AP Biology Students Take A Trip To the Urban Ecology Center to Collect Data

AP Biology students took a field trip to the  Urban Ecology Center and Milwaukee Kayak last week to  experiment with data collection strategies at the Urban Ecology Center. Students also  explored biotic and abiotic interactions through our trip with Milwaukee Kayak.

Students left Greendale High School at 8:30AM  and arrived at the Urban Ecology Center at 9. While at the Urban Ecology Center students participated in the collection of bird data, and  at 11 they arrived at the Milwaukee Kayak Company, where students participated in a 2-hour kayaking trip through downtown Milwaukee. They returned to GHS at 1:30PM.

Overall the trip benefited students in multiple ways.

“Students were exposed to volunteer and internship opportunities at the Urban Ecology Center. Students extended their network at each location,” Biology teacher Amy Zientek said,  “and they participated in team building and community service”

Students enjoyed the field trip as a whole, but their favorite part of the trip was the kayaking.

“I loved kayaking on the Milwaukee River,” senior Dani Hamilton said. “My family has a boat, and we go down there sometimes, so it was cool to see the river from a kayak perspective rather than a speed boat. I also found a habanero pepper in the river, which was funny.”

For some it was their first time, and it was a experience they’ll never forget.

“My favorite part about the trip was kayaking,” senior Vessena Osterberg said.  “I’d never done it before, so I was really nervous to try it, especially with the thought of falling into the Milwaukee river.”

Students were learning about taxonomy and birds, and the trip provided them with a real life experience of how they can apply their skills in the everyday world and how science is everywhere.

“We had a bunch of guest speakers throughout the year, showing how science can be used in different jobs,” Hamilton said. “This trip really gave an idea on more job opportunities or volunteer opportunities that we have with science.”

As the year is coming to an end, students who took the class highly recommend it for other students who want to do anything in the science department despite its difficulty.

“AP Biology is an important course to take for anyone wanting to major in science,” senior  Catherine Nguyen said. “ It’s meant to cover all the sciences such as Physics and Chemistry the more in depth you learn as you advance into college.  Biology teaches students about the world around them and how life functions and advances through the years.”