A Golden Day at the Mianus River Gorge Preserve
Hike through the Mianus River Gorge Preserve.
On November 16, 2024, 19 middle and high school students participating in Christodora’s CORE program boarded a bus in the Bronx, leaving the city behind and traveling to Bedford, New York, home of the Mianus River Gorge Preserve. The gorge is known for its cathedral of 350-year-old hemlocks that tower over 100 feet. Upon arrival, the students were greeted by Chris Nagy, Director of Research and Education, and Budd Verka, Director of Land Management, who led the group on a nature hike through the gorge (1.6 miles total). On the hike, students observed the remnants of old agricultural walls and discussed the impact of agriculture on soil and water quality in the region. And, of course, a visit to Mianus would not be complete without visiting the 400-year-old Eastern Hemlock trees! Students learned about how old-growth trees can better sustain extreme weather conditions thanks to the established mycorrhizal that they help generate.
Career talk as a group.
Edging the pathway with a mallet.
Following the hike, students had an opportunity to learn about Budd and Chris’ career backgrounds, including their interests, educational and work backgrounds, and how to network and build an early career. This was especially helpful information as 15 of our 19 students in CORE this semester are high school students and are beginning to think about the next steps in their life and career.
The afternoon was devoted to supporting the preserve through stewardship. Working in teams, our students helped clear and create over 100 ft of trail. This multi-step process involved cleaning the trail, placing the gravel, leveling the ground, and creating a sturdy edge to the pathway with repurposed lumber from old fence posts. Steps were added by carving the soil, cutting lumber to size, leveling the lumber and soil, and securing the steps using rebar drilled and hammered into the lumber. Our students were excited to use power tools like drills for step building and hand saws. At the end of the day, when students gathered to reflect on all that they had experienced, one student remarked, “It’s amazing how much we can get done when we work together.”
Sawing old posts for edging the pathway.
Having fun transporting the posts!