The Pennsylvania Department of Education has required that students experience one Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) during each of their kindergarten-through-five years, their six-through-eight years, and their high school years.

Sixth graders at Beaty-Warren Middle School and Eisenhower Middle School completed week-long MWEEs in May, district Science Curriculum Coordinator Wendy Gray said. “This was a trial run… but mostly just included the field experiences portion of a MWEE and not the entire process.”

“Starting next year, all sixth-grade students in the district will be completing full MWEEs,” Gray said.

The students in the pilot visited Conewango Creek next to Beaty and the Ecolab pond at Eisenhower and created site maps.

Pictured is Beaty-Warren Middle School sixth-grader Haley Campman showing the results of a test of Conewango Creek water.

“They completed a habitat survey, where they made note of specific characteristics concerning the water itself, the bank, riparian zone, and land use,” she said.

“Students completed several water tests, including dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphates, pH, temperature, and turbidity. They also completed a Biotic Index by observing the macroinvertebrates.”

Students at Beaty “discovered that the Conewango is a very healthy creek… which was a surprise to many,” Gray said.

Pictured is Beaty-Warren Middle School sixth-grader Bentley Sherry showing the results of a test of Conewango Creek water.