In New York’s Adirondack Mountains, more than 2,000 students and adults engaged in a hands-on opportunity to explore the health of Lake George in 2024. Run by the Lake George Association, the Floating Classroom and Stream Education programs aim to increase awareness of water quality and encourage stewardship of the lake. Activities range from conducting stream water quality monitoring to collecting zooplankton from the 40’ custom-built catamaran, while learning about the larger Lake Champlain watershed.
The programs primarily engage students in grades 3-12, along with their teachers and chaperones, in two-part field trips during the spring and fall. The first segment is spent aboard the floating classroom to learn about the lake ecosystem, and the second half of the program explores stream water quality. Summer Floating Classroom trips were also offered to summer camps and the public as well as a new adult-focused program.
While aboard the Rosalia Anna Ashby, participants collect water samples at various depths to measure temperature to learn about the lake’s thermocline and ecosystem structure. They also assess water clarity and view zooplankton through microscopes to learn about the food web.
Shown here: Floating classroom students investigate plankton tow samples. Photo credit: Lake George Association.
Returning to land, students in the Stream Education Program explore West Brook, a stream that feeds directly into Lake George. Attendees conduct water quality monitoring experiments and learn about watersheds and how surrounding land use can impact the lake. Donning waterproof boots and armed with kick nets and buckets, the youth collect, sort and identify aquatic macroinvertebrates – small organisms that live in the water – to rate the stream’s health.
These complimentary programs are typically paired together for a full-day field trip, providing participants with knowledge of the Lake George ecosystem and its health, water quality science, and challenges the lake faces. During a post-event survey to teachers, one respondent commented, “The hands-on aspects of the trip (using equipment and identifying organisms) is why we keep coming back. Students that struggle in the classroom love being outside and doing things. Students get to see food chains in action and are able to discuss what would happen if something impacted a link in the chain. Even though our students live close to Lake George, many know only of the Village. It’s always nice to give them an opportunity to see a different side of Lake George.”
This project was funded by an agreement awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to NEIWPCC in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program.