On Monday, June 6th, the skies were sunny and spirits in Miss Quigg’s wildlife class were high. Instead of going to Ephrata High School to finish the last week of school, the class headed down to the Octoraro Reservoir to enjoy a day of kayaking and wildlife observation. The reservoir is located between Lancaster and Chester counties, covers approximately 620 square acres, and is surround by over 10 miles of shoreline.
Students started the day by moving their boats to the launch and watching a short water safety and boating demonstration by lifeguard, Josh Gregory. After all the boats were in the water, the group headed three miles northeast toward the waterfowl nesting grounds where they spotted a bald eagle in flight. Other wildlife observations included a wood duck, several blue herons, green herons, a white tail deer, red winged blackbirds, osprey, swallows, and snakes. Two students who brought their poles and fishing licenses were able to catch perch and catfish. Students also were able to review several tree species found along the shorelines that were covered in the forestry unit of the course. In the afternoon, the group returned back to the boat launch and students were given some free time to explore specific portions of the reservoir in small groups. Although several had sore or sunburnt arms, it was a memorable experience for everyone, especially seniors Erin Beever and Terri Kauffman. June 6th was actually their last official day of high school, and as Erin reflected “I couldn’t think of a better way to end it.”
Junior, Pat Rehm, initiated the trip by asking if the class could go down to the Chesapeake Bay or Holtwood Dam. After several ideas were thrown around, the class finally agreed on a more local kayaking trip and Miss Quigg suggested that they consider visiting the reservoir. Pat continued his leadership role by meeting with the high school principal to get approval for the trip, completing the required field trip form, and coordinating the kayak rental. Other students in the class assisted by compiling field trip forms, recommending lifeguards to accompany the group, and gathering necessary supplies. As Miss Quigg explained, “I gave them a list of tasks that needed to be completed before the trip and if they didn’t happen, they didn’t go. This sink or swim approach really helped motivate them to get the work done. They did a phenomenal job working together and were rewarded with an excellent trip.”