This conservations class's focus is on tree identification, healthy forests, and sugaring season.  The students participate in every step of the sugaring process from identifying trees, tapping, sap collection, boiling sap to syrup, bottling, and even making maple candies.  Maple syrup and candy sale dates for the 2025-2026 school year are to be determined. 

Students built bluebird boxes in the shop for the Northeastern Bluebird and learned how citizen science has made this bird's story a conservation success.

Students studied invasive species of NYS, their impact on the environment and native species and how to get rid of them and made a WANTED poster. Several students participated in the TERRA Science Fair with these posters in 2021-2022!

Conservation students have been in charge of keeping the courtyard clean, beautifying it by planting flowers and setting up the courtyard garden. 

The students helped prep the space, lay down cardboard and plant the pollinator garden. 

Conservation- a careful preservation and protection of something especially : planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect. In this course students learn about methods and needs for conservation at a local and global scale. We will have many opportunities to see conservation efforts in our region and country, and to apply our understanding in ways that directly impact our school and communities.

The SLC 2nd period conservation class is removing purple loose-strife. An invasive plant from Eurasia that destroys our native ecosystem.  When it is summer, the purple loose-strife is a tall purple plant with a woody stem and roots that kill native plants. The roots are very tough and woody, absorbing the nutrients and strangle native plants roots.  They are slowly pushing out native plants disrupting the natural flow of the north country's environment.

Check back in March for more information on our project with the option to get free native plant seeds!

Students learned about the nutrient cycle and made a small worm bin to observe decomposers and their importance in that cycle. 

Students tested whether or not nutrients helped plants grow. They also tested whether hydroponics or potting soils was a better growing medium for different plant types.