Senior Research Projects

 SCVTHS Agricultural Science Seniors Taking on Research Projects with Professional Guidance.

Coursework

Students in the Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School (SCVTHS) Agricultural Science program have already successfully completed three years of coursework in basic agricultural science. First year students learn the basics of each facet of agriculture in basic animal, plant, environment, ecology, engineering, and communication. While second year students complete coursework in plant science and third year students in animal and plant biotechnology. 

Students in their fourth year get to dedicate class time toward specializing in an agricultural facet they want to pursue beyond high school. In this final year I like to describe this year as a mini-master's degree. Senior students get to find an agricultural problem they want to investigate in animal, plant, environment, ecology, engineering, or communication. They then contact a professional in the field to help guide their project for a question they can answer within high school constraints. From here they design an experiment, run the experiment, collect data, analyze the data, and plan to communicate their results. 

Senior project progress

We are currently finishing up first contact with our professional guidance. Students and I have been excited and honored by the support we have received so far this year. Our professionals have been incredibly helpful and inspiring. Below are the seniors and their current topics. 

Alejandra - Currently working with Dr. Lauren Cook, Marine Science professor at St. Mary's College of Maryland, and Jenna Krug, Environmental Specialist NJ DEP. Alejandra is currently interested in examining how carbon molecules impact local water pH and aquatic wildlife. 

Christina - Currently working with Virginia Osnato, Ecologist Coordinator of Duke Farms. Christina is interested in using bioacoustics to monitor and measure biodiversity on SCVTHS campus and how maintenance practices may impact bird and amphibian populations. 

Eden - Currently working with Irene Wieners, Visiting Professor of Writing with William Patterson University. Eden would like to study how attractive visuals from spring flowering bulbs can have an impact on the learning environment in school classrooms.

Jake - Currently working with Dr. Joseph Heckman, Extension Specialist of Soil Fertility of Rutgers University. Jake is interested in studying soil nutrient availability and uptake with interest in human health.

Start of 25-26 school year with Ecology

Start of 25-26 School Year

Ecology Lessons

Students helped gather native plant seed from four species on SCVTHS campus. Students then cleaned the seed, stratified (cold treated), sowed seed, raised small plug sized plants, and planted into the main courtyard located just outside of the Main Lobby. Students helped clean the planting area of exotic plants and two invasive plant species. 

Here are the after photos. Two pics showing the space after about five months of growing. There were several plants that struggled with establishment due to deer and/or rodent browsing. We will be trialing new species this coming spring for resistance to browsing and fill the more bare areas. The goal is to have a well covered and established planting that out competes non natives and non intended plants from establishing. We also want to educate students and local community of the importance of supporting local insect populations and how we can accomplish this in a stylized and attractive way.

Our Open House plant display getting readied for visitors. Above is the before caring for these. Below is after.

Students expressed interest in raising Butterflies from caterpillars last year. We decided we can do better by raising a moth native moth species. We found a golden bear (Spilosoma virginica) both female and she laid eggs for us. We have about 30 caterpillars in the classroom. We have learned about their behavior, feeding habits, life stages, and more. We currently have at least one that has begun to pupate and we will be overwintering these.

Above: eggs laid on a River birch (Betula nigra) leaf.

Finally, We recently acquired a no till seed drill. We were fortunate to get grant funding to support this purchase. We will be using this machine to plant native seed in areas around our riparian waterway to compete with non native species and help support a healthy water system.

 

 Celebrating 2024-2025 School Year

Awards, scholarship, biodiversity project, art project, FFA state convention, and a fundraiser helping reconnect with graduates. 

Students did very well in FFA Career Development Events (CDE's) at the state level this year. 

Here, our Fruit & Vegetable CDE team earned first place by earning enough points to win our first First Place Team banner which students are proudly receiving at NJ FFA State Convention at Monmouth University in May. One member of the four student team also took first place as an individual competitor. This banner is now proudly displayed in our classroom. 

One student, also on the Environmental & Natural Resource CDE team, again placed first as an individual. 

And our final top award this year was for a student placing second as an individual in the Veterinary Science CDE. 

We are very fortunate to have the support of the Bridgewater Garden Club (BGC) over the years. Ms. Lane and Mrs. Schoefield have been working hard with BGC to support further student post secondary studies. One of our graduating seniors was honored to receive this year's BGC Achievement Award. The student receiving the BGC Achievement Award this year will be attending University of Vermont to study Plant Biology. Students submit a written application, scholastic records, and a letter of recommendation. This is the 12th year and higher than the 12th recipient to be awarded. Thank you BGC for your continued support. 

The two photos above show SCVTHS's peace garden area located just outside of the main lobby. Students help remove exotic invasive plants as well as most of the exotic plants that were planted here. We left three exotics that are not invasive at this point, and for the most part, worked this space to be a clean slate to start from again. 

