Ten students from Saugerties High School (SHS) became Hudson River researchers on October 20, collecting valuable data about the river for the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Students in Brian Robinson’s advanced placement environmental science class were among 4,500 elementary, secondary and college students who participated in the DEC’s 14th annual “Day in the Life of the Hudson River Estuary” program. By collecting and recording physical, chemical and biological information about the river on the same day at 90 sites between New York City and Troy, the students helped the DEC create a snapshot of the river’s ecology.
The Saugerties students performed their data collection at Falling Waters Preserve in Glasco. Donning waders and working with nets, water-testing kits and other devices, the students measured the tide, determined the river’s salinity and level of chlorine and caught a variety of small fish. The work provided a hands-on learning experience for students and critical information about the river for the DEC at the same time.
Nancy Beard of the DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program met with the students at Falling Waters and praised them for their efficiency in collecting samples and completing tests.
The Advanced Placement Environmental Science class is a rigorous science course designed to be the equivalent of an introductory college course. Robinson and his students travel to the Hudson River as often as possible, using the nearby natural resource as a living classroom. They have taken part in the DEC’s “Day in the Life” program for several years.
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