Franklin Celebrates Anniversary of Laghetto Cleanup

05/05/2008

Franklin College student volunteers continue their collaboration with Pro Natura Ticino to restore the natural habitat of the Laghetto di Muzzano.

Saturday, April 26, 2008, marked the first anniversary of Franklin College student volunteers helping Pro Natura Ticino restore the natural habitat surrounding the Laghetto di Muzzano. Led by Professor Brack Hale, assistant professor of biology and environmental science, and Pro Natura, a Swiss ecological protection organization, students removed bamboos, opening up canopies that will allow native species planted last fall to flourish. Pro Natura is an organization heavily dependent on volunteers, and since the start of the collaborative program native species have already been seen growing again. Professor Hale is very pleased with the results and declared that, so far, “we have been working on protecting the species through the protection of the habitat mainly because cleaning up the lake is very difficult and costly.” Professor Hale and Franklin students have already engaged in empirical testing of the lake’s water, spending a large part of Saturday gathering water samples.

The students’ involvement is only a piece of the greater project headed by Nicola Schoenenberger, a biologist for Pro Natura Ticino. Mr. Schoenenberger appreciates the results that Franklin students have been achieving and adds, “This initiative has generated a positive impact on the local community as well as helping educate the local residents about their surrounding habitat.” The biggest challenge is to improve the quality of the lake’s water, which is a complex project involving not only research and work but also substantial funding. Mr. Schoenenberger also stated, “The long-term goal of Pro Natura Ticino is to see that the habitat of the Laghetto di Muzzano can work by itself and maintain itself.”

This project is yet another example of Franklin students’ involvement with the local community and will hopefully inspire future initiatives for students. Ben Marks, a student volunteer who has been with this project since its beginning in spring, 2007, declares, “It is very important to do things that are positive for the local community.” Based on the success and progress he has seen since last year, Ben is convinced that “volunteering is a sure way to make a difference,” and he hopes that examples like this will motivate more students to get involved.

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