The second
annual Bennett’s Millpond Environmental Learning Project
Symposium was hectic, but very rewarding. Faced with slowdowns
from Hurricane Isabel in the fall of 2003 and a frozen pond during
the winter, the student teams were quick to refocus on their project
work from February to April of 2004. Some of our returning students
refined their project work from the previous year and some teams
had to start with a fresh idea since the ecosystem was drastically
changed after the hurricane. The student teams presented their
“year-long” research projects to the local citizens
and the professional community on April 28th, 2004 at Albemarle
Learning Center in Edenton, NC. Colleen Karl and Judy Day introduced
symposium guests to the work of the Bennett’s Millpond project
teams, and Dr. David Haase, Director of The Science House, and
Robbie Laughton, Bennett’s Millpond Committee Chair for
Chowan County, shared special comments to the audience.
Colorful backboards
that featured highlights of the student work enhanced the formal
presentations. The Millpond teachers prepared visual displays
on water quality sampling techniques, meteorology, and GIS for
informal learning during the open house that followed the formal
symposium. During the open house, which was attended by scout
groups, home schoolers and interested citizens, the students shared
their work and demonstrated the project technology equipment such
as the Vernier probes for water quality and the Palm m515 units
for collecting data. Largely due to the support from the mentoring
teachers, we saw the students expand their use of the scientific
techniques by incorporating the tools of genetic engineering,
spatial analysis with the GIS, and innovative designs for transect
sampling into their project work. The students were enthused and
inspired by the community support and enjoyed discussing plans
for next year’s work with interested citizens.
Student
Projects (Powerpoint Presentations)
Team
1A Mapping the Floor of Bennett's Millpond
Team
1B Distribution of submerged aquatic vegetation in Bennett’s
Millpond
Team
2A The Affect of Aeration on Dissolved Oxygen
Team
2B Inorganic versus Organic Sediment
Team
3A Study of Recovery of Dissolved Oxygen Levels After Hurricane
Isabel at Watershed Sites
Team
3B The World Beneath Our Feet: A Study in Soil Science
Team
4A Analysis of Filamentous Green Surface Algal Growth in Areas
of Bennett’s Millpond
Team
4B Effects of Blue Heron Rookery on the Local Water Quality
in Bennett’s Millpond
Team
5A The Significance of Sinistral and Dextral Snails in Bennett’s
Millpond
Team
5B Protein Fingerprinting
