BEA’s Environmental Center provides outdoor learning opportunities for students

Birds were chirping, frogs were croaking, bugs were buzzing and movement in the pond made a splash in the water that caught the attention of 26 second- and third-grade students from Port Matilda Elementary School.

The group stopped by the Environmental Center at the grounds of Bald Eagle Area Middle and High School on May 15 for a day of environmental activities. Led by volunteer and former district teacher and administrator Marsha Sackash, students were able to collect samples from the pond, observe nearby nature and participate in a variety of environmental games that allowed students to identify frogs, birds, tadpoles, plant species, fish and more.

When the district opened the Environmental Center about six years ago, it lent itself to an opportunity for teachers and students to take their learning outside the classroom and invest in nature education. The center includes indoor labs, a pond and picnic area.