High School students remove old pond
in the courtyard in preparation for a modern
pool to sustain turtles, fish, tadpoles,
landscaping and plant life.(Photo: Andrew Marotta)
PORT JERVIS – Port Jervis High School 2015 Hall of Fame Inductee Dr. Lawrence Taylor and his wife Dawn have helped to launch a project that will allow for education of Port Jervis High School students in an outdoor habitat and setting.
Taylor, a PJHS 1956 graduate and a 2015 PJHS Hall of Fame inductee, is world renowned as a scientist who helped guide research on the moon, continuing research on rocks brought back from the moon to Earth, and studies on diamonds excavated from deepest mantle areas of the Earth.
The Dr. Lawrence Taylor Wildlife Learning Sanctuary, currently underway in a courtyard in the center of PJHS, will include a pond with fish, tadpoles, turtles and habitat needed to support their growth and health.
Short term plans were launched on June 27 when an old pond was removed by volunteers and “Build a Pond Day” on June 29 started new construction. Led by local businessman Tom Smith and Garden State Koi and Aquatic Center, student volunteers worked alongside project leaders to get the project rolling.
“We are so grateful for the generous donation of Dr. Larry Taylor to PJHS and to the science department,” said PJHS Principal Andrew Marotta. “We are also thankful for the discounted price from Tom Smith and Garden State Koi and Aquatic Center. It was Dr. Taylor’s generosity that launched us forward to revamp and re-use our outdoor courtyard. We are super-excited to have had Dr. Taylor here as work was underway recently, and to have been able to introduce him to what we have planned for now and the future.”
Short term plans include buying a sign, a couple of tables, and small benches to go near the pond. These will be inscribed with Dr. and Mrs. Taylor’s names on them, commemorating the area as a learning space for students. Marotta said he and his educational team envision multiple different science projects revolving around the pond and the area.
Sanctuary permits are in the process of being reviewed, and Marotta hopes this will lead to further grants and additional species for the sanctuary. The project also envisions gaining access to an area by Cold Brook behind the school for additional outdoor learning opportunities.
“We plan on laying crushed stone in the Cold Brook area so students can get to the river front,” Marotta said. “We are awaiting a DEC permit to begin this.”
Other future plans include creating a science club for students to further use the courtyard space, starting a scholarship in Dr. Taylor’s name for future science students, and designing a science walkway with brick pavers flowing in a wave pattern through the courtyard. Students going into the science field would have their name engraved in a brick on the walkway.
A butterfly house, more birdhouses, revamping other areas in the courtyard, and increased involvement between the Environmental Science Camp at Brandwein and school science clubs and classes.
“We want this to be a place of learning that everyone will be very proud of,” Marotta said. “We are excited about this project and proud of the work we have started. We can’t thank enough Dr. and Mrs. Taylor, our student and staff volunteers, generous alumnus, and local businessman Tom Smith and company.”
The school hopes to host a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new pond in the fall of this year.
