Members of the Benjamin Logan Trout Madness after school science program recently visited the Stoll Farm to learn about the importance of the riparian zone and to observe first-hand how conservation practices such as cover crops can improve soil health and protect the environment.
From their vantage point atop a wagon, the students were able to look across the Mad River Valley to see where the river originally flowed. Bob Stoll explained how channeling and dredging has created today’s cold water ecosystem.
He talked to the students about the importance of maintaining healthy soil. He pointed out that tillage disrupts microbial activity and negatively impacts earthworms which when left undisturbed can do much to aerate and nourish soil.
The pupils conducted an experiment to compare the drainage capacity of two soils.
A 6-inch cylinder was used to create a specific area to watch rainwater infiltration.
Water was poured into the cylinder to represent a 2-inch rainfall, and the students compared the time it took for this rainfall to penetrate the soil in both a crop field and a grass sod strip.
The student scientists found that the crop field took over twice as long to absorb the rain. It was estimated that with five years of cover crop use and no till practices, the crop field soil would approach the sod strip in its ability to absorb water.
Participants discovered how agricultural practices along with commercial and residential changes impact a watershed and water quality in a stream.