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  • Black Run Summer Teacher Institute 2009

Black Run Summer Teacher Institute 2009

Pinelands Preservation Alliance held an intensive environmental education and stewardship institute for Evesham Township middle and high school teachers based on local conservation lands, called the Black Run Preserve, in the Pine Barrens of Evesham Township.

[+ ZOOM] Teachers and students at the 2009 Black Run Summer Teacher Institute in Evesham. ©PPA

The institute trained local teachers in the ecology and history of human uses of their local natural areas and how they can use the Preserve as an outdoor classroom. The institute also introduced students to the Preserve and gave them the knowledge they need to explore the ecosystem intelligently and responsibly. And, finally, the institute brought the broader public onto the land through volunteer stewardship projects, including a guided hike in April 2010 and a clean up in May 2010, which the teachers and students designed and led.

[+ ZOOM] Teachers donned hip waders to examine aquatic life at the Black Run Preserve.

[+ ZOOM] Teachers sampling fish at old cranberry bog at Black Run Preserve in 2009. ©PPA

[+ ZOOM] Teachers surveying the old Aerohaven Airport ©PPA

Participants explored the Black Run Preserve under the guidance of Pine Barrens experts, who introduced them to the ecology of the Preserve and how it came to be protected. Topics included studying the site through maps and aerial photographs, hiking portions of the preserve, analyzing soils, testing water quality, sampling aquatic life, and examining the history of human impacts on the site. Participants were also introduced to geocaching and the use of GIS systems to identify and map sampling sites, field trip itineraries and other features.

Testimonials from last year's attendees:

Maureen Heenan (DeMasi Middle School): "The Black Run Summer Teacher Institute was an amazing experience. The days were filled with hands on learning that made me feel like a kid again! The knowledgable staff was so organized and provided all of us the "tools" to turn the gem of Black Run Preserve into an outdoor classroom."

Bob Clarke (Cherokee High School): "We learned a lot about a little known gem called the Black Run right in Cherokee's back yard. This class was a nice mixture of fun, making new friends and contacts in Marlton, and learning. Black Run can be a great recreation source for Marlton and beyond if we embrace it and help to develop it's use."

The agenda for the 2009 Black Run Summer Teacher Institute offers a detailed look at the topics covered and the exercises that occurred throughout the week.

Contact Mike at (609) 859-8860 x24 or mikeh@pinelandsalliance.org for questions about this year's Black Run Summer Teacher Institute (July 12 - 16, 2010)