On Thursday, May 2, 2019, sixty 9th grade students from Punxsutawney Area High School attended the annual Cloe Lake Field Day. 

Cloe Lake is a 27-acre lake located in southern Jefferson County.  The stream that feeds this man-made lake is Jackson Run.  This stream provides an excellent opportunity for the students to study the variable factors that impact a watershed.  

Students checked the chemical parameter of the water.  They used a kick net to catch macro-invertebrates in the stream.  They mapped the stream to determine if the stream has changed its course.  Also, physical parameters of the stream such as temperature, width, depth, flow and velocity are collected.  All of this information is calculated and compared with data from previous years to determine the relative health of Jackson Run. 

This event is planned each year by Susan Rensel of DCNR and the teachers at Punxsutawney High School.  Becky Gaston and Dana Grabowski from the Jefferson County Conservation District help with this hands-on event.  Other DCNR Park Staff also assisted with the event.  This field day provides these students with a wonderful learning opportunity in an outdoor setting.