Schoharie River Center Inc.

The Schoharie River Center’s Environmental Study Team (EST) youth development programs serve about 2,500 children, youth and families in Schoharie, Montgomery, and Schenectady Counties. EST is a year round, place-based environmental education program, with a focus on citizen science monitoring of local water quality and community ecology. EST members in grades 6 - 12 work with trained environmental educators and counselors to develop life skills and improve their communities through science-based, experiential learning and community advocacy. Students within both the EST and our after-school programs that serve students K-12, participate in water quality monitoring education through collecting both water chemistry and macro-invertebrate data in the field. Research data is collected at several points along the Schoharie Creek, Mohawk River and smaller tributaries in an effort to promote greater community environmental literacy, student-led research, and monitoring of the local water quality. The grant will  fund equipment and supplies for  for research such as microscopes, water chemistry test kit supplies, and wader/muck boots needed to support these programs and involve more students within Mohawk River Basin communities.