Two groups of young scientists from Massapequa High School got their hands a little dirty on Oct. 2 as they ventured into the Massapequa Preserve and made observations in the stream. It continued a years-long study of the stream’s health and was done in partnership with several regional scientific research centers.
From the main campus, 25 students from Advanced Placement Environmental Science took part in the “A Day in the Life” river study program. They evaluated water quality by conducting chemical tests and did biological sampling by observing different species in the water. The information they gathered continued a data collection by Massapequa High School science students spanning more than a decade. Students also did some bird watching.
In addition to AP Environmental Science teacher Michele Schmitt and several other science teachers, they were supported by experts form the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Brookhaven National Laboratory. Hofstra University and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are also partners in the project.
The experience allowed students to interact with professionals and see first-hand what a day is like for an environmental scientist. They also understood the importance of their efforts as data was compiled and entered into a database for Brookhaven National Laboratory, which monitors the health of Long Island waterways.
Also at the Preserve were 25 ninth graders from the Science Research class at the Ames Campus. They were studying the biodiversity of the stream and taking samples of aquatic invertebrates. Led by teacher August Eberling, the data collection was part of their continued participation in Barcode Long Island, through Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, to track local biodiversity using DNA barcoding.