Today we went to the Black Run Preserve. We were lead by Mr. John Volpa, who has been working with MFS’s Pine Barren trips for 10 years and taught us a lot about the history and science behind the Pine Barrens. We hiked about four miles, stopping frequently to learn new facts about the flora, fauna, and history of the land around us. We learned a lot about South Jersey’s water table, the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer, beavers, the use of the trees, as well as how wetlands are some of the most important areas in all of New Jersey, keeping it all from major flooding. We went hiking around bogs and through forests, and even got to go through Cedar Creek. We got to learn about the first people to inhabit the lands and how the land changed over time. We eventually sat down at an old campfire site and ate lunch together, and then we hiked back to the bus. On the walk back, we learned about why it’s called Black Run; while in winter and spring, the water is very clear, but then the water turns black in July due to the decomposition in the water, then clears up again in fall. Overall, it was a great experience and was very informative.