In its opening ceremony, a new conservation park in Poolesville highlighted the park’s immense educational opportunities for Poolesville High School students and beyond.
Royce Hanson Conservation Park at Broad officially debuted to the public on Nov. 1, in a Montgomery Parks ceremony. The ceremony featured a ribbon-cutting and guided walks showcasing the 473-acre park’s natural features and conservation initiatives.
Early in the park’s conception, Poolesville High School’s Global Ecology Program entered into a partnership with the park. The park is located at 21820 Club Hollow Rd, Poolesville, MD, about 2-3 miles away from PHS.
Ms. Erin Binns, teacher and Head of the Global Ecology Studies Program, believes the new park will be a great resource for the education of Global Students.
“It gives us more access to studies and stream studies that are super close, so that’s kind of like an extension of our campus,” Binns revealed. “We don’t really have a great place to be able to do that now.”
The park is designed to ensure the long-term conservation of the area and provide future opportunities for resource-based recreation, including hiking, biking, fishing, bird-watching, and primitive camping. The park’s site also features the unique historic Thomas White farmhouse from the Civil War era. Visitors can sit on the foundation and learn about the indigenous communities that previously occupied the area.
Christie Ciabotti, Division Chief for Park Planning and Stewardship at Montgomery Parks, agreed about the benefits of this park and its potential opportunities.
“Montgomery Parks is really focused on three main designations for the parks: active recreation, social connectivity, and environmental stewardship,” Ciabotti said. “This park really well encompasses those three things.”
In just the past few weeks, over 70 bird species and other wildlife, like bobcats in the park, have attracted more visitors and field trips for Global.
Senior Jack Partain, who visited Royce Hanson Conservation Park on a Global field trip, expressed optimism based on his personal experience about the opportunities the park brings for Global.
“They’ve given us potentially a place where we can research how different soil contents help different plants grow, and so much more. From my visit, I’ve grown really excited about the opportunity of this park, and I really hope everyone else in Global is excited about it,” Partain said.
In addition, Ciabotti revealed that the park’s educational capabilities are not limited to just in-person studies by the Global Ecology Program.
“Our staff is working on a curriculum that teachers in Montgomery County will be able to use to investigate the history and cultural resources of the site, with Poolesville High School probably using it the most,” Ciabotti said.
As community awareness of the park’s opening grows, the park’s natural ecology, cultural history, and partnership and curriculum with Montgomery County Schools are poised to deliver never-before accessible educational opportunities for many students.
“Those who are really dedicated to the park know the opportunities, and those who aren’t, I think, will easily learn about them and appreciate them,” said Partain.
