Garden City High School AP Environmental Science students explore and preserve the Hempstead Plains

From Oct. 13-15, Garden City High School’s AP Environmental Science students visited the Hempstead Plains Education Center for hands-on learning alongside Nassau Community College professor Doug Schmid, who has extensive experience at the site.

During their visit, students explored Long Island’s geologic history and the formation of the Hempstead Plains. They examined how the region’s landscape has shaped land use over time, from sheep grazing and agriculture to aviation. The class also studied the ecology and biodiversity of this unique temperate grassland, learned about the effects of controlled burns and examined a soil pit to better understand glacial retreat and its influence on soil structure.

Students investigated the education center’s sustainable design features and explored why invasive species thrive in environments where they are not native. They also put their learning into action through a service project by removing invasive plants, including Chinese bush clover, to help protect and preserve this distinctive local ecosystem.

Experiences like this field trip demonstrate the value of GCHS’s APES course by giving students opportunities to connect classroom learning to the natural world, practice environmental stewardship and make a positive impact in their own community.