Healthy Environment
MARS — In the 15 years Mars High School science teacher Bill Wesley has been coordinating the annual study of Breakneck Creek, he has seen improvement in the creek's quality.
Wesley said in the past the residents and businesses along the creek between Route 228 and Valencia had on-lot septic systems. At that time, the Mars fifth graders who studied the creek found much higher levels of pollutants.
"I have seen drastic improvement in Breakneck Creek," Wesley said. "I attribute most of it to the (Breakneck Creek Regional Authority) treatment plant."
The stream study Friday had more than 240 Centennial School students braving the chilly, damp weather to test aspects of the water behind a home on Mars-Valencia Road.
Groups of students rotated between the physical, biological and chemical stations that were manned by high school students.
Students at the chemical station tested water-quality factors such as the amount of oxygen, pH, phosphates and nitrates present in the stream. They also tested the water's color and level of hardness.
Kaylyn McDonnell, a Mars High School senior and advanced placement biology student, helped the young students observe the small amounts of water as they poured it into vials and mixed it with various agents.
"It's a good opportunity to teach (the fifth graders,)" said McDonnell, who is considering majoring in pharmacy following graduation in 2010.
The physical station was perhaps the noisiest of the three, as one activity included the group dividing into two teams and holding a cork race. The purpose was to use the corks, which were named by the teams, to determine water speed.
That station also was the messiest as students were helped into the creek by their senior guides to study air and water temperature and other scientific conditions.
"It's fun," said fifth grader Vinnie Vlasco. "You get to explore the creek and what's in it like on 'Man vs. Wild.'"Other students were not as thrilled to be standing in a murky creek they determined measured a chilly 11.5 degrees Celsius."Are we going to get frost bite?" shouted one shivering boy as the stream rushed over his sneakers.Students at the biology station rooted through a large pile of matter that had been scooped out of the creek in search of living things.As the younger students picked speck-sized life forms from among the wet pile of leaves, rocks and silt, the older ones helped them match their find to a list of pictures to determine its kind.Once identified, students then checked another list to see if it was pollution tolerant or intolerant.Fifth grader Cassianna Buzzelli said her favorite activity was finding the creatures that live in the stream. She also appreciated the time spent studying outside of the classrooms."It's fun," Cassianna said. "You get to learn how healthy the stream is."Senior and A.P. biology student Luke King said he remembers participating in the stream study as a Mars fifth grader. He said he enjoyed working with the youngsters."I was surprised because they seem really interested to learn," King said. "They're very cooperative."Wesley, clad in camouflage rain gear from head to toe, interrupted the biology lesson to share his enthusiasm with students."Good job guys, good job!" shouted Wesley as he "fist bumped" students. "You're learning all about this stream!"Wesley said as a student of science, he did not get to study outside the classroom until college. Wesley said fifth grade students are at an optimum age to participate in such a study."If you give them an awareness of the importance of water and the prevention of pollution in early, formative years, they will be much more likely to take that appreciation and awareness into adulthood," he said.
