The 34th Annual Evening for Northeast Pennsylvania’s Environment, hosted by PEC, was held Oct. 17 at the Woodlands Inn and Resort. This post is part of a series celebrating the six local initiatives and two individuals recognized for their contributions to environmental protection and restoration in the region.
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Sparking an early interest in wildlife is a great way to cultivate a lifelong sense of stewardship in children. At the Dallas Intermediate School in Luzerne County, Deborah Pike accomplished just that when she mobilized students from her gifted and talented class to compete in the Albert M. Greenfield Foundation UNLESS Contest. Inspired by Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax, UNLESS is a project-based learning activity that encourages students to explore solutions to environmental issues in their communities.
Mrs. Pike’s group of students named themselves “Turtle Titans,” after their mission to raise awareness for the eastern box turtle. The species is common around northeastern Pennsylvania but faces threats from issues like habitat loss and plastic pollution.
To educate other children about the species, students created an outdoor Environmental Education Library and stocked it with storybooks they created themselves. One of the books was adapted for a “story walk” at Frances Slocum State Park, where pages were displayed on signboards along the Lake Shore Trail. The stories are geared for younger audiences and depict turtles overcoming threats such as habitat pollution and predation from the illegal pet trade. The class also conducted cleanups at Hanover Crossing in partnership with the North Branch Land Trust. Their work earned them first place in the Philadelphia Zoo’s annual Albert M. Greenfield Foundation UNLESS Contest for grades 3-5.
Claire Pippenger, a student in Pike’s class, said that the project has changed the way she sees the natural world and empowered her to be an advocate for wildlife. She hopes the stories that she and her fellow Turtle Titans wrote can inspire other kids.
“We want to reach a younger age so that one day, when they’re adults, they’ll be a lot more interested in what we’re doing,” she said.
Deborah Pike said that the lessons from the UNLESS contest extend beyond environmental education, as students developed collaboration and project-management skills.
“They learned through this project to really listen to each other,” she said.
Mrs. Pike has since retired from teaching, but she’s grateful for the opportunity to work with kids and see their efforts recognized outside the classroom.
“Students like these, I probably have learned more from them in the last year or so than they have learned from me,” Pike said. “It’s just an honor to have worked with these students, and to see their hard work recognized in this way is just an honor for me.”
Mrs. Pike and her students received a 2024 Environmental Partnership Award for their success in collaborating with other groups throughout the course of their project. They were honored at the 34th Annual Evening for Northeast Pennsylvania’s Environment on Oct. 17 at the Woodlands Inn & Resort, Plains, PA. To learn more about the awards and to see the full list of this year’s winners, click here.