Genesee Valley BOCES

Genesee Valley BOCES Conservation students from the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center are gaining meaningful hands-on experience while making a real difference in their community. Under the guidance of teacher Jerry Krajna, students are teaming up with Genesee County Park & Forest to support a restoration project along Black Creek, helping strengthen the natural environment while building career-ready conservation skills.

The work is part of a larger effort focused on restoring riparian habitat, the important strip of land and vegetation along the edges of streams and waterways. Healthy riparian areas play a major role in protecting water quality and supporting wildlife, and this project is designed to improve the long-term health of the creek and surrounding ecosystem through targeted restoration and stewardship.

This fall’s project kickoff brought students and partners together to begin planning and learning about the work ahead. The event welcomed eight partner organizations and included site tours, giving students the opportunity to see the project area firsthand and understand why Black Creek is an important location for restoration work and long-term environmental monitoring.

As part of the project, students are learning what it takes to restore and protect a stream corridor in a way that benefits both the environment and the community. Restoration efforts along Black Creek will include field-based learning experiences that connect directly to conservation careers, giving students a chance to explore the work done by environmental professionals and the impact it has on local habitats.

Projects like this also help students see the value of protecting natural resources upstream. Even smaller waterways like Black Creek contribute to the overall health of larger watersheds, meaning improvements made locally can have positive impacts beyond the immediate project site.

The project will continue into the spring, when fieldwork, planting, and monitoring are expected to increase. Students will remain involved as restoration activities expand, giving them an even stronger connection to the work and the opportunity to see progress over time.

Genesee Valley BOCES is proud of the Conservation students for the effort they are putting into this important work. Their participation reflects the power of career and technical education—connecting students with real community partners, real projects, and real career exploration while supporting environmental stewardship.