trevordayschool

water quality has improved since she took the same samples almost ten years ago, a sign of hope for the future. Amelia is among the first cohort of 14 seniors who graduated from Trevor with a Concentration in Environmental Studies. They earned this designation by taking a series of advanced courses related to sustainability, completing relevant Bridge Projects, and working together on one final assignment. Environmental studies is an interdisciplinary academic field that focuses on human interaction with the environment. Environmental studies brings together physical sciences, social sciences, and the humanities to address complex environmental issues. Environmental studies begins with an understanding of the natural world and an appreciation for our responsibility to protect it. Trevor students start to study the environment from a young age. Those in our early grades learn about nature firsthand, by studying birds, turtles, and trees in Central Park. Students bring pond water back to the classroom and look at tiny organisms under the microscope. They study different habitats, creating murals and dioramas depicting the diversity of life within them. Hands-on experiences continue in 3rd grade. Students conduct composting experiments, investigating how different materials break down while learning about the scientific process. They study traditional Native American practices (specifically those of the Lenape), exploring how the original inhabitants of what is now New York City lived in harmony with the land, using natural materials to build their homes and living by sustainable farming practices. Third graders go on several field trips throughout the year. They visit the Brooklyn Grange, a rooftop farm that produces food and educates about sustainable living and local ecology. There, students learn about worms, bees, and other insects that are beneficial to plants. Seeing that the bees pollinate the plants that grow the food they eat, students begin to grasp the interconnected web of life to which they belong. They also plant seeds at the Brooklyn Grange during this first trip. A few months later, they return and see the various plants produced by those seeds. The 3rd grade also visits the Hudson River multiple times, including the field trip that Amelia helped chaperone (and participated in when she was a student). The students take a scientific approach, testing the water for various factors: salinity, temperature, pH, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen. They learn how the water quality affects the health of the river and the diversity of life in it. They explore the history of the river, how humans have used it, polluted it, and protected it. On their final trip to the Hudson toward the end of the school year, students learn about folk musician and activist Pete Seeger, who responded to the pollution he witnessed in the 1960s by announcing plans to "build a boat to save the river." He raised funds for the construction of the Clearwater, a 106-foot sloop, which still sails today under the auspices of an educational nonprofit organization. Seeger believed people who experienced the beauty of the Hudson River would be moved to protect it. As they sail on the Clearwater, Trevor students feel that sense of awe and begin to think about the responsibility they have for protecting nature. In the 4th and 5th grades, students continue developing a scientific understanding of the environment. They explore various types of ecosystems and delve into food webs, 3rd graders learn the value of composting Amelia McQuade '23 on the Clearwater sail in May 2023 Lower School students use Central Park as their own science lab TREVOR DAY SCHOOL / 55 INSIDE TREVOR TREVOR TRANSLATES FEATURE AR TICLES ALUMNI

• Cover