This project is a continuation of planting native plants to support moths, butterflies, and native bees (both bumble bees and solitary bees). In addition there are a couple non native plants that support generalist insect pollinators. Several species being planted on site were raised from wild collected seed on SCVTHS campus grounds by students. Remaining seed as purchased by the Environmental Club who also funded purchasing growing trays for optimally sized plants for this project. In addition, a collection of plants were donated by Sunset Farmstead and Pinelands Nursey both wholesale nurseries of Columbus NJ. Students got to work with Sunset Farmstead staff and plants to learn more about a small collection of native and pollinator plants and participated in a lecture presented by Pinelands Nursey to learn about the importance of using native plants in our New Jersey Landscapes. 

Using seed (collected from campus and purchased from a local native seed provider) students then learned how to cold treat the seed, plan for seedling development and nursing, and finish by planting and maintaining. Many thanks to all the supporters involved in this project: SCVTHS Environmental Club, SCVTHS admin., Daryl Kobesky and Carrie Stanker of Sunset Farmstead, Bruce Crawford of Morris Co Park Commission, Maria Scarpantonio graduate and Ernst Seed Employee, Steve Knezick of Pinelands Nursery. We have other projects developing for campus and will be sharing these as well.

Seen above are three Agricultural Science students of nine total that worked on an art project lead by our student teacher Ms. Khalid. Students were first given a small 3 inch square piece of paper to make a concept draft of their component. Ms. Khalid asked each art participant to draw what they see in their mind when they hear the word agriculture. Ms. Khalid then lead students through organizing their final copies onto a canvas and supplied art materials to complete the work. The finished piece will be featured in a Rutgers University display before coming here to be displayed for a short time. This project helped student ground themselves in between studying for their Agricultural Science CASE final exams. 

Our FFA Chapter Officer team posing for a picture during a break at NJ FFA State Convention in May. 

We held an Ornament Night fund raiser in December 2024 and invited graduates to come back and reminisce. Four graduates are pictured above. Thanks to Russel (Electronics tech), Elizabeth (Medical Tech), Jonathan (Plant Biology and NASA hopeful), and Kimberly (Vet Tech) for joining us that night. It was great to see them and others not pictured here. 

November 2024

 

November & December 2024

Classroom happenings and NJ FFA Career Development Event updates

I keep this blog to increase visibility of what students are doing. Please feel free to share with others that may be interested. Thank you!

Animal & Plant Biotechnology - Year 3

Running RFLP

Biotech students in the Agricultural Science program learned to perform a DNA fingerprint much like what is seen in TV crime shows. Students learn how the process works and then treat DNA samples with enzymes that cut DNA (restriction enzymes that cut only at specific DNA sequences) to provide identifying patterns ("finger printing"). Students run this procedure multiple times in their course and become proficient enough to teach prospective students at recruiting events.

Intro to Food, Ag, and Nat Resources - Year 1

First year students learn all general aspects of the agriculture industry. in early November students learned about the layers in a soil profile. In this photo students are applying their learned skill of soil texturing to a soil pit, and analyzing additional physical properties such as structure, structure grade, horizon depth, and color. Students build on this knowledge in their second year Plant Science course and prepare for state level competition if they chose.

FANR - Water Quality Testing

Soon after First year students completed their soil unit, they began learning about water in the environment. Here students are using data logging equipment to test water qualities such as pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. Student then compare results to EPA drinking water standards.

                                       

Plant Science - Year 2 Root Anatomy and Physiology

Here students are setting up a root hair absorption simulation experiment. Students use dialysis tubing as a semipermeable membrane, with starch and corn syrup inside. They then place this dialysis tubing into a cup partially filled with water and iodine to test for fluid flow direction as well as having the pressure of the dialysis tubing measured with a data logger. 

Trout in the Classroom

Performance project testing trout tank water. We participate in NJ DEP and Trout Unlimited's Trout in the Classroom program. We test our water at least once a week for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, total/ general hardness, and carbonate hardness. Here one of our upperclassmen is teaching the first year students how to complete one of the tests. Data from testing is recorded in a spreadsheet to track water quality trends.

NJ FFA Career Development Event prep

Forestry

Seen above, a Senior student is preparing additional forestry Biltmore sticks to be used to calculate board feet of a tree. Career Development Events are competitions students participate in through NJ FFA. There are many other aspects to the Forestry event students need to be prepared for. Some examples include: tree identification, disease and disorder ID, map interpretation, and a general knowledge exam.

Fruits and Vegetables

Above is one of four students that competed in the Fruit and Vegetable NJ FFA event. This student is practicing judging. Judging is one of three areas of this event along with identification of fruits and vegetables, and a general knowledge exam. The judging portion requires students to properly identify the item, and judge three groupings of five items and rank them in order from best to worst.  

SCVTHS Agricultural Science / Somerset FFA 

This is all of our Fall CDE student competitors. The group of four on the far right will be recognized as this year's First Place Fruit & Vegetable team (earning most points collectively) in NJ, with Kara Van Dyke taking First place as an individual. Congratulations!

Other teams/individuals pictured competed in: Turfgrass Management, Milk Products, and Forestry.