Byron-Bergen Science Teachers Peter Spence (l) and Stephen Locke (r) with Jordan Coffta, student trustee of the Bergen Swamp.Byron-Bergen sophomore Jordan Coffta was recently nominated as a student trustee of the Bergen Swamp Preservation Society. The objective of the Society is to preserve and protect the native flora and fauna indigenous to five wetland properties in upstate New York.
Stephen Lock, Byron-Bergen Central School District science instructor and president of the Bergen Swamp Preservation Society, along with other trustees, are able to nominate one student per year. Coffta submitted a letter of interest and resume last October, and is now the third student trustee from Byron-Bergen to aid in governing this prestigious organization. A 2007 graduate and a 2012 graduate are also trustees.
“As student trustee, Coffta will receive training on botany, zoology and will be able to recognize the swamp’s unique biomes,” says Locke. “He will be trained to serve as a tour guide for the avid ecotourists and student visitors who come to the Bergen property and will be introduced to the other four properties located throughout upstate New York.”
Coffta can serve as a student trustee until he is 18 and will be able to attend all trustee meetings. Even though he will be unable to vote on motions, he will be able to share his thoughts with the other trustees regarding specific proposals which come up for a vote. When Coffta is 18 years of age, he will be able to serve as a full trustee, with voting rights, for a three-year term. Coffta’s parents have been loyal members of the society for over a decade, according to a press release from the district.
