News from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

For more information contact: Lori O'Connell, 518-402-8000; Chris Bowser, 845-264-5041

Media Advisory: A Day in the Life of the Hudson River Estuary 2008

ALBANY, NY (10/01/2008; 1143)(readMedia)--

What: Students from your area engaging in hands-on scientific learning exercises in the Hudson River. The Press is invited to attend.

When: Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008 (see below schedule for times)

Where: More than 50 locations between NYC and Troy (see below schedule for locations)

Why: A primary goal of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Hudson River Estuary Program is to educate Hudson Valley residents about the ecology of the river through innovative and engaging public programs and the development of a K-12 curriculum.

On Tue., Oct. 7, environmental education centers and school classes all along the Hudson River estuary, will collect scientific information and share it to create a picture of "A Day in the Life of the Hudson River." This snapshot will help them understand how their piece of the river fits into the larger Hudson estuary ecosystem.

Sponsored by the Hudson River Estuary Program of the DEC, is in its sixth year. At least 1,500 students are expected to be in the field the fall, sampling the estuary's waters at more than 50 sites from New York Harbor to Green Island.

In partnership with Hudson Basin River Watch, which trains school classes and other groups to monitor water quality throughout the Hudson watershed, the Hudson River Estuary Program has recruited river educators to work with students at each site. They will use hands-on field techniques to describe their sites, seine for fish, collect water and invertebrate samples, and examine water chemistry parameters. Participating groups will benefit from being part of an estuary-wide event, including sites from the Capital region to the shores of the Atlantic. Data will be added to a rich data set of previous snapshot days, and made available for classroom activities.

For more detailed information on the event and history of the event, visit the DEC website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/47285.html .

Participating classes continue to represent the full diversity of the region's school population. Of the more than 50 sites, approximately 20 will be in New York City, 10 in Westchester/Rockland, 10 in the Mid-Hudson Valley, and 10 in the upper reaches of the estuary from Catskill to Troy. Some examples of the student populations involved are:

• PS 51 - 40 fourth graders at Pier 84, Hudson River Park.
• Young Women's Leadership School of East Harlem - 20 high school students at Inwood Hill Park on the Harlem River, northern Manhattan.
• Saunders Trades and Technical High School, Yonkers - 15 high school students at the Beczak Environmental Education Center, Yonkers.
• Pearl River High School, Tappan Zee High School, Clarkstown South High School - 5 high school classes at the Piermont Pier with Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory scientists.
• Beacon City Schools - four 4th-5th grade classes plus a partnering class from New Paltz schools at Long Dock, Beacon.
• Tech Valley High School, Rensselaer - 40 students at Hudson Shores Park, Green Island.

We encourage the press to visit these sites and/or any other sites listed below.

The following list includes all sites hosting students. Please see attachment below for the list. RM refers to River Miles up the river as measured from the Battery at Manhattan. "NY Hbr" refers to New York Harbor, "ER" is East River, and "HRL" is Harlem River. Additional information including contact information on teachers and partner organizations is available from: Chris Bowser (chbowser@gw.dec.state.ny.us; 845-264-5041) or Margie Turrin (mkt@ldeo.columbia.edu; 845-365-8494).

Attachments

List of Sites Hosting Students
list_includes_all_sites_hosting_students.doc