Hey, where did that pond at Bell Middle School come from?

And when did it spring a waterfall?

May 15, 2009
by Tore Heskestad

The pond area used to be a vegetable garden, cared for by a former Bell science teacher, Bob Gross. Since he retired, the garden had gone to seed. I suggested a pond to Principal Martin Fitzgerald and he granted me funds for the rubber liner. I got a bunch of fifth graders out there with shovels and buckets and before long we had a hole in the ground.  We wanted to build the pond higher than ground level so we needed rocks. 

The kids were trying to be helpful, but they brought in everything from cement blocks to pebbles. This did not work. I put out the word for flat rocks and lo and behold, Sydney Marks informed me they were tearing up their old flagstone patio and putting in a new one and they were not using the old stones. I checked with the Marks family and sure enough, I could have them. Flat rocks are perfect for this type of project.

After much rock breaking, sorting and stacking, we had our pond and it even held water.  We put in some emergent plants related to papyrus, a tiny little pump that shot a stream of water about six inches as a token fountain and about one dozen fancy goldfish donated by a parent. The pond was ready for tranquil viewing. 

Pond reverts to primordial ooze

Two years went by when Mrs. Simpson, representing the PTA, stopped by and mentioned that the PTA had some funds available for the benefit of Bell School and its members and could I think of something, perhaps scientific, that this fund could be applied to. Sure could! The pond had an algae bloom and resembled pea soup. A filter would be perfect. 

Upon doing research I found that filters and waterfalls could be combined. And so it came to be that a filter/waterfall was ordered and delivered. I did not realize how big it was – about the size of half a trash can – and unnatural looking – black plastic. I got back to the Marks family and found they still had some left over flagstone. It was perfect. I constructed an enclosure that made it appear as if the waterfall was coming from a natural spring that was part of the Bell School stone wall. 

Together with the 3200 gallons-per-hour pump, the waterfall came alive. When I first activated it for a trial run, I sat on a bench to observe the pattern of the water flow. It was extremely relaxing and soothing. I was snoozing within five minutes. There is nothing like the sound of flowing water to sooth the mind after a day of teaching.

I have been adding natural woodland vegetation, especially ferns, which I find in the woods around my home in Putnam. My favorite is the ostrich ferns, one of the largest species around. It gives the pond and waterfall an almost tropical feel. There are also other types of emergent plants including arrowroot and royal fern.

The Bell School pond: educational, esthetic and mind-soothing

The pond and waterfall are also being put to scientific use. We conducted pH and ammonia testing and the eighth graders are doing even more, in depth water testing to include the rate of stream flow utilizing computer linked sensors as well as turbidity. So, the pond and waterfall are serving many educational, esthetic, and mind-soothing functions, thanks to the generosity of parents of the Bell School community. Stop by, sit, meditate and reflect. The Bell School courtyard may be just the spot.

Tore Heskestad, affectionately known by his students as Mr. Hes, has been teaching fifth grade science in the Chappaqua School District from time immemorial.

Yes, frogs!

And ferns