On Tuesday, Sept. 23, the Huron AP Biology classes took a field trip to Parker Mill County Park on Geddes Road to learn about water quality in the Huron River. The field trip was organized by the Huron River Watershed Council, and students have been going on this field trip for around 10 years. The program has become a tradition in the AP Biology curriculum, giving students a hands-on way to connect classroom concepts with real environmental science.
“It’s a great way to get students to go outside, get their hands dirty, get in the water, and get exposed to an environment that they may not usually encounter,” AP Biology teacher Martha Hale said. “It’s also a way for them to be educated about the community they live in.”
Hale explained that the trip introduces students to local ecosystems and helps them understand how scientific data is collected in the field.
Students rotated between three different stations, all of which were connected to examining the quality of the water. One involved them wading into the water to measure the depth and strength of the stream. Another station allowed students to identify macroinvertebrates living in the river—tiny organisms that help indicate water health. A third station focused on chemical testing, where students measured pH levels, dissolved oxygen, and other factors that affect river life.
“Getting in the stream was fun,” senior Quin Lemon said. “I feel like this field trip was very educational.”
Many students said it was their first time doing fieldwork outdoors, which made the experience stand out.
“I like to go outside and to parks, but I don’t ever really learn about them,” junior Ahmad El Yaman mentioned. “So I thought this was really cool.”
Hale loved seeing students learn in new ways.
“My joy out of the field trip is watching students being able to get out of their comfort zone and realize, ‘Oh, this isn’t so bad after all,’” she said. “If they’ve done that, I feel like it’s a success.”
