth forest

'I never thought about how forests can provide answers for us" remarked one ninth grader as they gazed upward through a leafy canopy on a brilliant October day.

Students were lucky enough to visit Gifford Woods State Park in Killington at peak foliage to explore the one remaining stand of Old Growth forest in Vermont. They noted characteristics of bark and topography, measured girth and height, responded to a piece of text and engaged in a conversation with park staff about how to manage different groups of trail users like mountain bikers and hikers.

These activities are grounded in a unit of study about forest biodiversity in students' Integrated Environmental Science class that are a natural extension to students' more local exploration of our 3.5 acre forested parcel of land across the Ottauquechee River.