Academics

Middle School Service Club: Loosestrife '08

The Middle School Service Club (MSSC) was formed to create opportunities for students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 to collaborate with parents in serving the community.

One such activity involves clearing Pike's wetlands of the invasive, alien, purple loosestrife plant, which beautifully carpets New England's late-summer marshes with stands of magenta blooms, but which forces out our native plants and lessens the diversity of our natural environment. The loosestrife, which has a tough and tenacious root system, must be dug out of the mud and hauled away.

MSSC members really get into the task, as you can see by the photos. For some, it becomes a full-immersion activity, and their efforts have made a noticeable difference.

Click a thumbnail for an enlargement or slideshow.