EAGLE, Idaho — During a hands-on science field trip, Treasure Valley students are learning about the health of the Boise River. Through conservation and testing, students collected data to learn about the physical and biological health of the river.
One of those students was Abby Castillo. Castillo is a 6th grader at St. Ignatius Catholic School who attended the one-day Watershed Watch.
"We got to do things physically, like catch fish and catch the bugs and look at the air," said Castillo.
The unique experience allows students to work alongside local scientists and engineers.
"It's almost like the three stages of learning. You have to see it, you have to hear it, they have to touch it, so this is the third stage. They are out here, they are solidifying the knowledge of the river," said Dorene MacCoy, Water Quality Coordinator for City of Boise.
Every year, 125,000 people float the Boise River, and school staff want students to learn early on about the importance of taking care of this important resource.
"Anytime I can do something like this, to get their hands and boots on the ground, they get a lot more excited about science and they want to do it," said Katie Janquart, a science teacher at St. Ignatius Catholic School.
As far as the student's findings, Abby tells Idaho News 6 that the river is looking pretty healthy. "I think it's pretty clear because anytime we measure something that was supposed to be at 7, it was at either 6 or at 7," she said.
Organizers of the event hope these hands-on field trips spark students' interest in learning about STEM and possibly pursuing a career in it.
