Chatham High School Environmental Science and AP Biology students participated in the 21st Annual Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor on Thursday, October 5. Our students headed to the Henry Hudson Waterfront Park in Hudson, where they partnered with environmental educators from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies to collect scientific data with hands-on field techniques. Using seine nets, minnow pots and water-testing gear, they caught and released fish, tracked the river’s tides and currents, and examined water chemistry and quality.
Chatham students caught over 100 fish including banded killifish, bluegills, pumpkinseed sunfish, striped bass, and two crabs. Scott Wells, a biologist from NYS Department of Conservation, Region 4 also provided some larger fish for the students to see.
This is Chatham's 16th year participating in this regional event. Our students joined hundreds of other “Day in the Life” students, who collected similar data at more than 90 sites along the river from New York Harbor to Waterford. The data they collected provides insight into the health of an ecosystem spanning 160 miles of the river. The data they collect is posted online after the event.
