Youth Environmental Study Team to Form in the City of Schenectady

The award winning Environmental Study Team (EST), a youth development program where middle and high school age youth work with ecologists and aquatic biologists to study, monitor and improve the water quality of local streams, rivers and lakes will be opening in the City of Schenectady at the end of September. The Schenectady EST, operated by the Schoharie River Center, and Watershed Assessment Associates, LLC. of Schenectady, will be open for business and recruiting interested youth at their open house at 28 Yates Street in Schenectady on Wednesday, September 24, from 3 - 6 pm. Parents are also welcome to attend and participate in the program with their teens. Read the full press release...

7/08/08 Schenectady County Legislature Recognizes SRC EST Program

On July 08, 2008 at the July meeting of the Schenectady County Legislature, the Schoharie River Center and its Environmental Study Team were honored for their activities and efforts to enhance and improve the Schoharie River Valley. Click here to read the full text of the resolution.

2008 Envirothon     

The Capital District Regional Envirothon competition was held on April 26th at the NYS Power Authority in Gilboa. This year the regional competition was bigger than ever.  20 teams from Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, and Schoharie Counties competed. The EST program fielded three teams (2 high school and one middle school team).  All our EST teams did a great job and all the youth who competed should be congratulated. The EST members have been working very hard to prepare. All our teams scored very high points on their oral presentations, and all did well in the competition to represent themselves, and EST. Click here to see a slide show.

One of the high school teams took second place overall and first place for Schenectady County. They went on to represent Schenectady County at the New York State Envirothon competition held at SUNY Cobleskill May 21 and 22.  

2007 Clean Water Congress

The EST program participated in the annual Clean Water Congress on 12/6/07 held at the Darrow School in New Lebanon, NY. This is an annual competition that numerous schools in the region particpate in. Students were challenged to identify a group of macro-invertebrates and perform water chemistry tests.  During the year, EST members took water and macroinvertebrate samples at a location on the Wilsey Creek in Montgomery County, NY, in order to make an assessment of the quality of the creek's water.

In preparation for the Clean Water Congress, they wrote a report detailing their testing and findings, as well as put together a poster board and slide show. At the Clean Water Congress they gave an oral presentation to a panel of judges and the other participants.

For more information about the Hudson River Basin's Clean Water Congress, click here.

2007 - 2008 Mercury Study

Under the direction of Dr. Barbara Brabetz, Assistant Professor of Natural Sciences at SUNY Cobleskill, the EST members spent a day last summer learning how to conduct a mercury study.  

A variety of fish were collected from the creek including Small Mouth Bass, Walleye, Stone Catfish, Hognosed Stone Roller, Darter, Blacknose Dace, Sucker Carp and more.

In February, EST members went to SUNY Cobleskill to conduct tests on the fish samples they collected the previous summer. Click here to see photos...

10/11/07 Water Monitoring Program Wins Grant

Albany Times Union article on the trip to San Diego that EST members recently made to receive the Environmental Excellence Award.

10/7/07 Dyer Switch at the Schoharie River Center

Bluegrass band, "Dyer Switch" will be featured in a Sunday, October 7th concert at the Schoharie River Center, Burtonville, New York. The concert will take place at 3:00 p.m. at the River Center, the former Burtonville Methodist Church on Burtonville Road. Admission is by suggested donation of $5.00 for adults. Students are free.  Click here to view the press release for this event.

DACC After-School Program Partner Wins National Award

Article from the Duanesburg Area Community Center Newsletter - March 2007.

3/5/07  EST Wins Environmental Excellence Award

The Environmental Study Team was awarded the 2007 SeaWorld/Busch Gardens/FujiFilm Environmental Excellence Award - one of 8 awarded nationally from among more than 100 applicants! Click here to see the press release published 3/5/07. Six EST members will be traveling to San Diego in October to make a presentation and receive this award at Sea World.