For Release: Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Teacher Education and Public Fishing Fun at Norrie Point
Partners Celebrate Hudson River Science and Fishing on April 18
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Hudson River Research Reserve is hosting two free programs at the Norrie Point Environmental Center in Staatsburg on Saturday, April 18, 2009. From 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., teachers from the Hudson Valley will learn about Hudson River science topics for the classroom and beyond. The "Fishing the River" program runs from 3-5 p.m. This program, which includes seining with nets and angling with rods and bait provided, is open to the general public.
The Hudson River Science Workshop for K-12 teachers is operated free of charge in partnership with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Teachers will have the opportunity to interact with scientists, test water quality, and gain resources for teaching students in the classroom and field. To register or find out more, teachers of all grades should contact Cornelia Harris at (845) 677-7600 x 321, or e-mail harrisc@caryintstitute.org.
During the public fishing program, "seining" involves pulling a 30-foot net through the water and checking out the fish, crabs, and other river life caught in its mesh. You can watch from shore, or jump into available waterproof waders and help pull in the net. Participants are also encouraged to grab a rod and go fishing with DEC's "I FISH NY" program. Rods, reels, and bait will be available to the public at no charge. The Hudson is home to over 200 species of fish, including several species that migrate up the river and its tributaries each spring to spawn.
This "Fishing the River" event is part of a series scheduled monthly through October. As part of this year's Quadricentennial, programs will also focus on how the river has changed since Henry Hudson's voyage in 1609. For directions or further information, please call 845-889-4745 x 106, or e-mail Brittany Burgio at brburgio@gw.dec.state.ny.us.
The Norrie Point Environmental Center is located in the Margaret Lewis Norrie State Park in Staatsburg, Dutchess County. The Environmental Center is operated by DEC in cooperation with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historical Preservation, with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For more information about the NYS DEC Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve and its education programs, visit the DEC website.
