PRINEVILLE, OR -- Prineville’s new wetlands project will have its first student visitors, Thursday. The facility, which doubles as a wastewater treatment plant, was also designed to help erosion issues along the Crooked River and attract school groups. Along with data gathering stations, the site will eventually also include educational kiosks.

Redmond Proficiency Academy Environmental Science teacher Amy Herauf says the work being done in Prineville fits well with her curriculum. "We’ve talked about ideas: the importance of preserving bio diversity; why it’s important that habitats are diverse. And, ecosystems and what kinds of things ecosystems provide for us, and why it’s important to make sure that they’re maintained and thriving and healthy. And, this project was just a perfect example of that."

Aside from simply being a good excuse to get outside, Herauf tells KBND News, it provides a unique opportunity for her students. "They’ll get to see this project and the various aspects of it. And they’ll actually get to collect data from – they have these stations that are spread out around the property; they take measurements on the water level and water quality-type measurements – and so the students will be able to experience what that’s like. So, to kind of get the experience of a person in this field, what kinds of things would they be doing and seeing."