Earl L. Vandermeulen High School students in Jonathan Maletta’s Advanced Placement environmental science class visited the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Long Island Horticultural Research Center in Riverhead on Nov. 22. Students met with several scientists, including plant pathologist Margery Daughtery, entomologist Dan Gilrein and associate entomologist Dr. Faruque Zaman.
“The students were actively engaged in discussion related to pathogenic agents, agricultural techniques, integrated pest management and genetically modified organisms,” said Maletta. “They discussed the advantages and disadvantages of GMOs and explored eco-friendly methods to disrupt the life cycle of pests in order to protect wine grapes and apple orchards on the North Fork of Long Island.”
The young scientists also weighed in on key topics related to the rapid spread of invasive species, such as the Asian long-horned beetle which destroys trees and the tiger mosquito, a carrier of Dengue Fever, found recently on Long Island. Lastly, students observed greenhouse facilities to examine how scientists set up controlled experiments to conduct research.
