Pelion Science is the home base for Mr. Sajdak’s science adventures at CHS: the Pelion Field Station, STARS Science, YELP at CHS, and whatever we find along the way.
The Field Station is an environmental science monitoring initiative run by students at City Honors. It starts with STARS Science and is open to any class or club that wants to collect real data.
Students choose what to watch, take the readings, keep the log, and decide what the numbers mean. The goal is a long-running record of one small piece of Buffalo: its air, soil, water, and living things, season after season.
In Greek myth, Mount Pelion is where the centaur Chiron taught his students. It seemed like the right name for an outdoor classroom.
| Parameter | Unit | Domain |
|---|---|---|
| Air temperature | °C | Weather |
| Barometric pressure | hPa | Weather |
| Precipitation | mm | Weather |
| Fine particles (PM2.5) | µg/m³ | Air |
| Soil moisture | % VWC | Soil |
| Water temperature | °C | Water |
| Dissolved oxygen | mg/L | Water |
| pH | 0–14 | Water |
| Conductivity | µS/cm | Water |
| Turbidity | NTU | Water |
Measurement plan. Live readings and the student data log will appear here as instruments come online.
The science classroom for the STARS program at City Honors. Two courses run here, each on its own track:
Lessons are hands-on, structured, and built so every student can do real science.
The Young Environmental Leaders Program is Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper’s program for high school students to learn about local environmental issues and the solutions being pursued in Western New York.
Pelion Science is live. The station covers the school grounds, the Pelion Outdoor Classroom, and sites inside the building, and three PurpleAir monitors are on the way.
Before any sensor goes out, students decide which questions matter most. First job: walk the sites, map them, and pick the sampling spots.
The Young Environmental Leaders Program comes to City Honors this spring. Applications open then, and the program earns college credit.
Ryan Sajdak teaches science in the STARS program at City Honors School in the Buffalo Public Schools. He is certified in both Chemistry and Students with Disabilities (grades 7–12), is a New York State Master Teacher Fellow, and is completing a doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction.
Before City Honors he founded the Scajaquada Creek Environmental Science Lab, where students monitored one of Buffalo’s most troubled urban creeks. He is an Army veteran, and when school is out you will usually find him sailing or fishing on Lake Erie.