Students Help Reduce Erosion at Welsh Mountain Nature Preserve

In November, eighteen Ephrata High School students worked with the Lancaster County Conservancy to improve the trail system at Welsh Mountain Nature Preserve in Narvon.  The preserve is one of the highest and most forested areas in Lancaster County and is part of the Pennsylvania Highlands.

Students were tasked to remediate erosion occurring in the section of the preserve known as “The Great Drain.”  They discussed the relief of the land and watersheds, and then set out in groups with Brandon Tennis of Susquehanna Permaculture to identify where the greatest erosion was occurring.  Students marked spots that they wanted to remediate, and then rolled up their sleeves and began to dig and place logs to build their anti-erosion structure.  The benefit of their work is already being seen.

The project helped the students meet their Environmental Science Stewardship project requirement.