NEWS
Clubs take Environmental "Snapshot" of Hudson River
Chatham High School’s Ecology Club and Environmental Science Club took a field trip to the Henry Hudson Riverfront Park in Hudson to participate in the DEC’s 9th annual “Day in the Life of the Hudson River Estuary.” Students used hands-on field techniques to examine water chemistry and collect plant and animal specimens. They took readings on the river’s pH, salinity, chlorophyll, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity and tide levels. Students used nets to catch fish, towed for plankton, identified plants and recorded weather conditions and GPS coordinates.
After their trip, the students compiled their data into a class set for analysis and documented the day through writing and pictures in a journal.
Thirty-six Chatham juniors and seniors participated in the event, which included nearly 3,000 students at over 60 locations up and down the tidal portion of the Hudson River. Chaperones included Sandy Fischer, Mark Pearson, and Mike Kullman, along with Cornelia Harris (Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies), and Kelly Prendiville (SCA Intern from Five Rivers Environmental Center). The day was sponsored by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program and took place October 18.
The data collected by students at all reporting sites can be viewed online at www.ldeo.columbia.edu/edu/k12/snapshotday/