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A Day in the Life of the Hudson River

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

The 2009 Day in the Life of the Hudson River brought more than 3000 students, teachers and educational partners, to sites on the Hudson River Estuary. Students from 75 schools investigated aquatic life, water chemistry and quality, tides and weather at 61 sites from New York City to Troy. Data collected from this year's event is now available on the Official Day in the Life of the Hudson web site (under Offsite Links on the right side of the page).

• Download a pdf version of reflections from the 2009 Day in the Life of the Hudson in the Hudson River Almanac (pdf, 480 Kb) or,
• Read the text from the 2009 Day in the Life of the Hudson in the Hudson River Almanac
• Download a pdf version of the Media Advisory for the 2009 Day in the Life of the Hudson River (pdf, 57 Kb) or,
• Read the text from the 2009 Media Advisory
• Download student worksheets that use data from this year's event:
  • Fish Worksheet (pdf, 290 Kb)
  • Salinity Worksheet (pdf, 290 Kb)

On one day each autumn, hundreds of students from New York City to Troy participate in the annual "A Day in the Life of the Hudson River" event. Students collect scientific information to create snapshots of the river at dozens of locations, then share their data using Web-based technology so they can better understand how their piece of the river fits into the larger Hudson estuary ecosystem. In 2008, more than 2,600 students participated at 53 locations on the estuary.

Sponsored by DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program and run in conjunction with Hudson Basin River Watch, "A Day in the Life of the Hudson River" coincides with National Estuaries Day and World Water Monitoring Day.

At each location, teams of students and environmental educators use seine nets and lab equipment to investigate aquatic life, water chemistry and quality, tides and weather. Many groups also collect core samples of river bottom mud for analysis.

Some of the findings contribute to ongoing research projects, and data from the event is incorporated into the lesson plans developed by the Hudson River Estuary Program and available to all teachers in the Hudson Valley.

In many cases, we help participating teachers partner with local environmental groups for the day's events. Education trainings, online lesson plans, specialized equipment, six years of data, and a variety of other resources are provided.

For more information, including six years of data, visual aids and contact information, please visit the Official Day in the Life of the Hudson web site using Offsite Links on the right side of this page.

Media Advisory 2009:

A Day in the Life of the Hudson River Estuary 2009

• What: Thousands of students and teachers, many from your area, engaging in hands-on scientific learning exercises in the Hudson River. The Press is invited to attend.
• When: Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009 (see below schedule for times)
• Where: More than 60 locations between NYC and Troy (see below schedule for a selection of locations)
• Why: A primary goal of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is to connect New Yorkers to nature. The Hudson River Estuary Program educates Hudson Valley residents about the ecology of the river through innovative and engaging public programs and the development of a K-12 curriculum. This event takes on special significance this year in connection with the Hudson/Fulton/Champlain Quadricentennial and release of DEC's "State of the Hudson" 2009 Report.

On Thurs., Oct. 8, 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 annual program will help participants understand how their piece of the river fits into the larger Hudson estuary ecosystem.

Sponsored by the DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program, A "Day in the Life" is in its seventh year. Over 3,000 students and educators will be sampling the estuary's waters at 61 sites from New York Harbor to Green Island.

In partnership with the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 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.

Beyond just a field trip, participating groups will benefit from being part of an estuary-wide event, including sites from the Capital. Data will be added to a rich data set from previous "Days in the Life", and made available for classroom activities. This year's event will reinforce attention being paid to the river on the 400-year anniversary of Henry Hudson's historic voyage. The "Day in the Life" also connects to DEC's State of the Hudson 2009 report, which discusses trends and characteristics that students themselves may observe during their time at the river.

For more detailed information on the event and history of the event, visit the DEC website at 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 60 sites, approximately 25 will be in New York City, 12 in Westchester/Rockland and Bergen County in New Jersey, 15 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:

• New York City 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.
• Krieger Elementary at Quiet Cove, Poughkeepsie - two 4th-5th grade classes, plus a partnering class from Wappingers Falls.
• Tech Valley High School, Rensselaer - 40 students at the Rensselaer waterfront park.

A list with details of the 61 sites holding activities on Oct. 8 is below. "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. For additional information on teachers and partner organizations, and to schedule visits to a site, please email or call: Chris Bowser (chbowser@gw.dec.state.ny.us; 845-264-5041)

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• Related Links:
• • A Day in the Life in the Hudson River Almanac (pdf, 470 Kb)
• Offsite Links:
• • Official Day in the Life of the Hudson River Web Site
  • Public Radio news coverage of the event
  • HRECOS Story - Interpreting A Day in the Life using real-time data
• PDF Help:
• For assistance with PDFs on this page, please call 845-256-3016.
• Contact for this Page:
• The Hudson River Estuary Program
  NYSDEC Region 3
  21 S Putt Corners Rd
  New Paltz, NY 12561
  fax: (845) 255-3649
  845-256-3016
  email us