Parents Prompt Reclamation Of Silt-Choked School Marsh

Parents prompt reclamation of silt-choked school marsh

By Roger Le Lievre

EDUCATION REPORTER

The Mitchell-Scarlett woods will soon be returned to its natural state, thanks to action prompted by a citizen group and approved Wednesday night by the Board of Education.

The woods between the two schools, which contains a marsh suitable for environmental education, has been deteriorating during the past few years. Sediment from nearby construction sites has changed the marsh into “a relatively shallow, covered-over body of stagnant water, which is an ideal mosquito breeding ground.

“The wetlands need restoring in a timely and proper fashion,” says a brief prepared for the board by the Mitchell-Scarlett Woods Association.

The board approved the reclamation work, which will cost nearly $4,000. The money will come from private contributions.

Either a bulldozer or dragline will be used to open the marsh’s water basins, removing some of the silt and sediment. The dredged materials can be shaped into nesting islands or observation mounds, or protective berms to further improve the natural environment for wildlife and for environmental education, the report said.

Work will begin immediately, since it is easier to do it when the area is frozen.

Objections to the project came from Trustee Wendy Raeder. The school system’s accident liability would increase, she said, if the property were willfully altered. She added that the marsh area might be of equal educational value if allowed to evolve naturally rather than being tampered with by man.

“More damage might be done than good...we may end up with a nice human mudpuddle,” she observed.

Robert Potts, assistant superintendent, admitted that there was a split among science staff members regarding Raeder’s second point, but added other experts said by far the greatest educational benefit could be realized by restoring the area to its natural state.