Northfield Middle Students Volunteer to Remove Buckthorn from Nature Area

A group of 16 Northfield Middle School science students volunteered one Saturday earlier this month in a project to apply their knowledge of invasive species and remove Buckthorn from Sibley Elementary School’s nature area.

The students, who learned about invasive species during a restoration project at Carleton College's Cowling Arboretum, were joined by two teachers and four parents.

“For the past several years, we’ve worked with Arboretum Director Nancy Braker to remove Buckthorn in the arb,” Northfield Middle science teacher Katrina Meehan said in a press release. “After studying plants and flower structure, we also return each spring to look at the wildflowers in our nature journaling curriculum. This way students can see the connection between removing Buckthorn, (which leafs out early and blocks sunlight,) and an increase in the native plant population.”

The service learning project are designed to supplement classroom instruction and make lessons more tangible for students.

“We try to connect our curriculum to our community,” Meehan said. “It gives students a variety of ways to learn.”