"Discover the Hudson River" Booklet Now Available

ALBANY, NY (01/25/2010)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced the availability of a new environmental resource - Discover the Hudson River, a 16-page booklet designed for teachers and students in the upper elementary grades.

The booklet is a joint venture between the non-profit organization Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), DEC, New York Sea Grant, the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation.

"Discover the Hudson River will be a valuable teaching tool for anyone interested in helping our younger generation to better understand the environment of the Hudson through its wildlife, watershed, history and people," said Commissioner Grannis. "It's a marvelous example of the positive work that can result from a successful collaboration between public and private entities."

Through lively text, colors, games, maps and activities, the booklet provides information about the Hudson watershed, the variety of wildlife the river supports, and the many ways people influence and are influenced by the river. Discover the Hudson River is available from Project WET's online store at www.projectwet.org for $1.25 per copy. A preview is available on DEC's website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1902.html.

Teachers who would like a free copy can request one directly from DEC's Bureau of Environmental Education by e-mailing dpaeweb@gw.dec.state.ny.us or calling (518) 402-8043. In addition, Hudson River lesson plans aligned with state learning standards are available to teachers free of charge at http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/25386.html.

"As both stewards of and advocates for our region's most precious natural resource, we were delighted to play a small part in making this project a reality," said Denise VanBuren, Vice President of Central Hudson Gas & Electric, which contributed to the booklet as part of its support of the 2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial. "The Hudson River is what unites us as a region and we're so pleased to be able to pass an appreciation for its ecology on to the next generation through this book."

Discover the Hudson River will help fulfill DEC's Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda goal to promote public understanding of the Hudson River, including the life it supports, its role in the global ecosystem, and the challenges facing the river. Under the direction of DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program, a team of experienced environmental educators provided Project WET's writers and editors with information about the Hudson's fish, wildlife, habitat, and environmental issues.

One in a series of activity booklets, Discover the Hudson River was created by Project WET to complement its internationally acclaimed water education programs. "Discover the Hudson River joins Project WET's award winning activity booklet series, Kids in Discovery," said Dennis Nelson, President and CEO of Project WET. "Celebrating a unique watershed, this new addition promotes stewardship of the Hudson River with students worldwide."

The goal of Project WET is to facilitate and promote awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources. The curriculum, designed for teachers and non-formal educators working with students in grades K-12, includes activities that are hands-on, easy to use and fun. Each year, hundreds of teachers and youth group leaders in New York State take part in free Project WET workshops offered through DEC. A list of scheduled workshops and other information is available at www.dec.ny.gov/education/1913.html on the DEC website.

Discover the Hudson River will be incorporated into the programs offered by DEC environmental educators in New York City, and at the Hudson River Estuary Program, the Hudson River Research Reserve at Norrie Point in Staatsburg, Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center in Wappingers Falls, and Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Delmar. It will also be included in the After School Conservation Club programs offered by DEC in New York City and Beacon.