LCCTC Conservation Club Year-End Review

By: Mr. Ryan Nych

The end of the school year brings anticipation and excitement. For those in the LCCTC Conservation Club, I can only hope we find time with our leisure to continue our outdoor recreations that foster our passion for conservation. Time on the water, hiking a trail, birdwatching, or a myriad of other activities in nature are good for everyone. I hope members will remember land ethics and be good stewards and models to those around them. For me, the end of a school year also makes me reflect on the past, leading to our current moment. The LCCTC CC has had quite a year.

First, the LCCTC CC added a new advisor, Mr. Restino, and we have benefitted from his perspectives and his passion for the outdoors. His local background makes him a valued advisor in his ability to connect with community members. Although Mr. DeRosa still works well with the LCCTC CC, he has moved on to advise another important activity here at the CTC. We also welcomed the new sophomore class advisors Frank Mangina and Antonio Palladino who have large shoes to fill.

Second, I am proud and thankful for the annual activities we can make happen in this building and community. Sixteen members joined advisors in assisting the PA Fish and Boat Commission stock trout in Cascade Park’s Big Run where they not only learned about but became part of the process of Pennsylvania’s great outdoor traditions. We partnered again with the PA Game Commission, Howard Nurseries, Wildlife for Everyone Foundation, and other sponsors for the Seedlings for Schools Program. The LCCTC CC was able to plant 400 seedlings between the participating staff and students. Thank you to all who volunteered to take and plant a tree in this community. I would also like to thank those who participated in our fundraising efforts and supported us with our first T-shirts. A thank you also to Mr. Windhorst who helped me create an official logo to the LCCTC CC.

Third, I would like to reveal the efforts of the LCCTC CC and our senior class advisor Anthony “AJ” Procopio has completed benches, a platform, and a podium for an Outdoor Classroom to be used for the next school year. Procopio has been critical to the endeavor and has promised to come back as an alumni to prepare the classroom this upcoming year.

Finally, that leads me to two thoughts. Saying goodbye to two senior advisors who have been truly amazing and passionate about the LCCTC CC. Leanna Miller has been a fun and interesting member whether looking at her dedication and efforts to raise awareness of the dangers of the Spotted-Lanternfly in our area or practicing good ethics by bringing trout that were not going to recover to Mr. DeRosa’s desk for consumption. She communicated well with others and worked with Ms. McVicker-Shaffer and the Eagle Blog to let other students know what the LCCTC CC was doing. Anthony Procopio has been a model for outdoor ethics while also bringing up initiatives and following through with both knowledge and know-how. His ability to connect with and motivate his fellow students is unmatched. Another senior who will be missed is Jaiden Austin who entered the Conservation Club with a good attitude and an incurable curiosity about the outdoors - two things I love seeing in members.

With that, we look forward to another great year. I hope everyone gets out and enjoys PA’s beauty and practices ethics that do no damage. Get out and enjoy nature with that good attitude and curiosity. Find a mentor with a passion for the outdoors. Those who love nature must be willing to take on that mentoring responsibility because, as Baba Dioum pointed out, “In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught.”