Eighth grade students at Gloucester’s Ware Academy recently completed a study of the Chesapeake Bay by taking a weeklong journey through the northernmost reaches of the watershed to the headwaters of the Susquehanna River.

Students and chaperones arrived in Potter County, Pennsylvania, spending two days and a night on a tributary of the Susquehanna rafting and canoeing while exploring the waterway and surrounding Tioga State Forest.

Students worked with scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey laboratory to learn how to determine stream health and took part in other research projects which focused on the Chesapeake Bay and its health.

Eighth grade students also discovered the history of the railway and the flora and fauna of the area during their 30-mile bike trip along the gorge on a Rails-to-Trails route, with a side hike to waterfalls and swimming.

Students also took a 10-mile hike on the Barbour Rocks trail on the rim of the Pine Creek Gorge where they camped overnight....