News from the Friends of Reinstein

Reinstein Woods and Partners Celebrate “A Day in the Life of the Buffalo River”

On October 2 and 3, local Western New York schools participated in the second annual “A Day in the Life of the Buffalo River” event. More than 150 students in grades 4-12 monitored river conditions at seven sites. Data was taken from the river headwaters in North Java to near the mouth of the river on Lake Erie. Sixty-nine percent of students came from schools with underserved populations or locations in Environmental Justice communities. This event was coordinated by DEC’s Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve in partnership with the Friends of Reinstein Woods.

With the help of DEC environmental educators and volunteers, students took data on the river to discover how their site fit into the larger river ecosystem. Many sites also had a partner from a local environmental organization, who acted as a “river expert” and shared their knowledge with the students. Students calculated current speed, measured water and air temperature, observed aquatic life, and investigated water chemistry and weather conditions. Data results from all sites will be shared on the Web so students can compare their data with other participants.

Engaging students in hands-on scientific discovery is the main goal of this program. For more information and links to past data collected for this event, check out the A Day in the Life of the Buffalo River website, courtesy of SUNY Buffalo State.