Published: June 14, 2009 11:21 pm      

Students spruce up Green Ridge State Forest

Allegany High ninth-graders complete service learning project

GREEN RIDGE — Allegany High School ninth-grade government students got to apply the knowledge they learned about the environment in real-life situations.

The students in Tammy Twigg’s class planted and mulched trees around the Green Ridge State Forest headquarters office.

The project was funded by a mini-grant through the Maryland Urban Community Forestry Committee.

Twigg said that the service-learning project applied lessons learned about conservation, smart growth principles, recycling, urbanization and the effects of urban sprawl.

“It’s a way for the students to give back to the community while at the same time they earn their required service hours toward service-learning and for graduation,” said Twigg. “It helps build self-esteem and give the students a sense they accomplished something.”

“It’s another great experience at Green Ridge State Forest,” said Kara Kennel, board of education service learning coordinator. “This is the second time this year that Allegany students partnered with Green Ridge for a tree-planting project. This is the true meaning of service learning.”

Around lunch time, students were treated to a surprise when a caravan consisting of 53 Corvettes of every year and color with the Free State Corvette Club stopped for a prearranged break on their journey to points further west.

The Corvette club and the students ate lunch together at the headquarters overlook while they heard an environmental presentation about the natural wonders of Green Ridge from the forest manager, Francis Zumbrun.

“This is what makes Green Ridge State Forest an interesting place to work,” said Mark Beals, assistant forest manager and event organizer. “People from all walks of life visit the forest and intermingle.”

Zumbrun noted that the planting activity carries on a long tradition of volunteerism over the years through organizations like Friends of Volunteer Team, which promote and oversee meaningful volunteer work at Rocky Gap State Park, Dan’s Mountain State Park and Green Ridge State Forest.