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February 2010
School News Red & Black
No More Trash in Our Backyard by Kelly Reyes Is it pollution? Is it non-sense? Is it un-sanitary? Many answered “all of the above” concerning the conditions of the wooded areas behind Northwood. As a result, there is currently an eight month project underway to restore 15 acres of Maryland State Highway Administration land and build a nature trail that will be named, the Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trial. To start this project off volunteers cleaned up thousands of pounds of trash, bordering Northwood’s property. Around 60 volunteers worked for three hours on Sunday, November 22, a pleasant afternoon, removing 10,580 pounds of trash. Seventy five percent of the volunteers were students from Northwood and two feeder middle schools. Trash that was removed included jugs of used automotive oil, lawn mowers, bikes, windshields, broken cars, construction debris, sinks, and lots more. This project will be completed around May. The people involved in this project are Northwood High School, Friends of Sligo Creek, Potomac Appalachian Trial Club (PATC) and Maryland State highway administration. Creating the trail was an idea between Mr. Sauter, the cross country coach at Northwood, and Mrs. Jennifer Chambers, a member of the PATC. Northwood’s interns will do more research, put new plants around the trail and construct signs educating the walkers about the trail. “This is a great idea, it will get people outside walking, running, learning and enjoying nature,” said Mr. Erol Miller, the environmental science teacher.
Top: Mr. Miller, Environmental Science Teacher and State Senator Jamie Raskin congratulate the many volunteers including Ben Kreitzberg (Left) and Jenny Duong (Above). Photos courtesy of Jennifer