The Wetlands Education Team (WET) was founded by the middle students of West Geauga Middle School and is a student driven organization. When a few students in rural Chesterland, Ohio discovered that 90% of the state's wetlands had been destroyed in the last 200 years, they decided to take action. They learned that half of all the bird species in North America use wetlands during some part of their life cycle. In order to focus their efforts, they decided to work on preserving the remaining wetlands and one endangered bird that relies on wetlands for its survival: the Osprey. At the same time that wetlands were being filled in by Ohio farmers, the use of DDT was also causing Osprey to lay eggs with thin, fragile shells. The resulting decline in the Osprey population directly threatened the state's biodiversity. Therefore, WET is working to increase nesting sites by constructing platforms that can take the place of trees lost to development.

In order to be effective, the students knew they had to educate their peers about wetlands, and they needed their help to preserve the remaining wetlands. WET surveyed fellow students and discovered that only 10% were aware that the woods adjacent to their school harbored a wetland. By creating an Outdoor Classroom at their school, they began to teach other students about wetlands using hands-on educational activities. As a result, they now have the whole school involved. The Outdoor Classroom includes native plants, signs, birdhouses and feeders, a trail to a seating area, a directional signpost and a weather station. WET also travels to other schools and communities to educate others and to help area schools create their own Outdoor Classrooms.

The group also helped create and monitor a wetland in Munson Township. WET has created educational "kits" to aid science teachers when they take their students outdoors. Their most recent efforts have led them to collaborate with several community environmental organizations to map wetlands and teach other students how to utilize Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology.

PARTNER STATEMENT

According to the National Geographic Society, "The Wetlands Education Team, a student led organization at West Geauga Middle School in Chesterland, Ohio, has played an active role in educating the community in regard to preserving wetlands and bird habitats. Their mission is to educate students and the public about Ohio's water resources, and enlist their efforts to preserve wetlands and the endangered Osprey. Using an educational outreach approach, the WET Team has worked with community and government organizations, conducted surveys, created an outdoor classroom area, erected two Osprey nesting platforms in Geauga County Parks, and held educational seminars to educate students, school groups, homeowners, teachers, and park naturalists about wetlands and b irds. They recently concluded a "Bioblitz" to catalogue all species within the outdoor classroom, and are now focusing on enhancing their "traveling trunks" of educational materials to loan to other schools. The National Geographic Society, an organization dedicated to "inspiring people to care about the planet," is proud to join SeaWorld and Busch Gardens in recognizing West Geauga Middle School with an Environmental Excellence Award."