At the beginning of October, Ipswich River Watershed Association (IRWA) once again partnered with Masconomet Middle School (special thanks to lead teacher Deb Wescott, as well as teachers Mike Surette and Caitlin Wrobel!) to bring our new science enrichment program, Resilient Rivers, to over 250 7th graders. At one station, IRWA board member Julia Casto brought bar charts to life, helping students interpret our volunteer-collected macroinvertebrate and Riverwatch data. At another, students came up with creative engineering solutions to the river’s dam problem. Students used a groundwater model to visualize how their water use impacts the habitat available to river herring and other wildlife.
Students were asked to answer the question: where did all the river herring go? Their answers varied, but many left class with this conviction: if we’re going to bring these river herring back to the Ipswich River, we need to make sure there is habitat available for them. It was so exciting to see students come up with creative ideas, recognize their own role affecting the Ipswich River’s water levels, and show genuine interest in the humble herring. The next generation of Ipswich River protectors is going to do GREAT things, and we can’t wait.
