On a crisp October morning, 19 science students from Hudson High School arrived on the banks of the Hudson River at Lasher Park in Germantown to participate in the 10th annual “Day in the Life of the Hudson River.” They were working with educators from the Columbia Land Conservancy to celebrate the Hudson River Estuary and learn about its uniqueness. The young environmental scientists rotated through three testing stations to best capture a “snapshot” of the Hudson River on October 18, 2011. For some students, this was their first time exploring the river for which their city and school are named.
Students working with Nate Davis and Bonner McAllester suited up in waders and pulled a 40 foot seine net through the river, catching fish along the sandy beach area. Each fish was studied, identified, measured and released by the students. Over thirty fish were identified throughout the morning, including spottail shiner, tessellated darters, white perch and
striped bass.
This year, we took a lot of time to discuss how Hurricane Irene might effect our testing site and the data the students collected. The students get practical experience and a better understanding of the vital estuary system in their own backyard.
Jenny Brinker, CLC Education Coordinator
Jenna Dodge worked with students to measure the tides and currents, chlorophyll and water turbidity. Turbidity, or how clear the water is, can show the intensity of plankton productivity and the quantity of decaying plant material that is available as a food source for aquatic species.
Volunteer Joan Quilty led the water chemistry testing station where students measured pH, dissolved oxygen and salinity. These are key tests to determine the amount and types of fish, macroinvertebrates and plants that will survive and flourish in a section of the river. Water was collected from the river and students performed hands-on experiments
to test the samples.
The event is coordinated by the Hudson River Estuary Program and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory as part of “National Estuaries Week” and is designed to help students foster a lifelong learning relationship with the river. Lasher Memorial Park was one of 60 testing sites where data was collected along the Hudson River. CLC’s programs on the Hudson River are funded in part by the Everett Nack Fund, named in honor of one of Columbia County’s last river men. Through our education program, CLC provides opportunities for children and adults to explore the wonders of the natural world while gaining knowledge of basic natural science concepts.