'Better Than Facebook'

Pottstown Middle School students recently took a three-day field trip to the Pocono Environmental Education Center.

The trip -- lead by Pottstown Middle School Environmental Science Club sponsor Kevin Downes -- helped the students develop a new sense of environmental awareness, said John J. Armato, the district's director of community relations, in an e-mail.

"The project . . . provided opportunities for students to experience a wide range of environmental issues that they normally would not experience," Armato said. "The students took part in various hands-on activities that allowed them to learn and understand about how to become responsible stewards of our earth. They enjoyed the varied outdoor activities that included field and stream exploration, canoeing and team building activities."

At one point, students were asked to make a sentence that described an environmental lesson they learned on the trip, he said.  

The trip also taught students to respect the ecosystem and the impact people have on the environment, Armato said.

"As they became more familiar with the various issues facing saving our environment, their conversations quickly changed from the normal teenage discussion of the latest pop star to carbon footprints and how to reduce the drain of natural resources from our land," he said. "At the evening campfire, one student was heard to say, 'This is better than Facebook.'"