The Oshkosh West Index - Environmental issues students wade into learning

Volume 106, Issue 1

Online Features

Environmental issues students wade into learning

By Natalie Graceffa
posted September 28, 2009

John Reiland, a biology and environmental Issues teacher at West, hit the nail on the head when he expressed what most students would say about Sawyer Creek, the small river adjacent to the school.

"Dirty," he said.

Though this statement may be true, the students in Reiland's class are thinking more along the lines of a "learning opportunity."

The class will be performing various tests on the Creek over the semester, and although the class is small, students are still enthusiastic about the subjects that they will be learning over the year.

"This class really makes students aware of all the different environmental issues out there," said senior Kylie O'Keefe. "It's really hands-on, which makes the class a lot more fun. The Sawyer Creek project is the first of many interactive activities that will challenge the students and bring environmental concerns to their attention.

"We look at a lot of issues that affect us, like water, land, air, invasive species, and also alternative energy," said Reiland.

The Sawyer Creek Project is an undertaking that is close to home for countless numbers of students, mainly due to Oshkosh's close proximity to Lake Butte des Morts and Lake Winnebago.

"A lot of us have lived in Oshkosh for years, and water has obviously had a big financial effect on Oshkosh," said Reiland.

To make sure that the students understand the importance of water and how scientists calculate its cleanliness, Reiland has them performing various tests and collecting numerous amounts of samples to achieve their required data.

"We've had to collect water samples in the creek to see what kind of invertebrates live in the water," said O'Keefe. Another engaging aspect of the project is the process of determining the Biotic Index, which tells the types of macro-invertebrates that live in the water. To do this, it is important for students to be submerged in the water, which involves getting down and dirty in a pair of waders, one of the more pleasant parts of the project for some.

"Every year, environmental issues goes out into Sawyer Creek to do different tests on the water, and the data can be used to make sure that the water is clean and that there aren't any flagrant signs of invasive species," said senior Mathers.

The students' data will have conclusive results that will help serve many different purposes in future experiments.

"Eventually, we can apply this information to any creek in the world," Reiland said.

The students will get a chance to do some comparisons on October 14 when Reiland will take the class to visit Horicon Marsh. There the group will compare and contrast differences between the two bodies of water.

Despite the fact that Reiland's class will not be offered next spring due to lack of enrollment, he remains optimistic.

"I would like to be able to compare more data and get more students involved in the class so we can have the class in the spring and the fall."

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