Schools

Port Jefferson AP Environmental Students Visit Riverhead Research Center

High school students get up close and personal with scientific experiments

Students from Earl L. Vandermeulen High School got to engage with scientists from the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Long Island Horticultural Research Center in Riverhead as part of an Advanced Placement class trip.

Jonathan Maletta’s Advanced Placement environmental science class visited the the center and met with several scientists, including plant pathologist Margery Daughtery, entomologist Dan Gilrein and associate entomologist Dr. Faruque Zaman. The idea was to bring students together with experts in the scientific field to allow them to ask questions and see the real experiments up close and personal.

“The students were actively engaged in discussion related to pathogenic agents, agricultural techniques, integrated pest management and genetically modified organisms,” said Maletta in a statement. “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.” 

Students were also given the chance to observe the on-site greenhouse facilities and see how scientists at the center are able to set up controlled experiments to conduct their research.


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