![A picture taken in a field, with two students in the foreground taking notes, and a group of students in the background]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1727190625/friendsbaltorg/srtoknvhoojer8zkt8hc/HillsidePark.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1727190625/friendsbaltorg/srtoknvhoojer8zkt8hc/HillsidePark.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1727190625/friendsbaltorg/srtoknvhoojer8zkt8hc/HillsidePark.png","width":800}])
Friends School’s Upper School science curriculum provides students with a strong foundation in both the biological and physical sciences. Diverse course offerings cater to a wide range of interests and skill levels. Students aiming to pursue science majors in college will find a solid core curriculum, while those not seeking the rigors of a science major will discover engaging and exciting options. Regardless of the path chosen, students walk away with an understanding of the natural world and recognizing the moral and ethical responsibilities that come with science in society.
The Upper School Advanced Environmental Science class recently connected with the Roland Park Community Association regarding a piece of land, Hillside Park, about seven minutes from campus. This land, formerly owned by Baltimore Country Club, was purchased by the Association to create a community space for neighboring schools and residents to enjoy. The plans for the new park and green space include walking trails, community gardens, and venues for outdoor concerts and other activities.
Friends School students were among the first to be invited to Hillside Park to use it as an environmental learning lab space for investigative projects. The goal of this ongoing project is to collect data to assess questions about the former and future use of the land and its impact on the surrounding ecosystems.
Last week, the students were able to visit the site for the first time. They were tasked with surveying the area and making observations about what native and invasive wildlife they saw, the climate, the topography and layout of the space, the connection of the waterways to the Jones Falls, and the neighboring human activity. They identified potential variables that could be manipulated or observed and their impact on other types of data that could be collected.
Students and faculty look forward to returning to the site throughout the year for general observations, group data collection, and independent, long-term research projects that each student will pursue through the course.