Pine Barrens – Page 3 – Intensive Learning @ MFS

A Prelude to the Pines

March 24, 2016March 24, 2016Pine Barrens

Welcome to the Pine Barrens 2016 IL Blog! We met as a group today to discuss our week’s activities, which will include: guided hikes through the Pines with resident ecology experts, a visit to a cranberry bog, a visit to a wildlife refuge, and so much more! We asked our group what they would...

Pine Barrens: The Final Frontier

March 27, 2015March 27, 2015Pine Barrens

As we wrap up a great week for our Pine Barrens trip, we are reminded of the many wonderful experiences we had. We are grateful to all of our hosts: John Volpa at the Black Run Preserve, Stefanie and Bill Haines at Pine Island Cranberry Co., and Erin Kiefer at Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife...

An Educational Day

March 26, 2015March 26, 2015Pine Barrens

Today we stayed on campus to present what we learned throughout the week to the fourth grade classes here at MFS. Since they will be going to Camp Ockanickon in April, we wanted to give them an idea of what their experience would be like. In the process, we also gave the fourth graders a...

Pine Barrens Wildlife

March 25, 2015March 25, 2015Pine Barrens

Today was the fourth day of the Pine Barrens Intensive Learning program. This morning, after a short bus ride, we arrived at Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, where we were greeted by Erin, our guide. She led us on a trail through the Pine Barrens and pointed out some of the interesting plants along...

Bogs, Berries and Jersey Devils

March 24, 2015October 13, 2015Pine Barrens

To start off our day we visited the Pine Island Cranberry Co.. We learned a lot about the art of growing and harvesting cranberries. Mr. Haines and his son, daughter, and Christina gave us a lovely tour of the property. We learned about the selective breeding of cranberries, the fungi that can infect them and how...

Preserving the Pines

March 24, 2015March 24, 2015Pine Barrens

Today we took a bus to the Black Run Preserve in Evesham Township. There, we met John Volpa, the chair of Friends of the Black Run Preserve, who taught us a little history about the Pine Barrens and the indigenous species living there. Among the topics he covered were watersheds, coastal plains, and aquifers....

Snow in the Pines

March 20, 2015March 20, 2015Pine Barrens

Today, we went to Historic Batsto Village in Wharton State Forest. We started off the day with a four mile hike on a looping trail around a river. We saw the Batsto lake and examples of controlled fires and learned what they do. After we chowed down on some lunch, we went inside the...

Welcome to the Pine Barrens IL 2015

March 13, 2015October 13, 2015Pine Barrens

We are very excited to be exploring the Pine Barrens for another year! We have a great schedule lined up: it will take us to cranberry bogs, nature preserves, animal rehabilitation centers, hiking trails, and fire towers. Looking forward to a wonderful experience!...

Pine Barrens: Wildlife and Life in the Wild

March 27, 2014October 13, 2015Pine Barrens

Day Four The first stop on our adventure today was the Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. At the Wildlife Refuge we learned about the processes and care that are needed in nursing hurt animals back to health. Some of the animals we saw included: owls, hawks, vultures, squirrels, foxes and deer. We walked around...

Pine Barrens: Myths and Realities

March 26, 2014October 13, 2015Pine Barrens

Day Four Our group spent the day on campus due to some particularly strong winds and cold temperatures. In the morning, we broke into four groups and each created a video relating to the myth of the Jersey Devil. The legend says that Mother Leeds was pregnant with her 13th child. Frustrated with so...

Pine Barrens: Hidden Trails

March 25, 2014October 13, 2015Pine Barrens

Day Three We first went to the Black Run Preserve, which is right next to Marlton, yet most people don’t know about it. We met with John Volpa, who heads the group chiefly involved with the area. He was our guide and teacher for the day. The Black Run is part of an old...

Pine Barrens: Bogs and Burns

March 24, 2014October 13, 2015Pine Barrens

Day Two Today we ventured to the Pine Island Cranberry Company facilities, where we met the owner, Bill Haines, and Kristina. They broke down their process of harvest throughout the seasons and showed us what each season entailed. They also took us out into the field to a dormant bog that was preparing for...

Pine Barrens: Pines and old train lines

March 21, 2014October 13, 2015Pine Barrens

Day One Today the trip started off with a discussion of John McPhee’s Pine Barrens, where we all shared a chapter. We posed some questions about what our week might be like based on the information in the book. We then took a bus out to Carranza Memorial, observing the effects of controlled burns, which...