Teachers Become Students Along Back River

The Back River watershed turned into a classroom last week for more than 30 teachers from across the country, who visited the area to learn about there with hopes of incorporating what they saw into their curriculum.

Dale Bergerhofer, a Kansas School Designer with Expeditionary Learning (EL), was leader of the group of math and science teachers that visited the trash boom currently in place along Back River at Diamond Point. Bergerhofer said the program is part of the movement for a national school reform model.

“The area is rich in environmental and aquatic lessons these teachers need to take into their classrooms, incorporate into their curriculum, and these lessons will translate into experiments and field trips for their students,” Bergerhofer said.

Anna Switzer, another Expeditionary Learning staff member with the group, added, “They want to learn a different and interesting way to teach their students, to teach them and keep them engaged in current issues that will last them a lifetime.”

The group met with representatives from the Department of Environmental Protection and Management (DEPRM) and from the Back River Restoration Committee (BRRC).  A brief overview was provided on what the BRRC has accomplished over the past two years and how DEPRM has provided support and guidance.

BRRC representatives explained their efforts to involve schools in tree plantings and shoreline cleanups.

Also discussed was local art teachers' overwhelming participation in the Trash Art Show, held in May as a fundraiser for BRRC programs. Teachers touring the site were impressed with how the BRRC worked with the Maryland Institute College of Art to convert recovered items into art for the Trash Art Show, describing the effort as an “out-of-the-box” way of engaging their students in the coming school year.

The EL group also had numerous questions about the stream of trash and debris from the upstream feed from Baltimore City.  Frustrations about this situation were discussed, and DEPRM explained the recent “” that was signed by local politicians and Baltimore County staff.

The treaty is an effort to control or reduce the continuous downstream flow polluting Back River and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. Coincidentally, during this portion of the lecture, a tire and plastic bottle came floating downstream, physical real-time proof of the seemingly never-ending problem. 

After the lecture, the EL tour group loaded onto the bus that took them to Cox's Point to see the shoreline restoration and tree planting projects that have been accomplished there.