Wetlands
Experiential Science Education
Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr (SHA) campus is home to wetlands that provide an ideal mini-ecosystem for experiential education, particularly in the Lower and Middle Schools. Throughout the academic year, students boot-up and experience the wetlands with joy, while learning lessons in life science. Curricula focuses on seasonal environmental changes; animal habitats, tracks, and behaviors; wetland plants and flowers; and the creek's biosphere enriches students' understanding of SHA Wetland's unique ecosystem. Students also gain a respect for nature and grow as stewards of our earth.
The young scientists also assist with the Wetland restoration, a hands-on program and call-to-action to protect our environment.
Wetlands Rehabilitation Project
The SHA Wetlands Rehabilitation project began in 2017, following the Darby Creek Valley Association (DCVA) surveyance of the extensive wetlands at the south end of Sacred Heart Academy's property, along S. Bryn Mawr Avenue, where native species were crowded by invasive plants and trees, threatening the ecosystem including Meadowbrook Run, a tributary of Darby Creek. The DCVA survey concluded that the area could be restored as a valuable wetland, accessible to students, researchers, and the community.
Over the years, SHA students along with DCVA volunteers, have removed vines, brush, and invasive plants. New native plants and flowers were planted which attract native pollinators, reduce erosion, and help to restore a natural balance to the downstream Darby Creek watershed; funding was provided by TreeVitalize grants from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Delaware County Conservation District.
Contacts:
Brittan Adams '01
Science Teacher
SHA Wetlands