 |
February
2001
|
Featuring more than one million acres of pine forests, mixed pine and hardwood forests, cedar swamps and salt marshes, the Pinelands is a unique ecosystem located in southern New Jersey. Home to nearly 100 endangered or threatened species, this vast area also covers an aquifer which contains 17 trillion gallons of fresh, pure water. Residing on the outskirts of this fragile area, students at Edgewood High School wanted to ensure the ecosystem’s long-term protection, thus established A Pinelands Nature Center at their school.
An interactive and immersive learning experience that creatively demonstrates the importance of the Pinelands, the center was created by dedicated students and teachers over a period of four years. Countless hours after school were spent digging a pond and marsh wetland area, planting indigenous trees and shrubs, building fences and footpaths, hauling and shoveling truckloads of mulch, building and erecting birdhouses, and stocking the area with native fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans and insect larvae. Upon the center’s completion, the students began to play host to surrounding schools and community groups interested in experiencing Edgewood’s nature center first hand.
Each visitor to the center has an opportunity to safely explore this unique ecosystem and appreciate its aesthetic and ecological assets. The students ensure each visitor, young and old, leaves with a simple message: Each time someone plants a native tree or shrub in their yard, erects a bluebird house, or plants a wildflower garden, they extend the Pinelands a little bit more. In this way, Edgewood High School teenagers are mobilizing an entire community to protect and preserve one of the "last great places."
Tour the Pinelands to see why it’s worth saving
|
©2003 Busch Entertainment Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.