After The Grant: Project Update

 

The Original Grant Summary

The Organization

The Donegal Experiential Education Program (DEEP) of Donegal High School, a public school in Mount Joy, PA. 

DEEP is focused on: Watershed preservation or reclamation - Wildlife habitat conservation - Wildlife habitat creation - Water quality improvement - Aesthetic improvements - Cleanup / remediation - Native species promotion - Research and species inventories

The Mission

"I'm Dr. Dave Eichler, teacher at Donegal High School in Lancaster County, PA. I teach physical and outdoor education. For the outdoor education course, I instruct the Donegal Experiential Education Program (DEEP).  DEEP students under my supervision participate annually with stocking trout (both with a local cooperative trout nursery as well as with the PFBC), planting tree seedlings on State Game Lands with PGC Food & Cover personnel, have an "Adopt-A-Highway" 20 year contract with PennDOT and a cooperation with Mount Joy Borough with cleaning and maintaining the Little Chiques Creek.

The DEEP course is and has always been outdoor and environmentally-based. Teaching high school students about the importance of protecting and conserving the environment ensures that the next and future generations have a true experience of these important concepts."

The Project

"A part of the DEEP curriculum is bird and duck habitat nesting structure placement and monitoring. Recently DEEP was granted the sole permission to install, monitor and maintain Mallard and Wood duck boxes as well as small bird boxes at the East Donegal Twp. River Front Park in Lancaster County, PA. The park has vast wetlands and this past February DEEP students in cooperation with the PA Game Commission's Food & Cover staff installed four Wood and three Mallard duck nesting structures. The Game Commission personnel used an ATV to haul boxes, equipment and tools.  DEEP students will venture back out in Jan./Feb. 2016 to check on the structures, replace wood chips and hay as well as check on the integrity of the structures, and replace if necessary any damaged or defective structures. An ATV and cart is needed to perform this waterfowl and environmental service for years to come.

I went to three ATV vendors in Lancaster County: Honda, Yamaha and Polaris. All three vendors were informed about the minimum ATV requirements (basically 4 x 4, minimum 30hp, manual or automatic transmission, no power steering needed). At this point Polaris offered the lowest price and is the selected vendor should this project receive funding ($5271.50) Since we're a 501(c)(3) public school district tax exempt status occurs. I'm searching for any financial assistance towards the purchase of an ATV and pull behind cart."

Key Project Milestones

- Stocking trout (both bucket and float stocking).
- Tree seedling planting in cooperation with the PGC on State Game Lands.
- Adopt-A-Highway 20 year history of roadside litter pickup. 
- Mallard & Wood duck habitat nesting structures placed at East Donegal Twp. River Front Park, Lancaster County.

Rough Budget for This Project

$5,500