I consider myself to have had the luxury of attending a small middle school in rural Vermont. One unique field trip, my small class of 19 students planted tree saplings along a creek; Black Creek, which runs mostly through farm fields, has little tree coverage along the sides due to the grazing pastures where cows tread heavily to access drinking water. Planting riparian buffer zones along creeks and streams can not only teach children valuable lessons about stream ecology and climate action but is also a fun and memorable way to positively influence the environment.

I live along a section of the creek where there are few trees (see Image 1). The water is murky, shallow, and warm. The lack of trees results in erosion of soil when cows walk down the bank to drink. In the Adirondacks, too, barren stream-sides lead to erosion and a decline in stream health (see Image 2). As Declan McCabe writes in the Adirondack Almanack, the eroded soil from the banks fill in under rocks where macroinvertebrates live (McCabe 2015). The Adirondacks has been subjected to disturbance, by highway-building, agriculture, and human-overuse which reduce the forest presence and negatively impact stream ecology.

As I have learned in my Ecology/Evolution class, having tree coverage on a stream increases shading which cools the stream, allowing for increased O₂ concentrations and an improved environment for wildlife. A riparian buffer zone is a treeline along the bank, where tree roots hold the soil in place against erosion. On our trips, my class spent the day planting Pine, Spruce, and Dogwood saplings which grow in sandier soils and are found locally.

The school field trip I took planting saplings in my hometown as a child stuck with me. I still remember jumping on shovels to sink them into the ground and tugging on saplings to confirm their stability. Now studying the Adirondack Park, which houses many watersheds, I see the importance of a healthy stream ecology. The impacts of human disturbances are vast and can only be controlled if we take tangible action. The lesson I learned about riparian buffer zones and how I can maintain the environment when I was 12 years old has stuck with me into college, proving this kind of hands-on learning is incalculably valuable. 

Community News Reports. “Lake George West Brook Restoration Project Slated -.” The Adirondack Almanack, The Adirondack Almanack, 11 Sept. 2012, https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2012/09/lake-george-west-brook-restoration-project-slated.html.

McCabe, Declan. “The Impact of Stormwater on Adirondack Streams -.” The Adirondack Almanack, The Adirondack Almanack, 30 July 2015, https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/07/the-impact-of-stormwater-on-adirondack-streams.html.