Signature Learning Experience for Seventh Graders at the Pocono Environmental Education Center

For several decades, it has been a tradition at Saint David’s for the seventh graders to embark upon an extended overnight field trip that is interdisciplinary in nature and a strong bonding experience for the class. The tradition continued this year with a trip to the Pocono Environmental Education Center in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. While there, boys conducted field work in forest and stream ecology, including wading in streams and collecting water and specimen samples, traversing hiking paths and assessing the forest habitat, and traveling by canoe to monitor pond and stream ecosystems.

The boys also learned about the geologic and cultural history of the Delaware River region, and connected their explorations to their lives at home. While staying on-site, they practiced ‘leaving no trace’-- living with as minimal impact as possible, while preserving threatened wildlife and habitats.