On Monday, Oct. 7, the AP Environmental Science class took a field trip to Ottawa Sands County Park in Ferrysburg. The trip was a chance for the students to experience what they are learning in real life.
As Adam Reed, the AP Environmental Science teacher, says “APES isn’t just a class, it’s a lifestyle.”
While at Ottawa Sands, students spent half the time clearing Autumn Olive, an invasive species, from the forests of the park. The invasive species takes up resources from natural species, therefore killing them. The rest of the time was spent on a walk around the inland lake, learning about the history and significance of the dunes.
Aliya Williams, a Spring Lake High School senior, is currently taking APES and attended the field trip. “It was really cool to see the content that we’re learning about in class, in real life” said Aliya.
AP Environmental Science is a college class offered to high schoolers to earn college credit. APES content covers climate change, invasive species, anthropogenic effects and more. In May, the students take a college level test that grades on a scale of 1-5, five being the highest you can score.
