"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Sequoyah Students Get First Hand Look at Pollution Effects

***"Bill Berry, storm water manager for the City of Tahlequah, helps Sequoyah Students Tyler Guthrie and Matt McCann catch fish and insect in the Town Branch."***

Tahlequah, OK - Textbooks can be informative when it comes to studying the effects of pollution on our natural resources, but nothing is as memorable as pulling on a set of hip waders and hitting the water for an up close and personal look. A group of Sequoyah Schools’ students did just that to learn more about local pollution and the effects that it has on our ecosystem.

“The students took samples of the macro-invertebrate life forms found in Town Branch creek,” said Leonard Freise, Sequoyah Schools’ science teacher. “They were looking for different varieties of invertebrate species which are indicators of differing levels of pollution.”

“It was pretty healthy in there because some of up fish weighed as much as four pounds,” said Roxanne Harmon, Sequoyah Schools’ senior.

Students also listened to a presentation by Ben Berry, storm water manager for the City of Tahlequah.

“He spoke about the main sources of pollution found in the Town Branch and its effects on the wildlife,” Freise said.

“He has a very interesting job,” Harmon said. “It would be really good for a person that enjoys nature and enjoys learning about community water supplies.”

The students also sampled fish by using a fish shocker to stun the fish. They seined the creek with a small mesh kick net and viewed their findings at viewing stations that were set up along the creek with large magnifying lenses to make the samples easier to view.

“The students observed about 25 or so different species of insects and 10 or so species of fish,” Freise said. “The largest was a green sunfish.”

“Everybody was really hands on,” Harmon added. “I had a lot of fun. I enjoyed examining the fish and being able to handle them to get a closer look at them.”

Freise makes the Town Brown creek study a regular lesson in his environmental science class to show students that pollution isn’t just a big city problem.

“It helped me be more aware of community water systems,” Harmon said. “People should not litter and should not interact with the water unsafely.”

Sequoyah Schools, a boarding school for Native American students, originated in 1871 as an orphan asylum to care for children who were orphaned by the Civil War. Now known as Sequoyah Schools, it is named for Sequoyah, the scholar who developed the Cherokee syllabary. The school is regionally and state accredited for grades 7-12 and has become the school of choice for more than 400 Native American students every year. Sequoyah Schools is located five miles southwest of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. For more information call 918-453-5400 or visit the Sequoyah Schools’ web site.