The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that on Thursday, Oct. 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., students from more than a dozen area schools will collect scientific information for the "Day in the Life of the Niagara River/Lake Erie Watershed." DEC is coordinating the event at locations throughout the region in partnership with the Friends of Reinstein Woods. Participating students will collect scientific data along waterways within the Lake Erie/Niagara River Watershed.

“We are thrilled to have more than 600 students from 16 local schools join us for this hands-on educational opportunity to help build the next generation of environmental stewards,” said Regional Director Julie Barrett-O’Neill. “Participants will collect scientific data along waterways within the Lake Erie/Niagara River Watershed, which stretches from Chautauqua County to Niagara County along the Lake Erie and Niagara River shorelines.”

Students will use hands-on field techniques to test water chemistry and investigate aquatic life following protocols established by the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program. Established in 1995, GLOBE provides students around the world with the opportunity to contribute to our understanding of Earth's systems by collecting real scientific data. DEC and its partners trained participating teachers to become certified GLOBE teachers, enabling them to continue learning into the classroom. The data collected by students will be posted online to the GLOBE database. Classes will have the opportunity to compare their results with other sites within the local watershed and around the world.

Ten “Day in the Life” educators are also participating in the Niagara River/Lake Erie (NRLE) Classroom program. These educators prepared for this event by completing a nine-week Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences Academy led by Reinstein Woods in partnership with Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. Classrooms will also participate in additional data collection field trips throughout the school year and complete a stewardship activity designed to care for their local watershed. Stewardship projects may include public awareness campaigns, shoreline cleanups, or invasive species removal on public lands in the watershed.

Day in the life of the Niagara River/Lake Erie Watershed is supported, in part, by a $76,006 grant to Friends of Reinstein Woods from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  As part of the field experience on Oct. 6, staff from partner organizations such as Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, DEC's Great Lakes Program, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will assist students in collecting data and share their water-related career experiences.

Participating schools, partners, and event locations are listed in the table below. To schedule a visit to a participating site, or for more information, contact Reinstein Woods at (716) 683-5959.