By Larissa Graham, NYSG's Outreach Coordinator for the Long Island Sound Study

The Action Plan for the Nissequogue River Watershed was only recently released, but already students from two local high schools are involved in projects to protect the watershed.

Twice a month, students from Hauppauge High School line the shores of Sunken Meadow Creek. A few students waddle out in waders to collect water samples, others sift through mud for benthic organisms, and the rest stand along the shore identifying fishes with the help of experts from NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Wearing their tie-dyed t-shirts, created just for “sampling day,” two students tell me that they wait all month for their trip to Sunken Meadow State Park.

These environmental stewards are collecting data to assist managers in developing a plan to restore tidal wetlands within Sunken Meadow State Park.  In the 1940s, a culvert was installed on Sunken Meadow Creek, restricting tidal flow to the surrounding wetlands. The decrease of saltwater resulted in an explosion of Phragmites (an invasive plant) and the installed culvert created an obstacle for fish that would normally migrate upstream.

As the project moves forward, the water quality and species data that the students collect will allow managers to determine the best way to proceed with the project. The data will also serve as a useful baseline to track the changes in species composition as tidal flow is restored.

A few miles to the east of Sunken Meadow creek, the Greenbelt Trail runs along a bluff in Nissequogue River State Park, providing beautiful views of the river and Long Island Sound. At first glance, the habitat seems healthy. But, with a closer look and some help from a botanist from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, it is clear that the trail is lined with invasive plant species. Invasive vines wrap around and choke native trees and larger, invasive trees shade out smaller native plants.

Students from Kings Park High School’s environmental club, SEAS (or Students Environmental Action Society), are mapping, removing, and monitoring invasive species in a plot in along the trail. If this pilot project is successful, it will be used as a guide for other invasive species removal projects throughout state parks.

These students and their teachers should be rewarded for taking the first steps in putting the Plan into action. Not only are the students learning, but they are also serving as environmental stewards, protecting the natural resources in their own backyard.