Whitesboro Seventh Graders Help Determine Health of Sauquoit Creek

Seventh grade students at Whitesboro Middle School recently had the opportunity to play a part in determining the overall health of the Sauquoit Creek.

On September 30 and October 1, Whitesboro Middle School was a host site for A Day in the Life of the Mohawk River. Participating students, ranging from elementary school to college-aged, partnered with environmental education centers from around New York to use hands-on field techniques to collect scientific data from eight different sites. The sites ranged from Peebles Island to Rome, New York.

During their science classes, Whitesboro seventh graders tested the waters of the Sauquoit Creek, a tributary to the Mohawk River that leads into the Hudson River Estuary. Students first learned about the geography of the Sauquoit Creek and the Mohawk River Watershed, then tested the waters of the creek for turbidity, dissolved oxygen levels, temperature, pH, velocity and water depth. They also collected macroinvertebrate specimens and completed a full site environmental observation.

All of this data combined indicates the overall health of the creek’s ecosystem.