Mt. Ararat High School Honors Biology Student Research
Every fall, CREA supports Mt. Ararat High School biology teacher Glenn Evans’ students as they design and carry out research at the Preserve. CREA provides science mentors from the community, equipment, use of the Ecology Center, and general support to students.
CREA prints the final posters, and organizes and promotes the final event, at which students present their findings to the community at the Topsham Public Library.
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“This experience was uniquely special because it was the first time that adults had provided the freedom for us young students to simply explore and learn on our own terms. It provided a space outside of the typical bounds of a normal high school class where I was able to nurture important skills like curiosity and inquisitiveness.” (Kristina Johnson, program alum) |
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“What stuck with me the most was the process and how much more engaging it was to have class in the woods than in the science department back at MTA. I recall the project giving me a sense of independence–getting to pack up and walk out to our site unaccompanied, having a routine and figuring out the water testing processes largely on our own once we had been trained on it once. That sense of independence and focus on experiential learning is what I have brought forward from CREA to my current role as an educator.” (Morgan Kinney, program alum) |
Posters listed below are the students’ final presentations. The 2022-2023 posters were presented by students on March 9, 2022 at the Topsham Public Library.
2022-2023
- Cathance River Water Level and Quality Monitoring 2022
- Cathance Preserve Forestry Plot Survey 2022
- Cathance River Preserve Mammal Study 2022
- Fishless Pond Survey 2022
- Fish Survey of the Cathance River 2022
- Ecological Survey of the Heath 2022
- Cathance River Tributary Study 2022
- Bird Survey of Cathance Preserve 2022
2021-2022:
- River Water Quality 2021
- River Invertebrates 2021
- Mammal Study 2021
- Forest Inventory Growth 2021
- Bird Study 2021
- Heath Study 2021
2019-2020:
- River Water Quality 2019
- River Invertebrates Study 2019
- Mammal Study 2019
- Heath Fen Study 2019
- Fish Survey 2019
- Dragonfly and Damselfly Study 2019
- Cathance Preserve Pond Study 2019
2018-2019:
- Water Quality of the Cathance River Fall 2018
- Mammal Study Fall 2018
- Salamander Study Fall 2018
- Health Plant Diversity Study Fall 2018
- Survey of a ‘Vernal Pool’ Fall 2018
- Forest Inventory Growth Study Fall 2018
2017-2018:
- Water Quality Cathance River Fall 2017
- Salamanders Fall 2017
- Mammal Study Fall 2017
- Forest Inventory Growth Fall 2017
- Bat Study Fall 2017
- Cathance River Invertebrates 2017
- Vernal Pool Comparison 2017
2016-2017:
- Fish Study Fall 2016
- Herpetology Fall 2016
- Forest Inventory Growth Fall 2016
- Cathance River Water Quality Fall 2016
- Bat Study Fall 2016
- Fungus Study 2016
- Moth Study 2016
2015-2016
- Forest Inventory Growth Fall 2015
- Vernal Pool Comparison Fall 2015
- Salamander Snake Study Fall 2015
- Dragonfly Study Fall 2015
- Cathance River Water Quality Fall 2015
- Cathance River Invertebrates Fall 2015
- Large Mammal Study
2014-2015:
- Water Quality Fall 2014
- Vernal Pool Fall 2014
- Salamanders Fall 2014
- Mammal Study Fall 2014
- Forest Inventory Growth Fall 2014
- Deer Wintering Area Fall 2014
- Cathance River Invertebrates Fall 2014
2013-2014:
- Forest Inventory Growth Plot
- Creek Chub Study
- Terrestrial Insect and Spider Predator/Prey Relationships *Thank you to Mentor Scientist David Reed for his formatting, identification, and photography assistance.
- 2013 Large Mammal Study
- Fun with Fungi
- Cathance River Water Quality 2013
2012-2013:
- 2012 Large Mammal Study
- Habitat Hole Study
- Forest Inventory Growth Plot
- Creek Chub Study
- Effect of Habitat on Bat Feeding
2011-2012:
- Adult Dragonflies Study
- Cathance Mammal Study
- Cathance River Water Quality Monitoring
- CREA Butterfly Project
- Forest Inventory Growth Plot
- Habitat Hole Project
- Mushroom Project
- Terrestrial Insect Sampling
2010-2011:
- Cathance River Invertebrate Sampling
- Cathance River Water Quality
- Cathance Spider Study
- Forest Inventory Growth Plot
- Habitat Hole Project
- Invasive Plant Species
- Large Mammal Study
- Vernal Pool Studies
2009-2010:
- Batometer Study
- Bird Study
- Frogs
- River Invertebrates
- Tributary
- Forest Inventory Growth
- Herbivores and Mammals
- Lichen
- Mammal Study
- River Water Quality
- Vernal Pool
- Water Quality 2
2008-2009:
- Cathance Slideshow
- Large Mammal Study
- FIG Plot
- Moss
- Transition Zones in the Cathance River Preserve
- Water Quality
Dragonfly and Damselfly Independent Study Project
This YouTube movie was created by two Mt. Ararat students in the Fall of 2011 for a Dragonfly and Damselfly Independent Study Project:
Thank you to mentor, photographer, and naturalist David Reed. Click here to visit David’s Cathance Preserve Site.
5th Grade Insect Study
This insect data summarizes the Woodside Elementary 5th Grade Scientific Method Aquatic and Terrestrial Insect Study, done throughout the fall of 2011.
Remote Wildlife Camera
Some students set up a motion-sensing wildlife camera and took pictures to study the mammals who live in the Preserve.
Remote Wildlife Camera Videos:
Brunswick High School Independent Study on Vernal Pools
Videos on YouTube
Check out our YouTube channel to see more videos created by students.
Coffin Elementary Student Poems
Ms. Cameron’s third grade class from Coffin School came to CREA in Fall of 2009 and made poems and pictures of their visit that they read online.
Coffin Elementary Students Read Their Poems
Service Learning at CREA
CREA’s educational philosophy is firmly rooted in hands-on, inquiry and place based education models. We incorporate service learning in both our operations at the Preserve and as a key component in many of our programs.