Michelle Garcia, Science Teacher at Poland Regional High
School, will be helping us again next year. She met with TLIA
co-President Linda Laskey and Phoebe Hardesty of ASWCD on October 6 to
plan her second hands-on project for Tripp Lake and its watershed.
The Board of Directors voted to allot her $2000 for her
next project. Ms. Garcia, with her Terrestial Biology students, had
decided upon a three-part project for the Spring of ’05. Part one will
be doing a GPS survey of Purple Loosetrife, providing education about
the invasive plant and helping remove it. The second part will be to
assess the health of streams that empty into Tripp. Students will study
erosion problems and learn what’s living in the streams. Finally, a
field study of animals will be done, showing the impact of land uses on
them.
Ms. Garcia has already applied for grants to help her
provide this out-of-the classroom project: Project Learning Tree, the
DEP and a small one from the school. In mid-January, TLIA will be
represented and will speak to the students about why TLIA thinks these
projects are important. *Note: Linda will be presenting Michelle with
the Association’s ’04 Community Award when the school has an assembly.
We’re indeed fortunate to have this wonderful resource
so close to us and appreciate Ms. Garcia’s endeavors to help the lake.
