Field Trip on the Nashua River

View of the Nashua River

The Nashua River was once one of the most polluted rivers in the US. Squirrels were able to cross upon the paper pulp discharged from several mills along the river's banks, not to mention the garbage from town dumps, farm run-off and raw sewage. Tests completed for water quality showed there to be no dissolved oxygen, the key indicator for life in a body of water. Then Marion Stoddart, began her campaign to reclaim the river for her children and the children of all the communities abutting the river. She wanted to see people fishing, swimming, and enjoying the river. It was an enormous undertaking for a housewife, but through shear determination and the help from many who believed in her, the state of Massachusetts was the first in the nation to enact a Clean Water Law which eventually led to the US government enacting a federal Clean Water Act.

Today the river is classified as a Class B river - fishable and swimmable. The community I teach in is part of the Nashua River Watershed and I felt it important for my Ecology class to learn about the history of this river and to enjoy the benefits of Marion Stoddart's hard work. Through the Nashua River Watershed Association you too can participate in their River Classroom programs. We spent a couple of delightful hours out on the water where all the students were able to experience the role of paddler, data collector, and citizen scientist. At the high school level the program focused on conducting water quality testing (nitrate, phosphate, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, turbidity) on the water and aquatic life studies on the shore line. This data will prove valuable as we will be able to carry out the same tests at our school site and compare the health of the pond at school to that of the river. We will also be conducting tests on soil quality at school, so this was an excellent introduction for my students.

In order to prepare for our trip, I read to my students Lynne Cherry's children's book A River Runs Wild. With its beautiful illustrations, this book tells the story of the Nashua River from the time of the first Native Americans who came to live along its banks to today. Even teenagers like story time in the classroom. We also watch the documentary The Work of a 1000, the story behind Stoddart's work.

Our first try at the river was a washout literally as the day was forecast with thunderstorms, but one week later we couldn't have asked for a nicer day. I can't say enough about the quality of our guides and their knowledge of the river, its history, and the wildlife that edged the water. We saw signs of beaver, otter, and two great blue herons flew overhead. The students all enjoyed themselves, but I had a wonderful day. It was an accomplishment for me to see my students outside of the classroom and outdoors experiencing Ecology first hand.