Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 19, 1995 TAG: 9509190032
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The 17 juniors and seniors in Frank Taylor's applied chemistry class have just embarked on a year-long investigation that will send them wading into the mysteries of just what makes up a healthy stream, and how that can affect their entire community.
Connellys Run flows down the center of Radford and on to the New River. At Wildwood Park, the gentle stream comes within a five-minute walk of Radford High and Taylor's 5th period class.
Last week, the class made its first official trek into the woods and down the steep hill to their living laboratory.
Latreece Calloway and Dawn Hale brought up the rear as the group descended down the winding path. Though they liked the idea of getting away from the classroom and into fresh air, communing with nature was not high on their list of favorite activities.
"Ooh, ooh, what is that?" Calloway yelped, pointing to a slimy black dot - an insect of some variety, most likely - attached to a stream rock. "Get that thing away from me!"
Do they feel like true scientists, using chemical kits and testing for things like phosphate levels?
"More like being a nurses aide," quipped Hale before turning to Taylor. "Why are we doing this again?"
Like testing the stream itself, this project is part of a larger, two-fold mission: Educating his students about chemistry and ecology; and informing the public about water quality.
Several months ago, Taylor applied for and received a $5,000 grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment to implement the study.
His class will learn what organisms and plants live in Connellys Run and how that indicates a healthy - or unhealthy - water supply. Did the Park Road landfill, a waste dumping site from 1972-87 located near the stream, damage the water? Will construction of nearby Virginia 177 risk the streams health?
Taylor's class will find out, then let the community know. The findings will be reported to a Save Our Streams project run by the Isaac Walton League.
The juniors and seniors will be hosts to third graders from local elementary schools and share their stream knowledge with the younger students.
Also, they'll give The Roanoke Times monthly updates on their progress.
It's the kind of hands-on learning that Steve Homiak lives for.
"I love this stuff. I hunt and fish - I'm always out in the woods," the tall senior said as he stared into a test tube full of cloudy water. This is the last science he'll take in high school, and he chose applied chemistry because he wanted to get his hands... well, wet.
His lab partner, Bucky O'Neal, found another slimy black thing attached to a rock and showed it to Taylor.
"Hey, everyone over here," Taylor called to the group spread out along the bank. "We've got something really cool here - biologically speaking."
It's the remnants of an insect larvae, Taylor explained.
"Gross," grumbled Tasha Reed.
"What was it?" someone asked as Taylor walked away.
"A bunch of critters," shrugged O'Neal.
Eventually, the class will have to know exactly what kind of critters live in their slice of Connellys Run. And what that means for Radford.
Stay tuned....
by CNB