From Hatchlings to Harvest

From Hatchlings to Harvest 

By Addysen Fawcett | 10/15/25

On October 15th and 16th, the Cranberry Envirothon club took part in their annual pheasant stocking project in the backyard of Cranberry Junior/Senior High School.

The pheasant project, one of the club’s most popular events, includes raising pheasant chicks from hatchlings until they are mature enough to harvest or release into the wild. The project aims to educate kids about the process behind harvesting the pheasants, eventually to consume them, while also stressing the importance of the re-population of animals in the environment. 

Kim Daugherty, Cranberries Food Service Director, partnered with the Conservation club’s advisor, Dustin Wenner, to prepare a few pheasants for Cranberry students to sample. “I honestly did not expect it to be this moist and flavorful,” said Cranberry senior Abigail Nuhfer. 

Other student organizations, including Science Club and Envirothon, both led by Cranberry biology teacher Lauri Piercy, often lend a hand in the project. Together, these clubs teach nearly 150 students about the world we live in and how to nurture it. 

Despite recent school budget cuts, the pheasant project continues thanks to generous donors from community members and local sportsmen’s clubs. 

“I want kids to appreciate the process behind food on the dinner table,” commented Dustin Wenner, an eighth-grade science teacher and Conservation Club advisor. “We are certainly blessed in America and sometimes take for granted where our food comes from.” 

The pheasant project not only helps the local pheasant population but also teaches students lifelong lessons about responsibility, sustainability, and gratitude for the natural world.