Students helped clear brush in a one-acre plot near Quincy High School, learning to identify native trees and wildlife in the process.
By Tracy Correa
A group of students from Quincy High School in Plumas County received a hands-on lesson in preserving forest habitat thanks to a pilot project and help from PG&E.
The goal of the three-month project was to teach students about improving forest habitat near their school. The project was coordinated by the Feather River Resource Conservation District and included funding from the California Fish and Game Commission and resources from PG&E.
Just over a dozen 10th- and 11th-grade students from science teacher Matt McMorrow’s Natural Resources class participated in the project over the past several months. The class gained a better sense and appreciation of the outdoor environment by working in the field, said the teacher.
“They got to practice mapping and compass skills and we brought in experts to speak with them,” said McMorrow.
The Learning Landscapes Program, initiated by the Feather River Land Trust, is part of an effort to provide sustainable access to natural lands within a 10-minute walk from schools in Plumas County.
Quincy High students learned about forestry by participating in a three-month, hands-on project.
Of the more than nine acres that is part of the Learning Landscape parcel, the class concentrated on a one-acre plot of challenging and dense undergrowth located near the high school. Students learned to identify native trees and shrubs, monitor wildlife activity and consider what vegetation could be removed to help reduce fire hazards.
Donning hard hats, students got their hands dirty by removing fire fuels like unnecessary brush and trees. “Ninety percent of the removal was done by the students,” said McMorrow.
Once the area designated by the students was cleared, students placed signs (made in wood shop class) identifying the plants in the area. The final portion of the project is putting together a PowerPoint presentation on what they’ve learned. Students also will create story boards of their project for posting in PG&E offices in Quincy, Chico and Redding.
PG&E’s vegetation-management department donated time and equipment to chip away wood debris for the forest enhancement work and met with the students in the field. The wood chips were later used in a high school beautification project. PG&E funds also paid for backpacks and binoculars for students as well as materials for field-science experiments
In the end, the students learned how to reduce fire fuels, enhance wildlife, how to make the area usable to the public and came up with a plan to help maintain the area.
McMorrow said the project taught students valuable lessons in a way that was far better than any textbook could have taught them.
“The kids learned forestry lessons in the forest,” he said.
Email Tracy Correa at tcce@pge.com.