PUBLISHED BY MOSHOLU PRESERVATION CORPORATION

For River Defenders, Early Lessons  

By HEATHER HADDON

Before last November, Fernando Gomez, 13, probably couldn't tell you much about the Bronx River. He knew it was near his house on 205th Street, but that was about it. 

Now, the MS 80 eighth grader knows more about the river's oxygen levels, turbidity and native birds than most adults. MS 80's Bronx River Study for science honor students offers Gomez and about 35 other eighth graders the opportunity to monitor and maintain the river's Norwood section, and develop an intimate knowledge of the waterway.

"I knew there was a river, but it never occurred to me that a river in a city is pretty amazing," said Gomez, lugging a bucket of testing supplies as the group made its way to the river on East 204th Street. 

The group, nicknamed EARTH (Environmental Awareness Reaching to Help) moved their science classroom outdoors last November. Their weekly pilgrimages create a valuable database of information, and inspire environmental awareness and understanding, said MS 80 co-coordinator Kathy Bethune. 

"It's a fantastic outdoor science lab," said Bethune, leading the group down the steps near French Charley's Park toward the river. "And it's a way for the kids to take ownership of their park."

The river, previously unknown to most of the students, is now a cherished part of their school routine. "Every Tuesday we go," said Modes Marquez, a veteran MS 80 science teacher and program coordinator. "Whether it's raining, cold or hot, there are no complaints. It's a wonderful group."

Abby Feinstein, education coordinator at the Bronx River Alliance, also thinks the program is pretty special. "This is an amazing school group," said Feinstein, watching the students divide into different patrol units along the river. "They are so organized."

While the MS 80 program is exceptional -- it is the youngest and one of the most dedicated student groups -- efforts to preserve the river are no longer unique. Community and governmental endeavors have vastly improved the 23-mile Bronx portion of the river, which flows from Shoelace Park in Wakefield down to Soundview. 

While sporadic restoration efforts were conducted in the early 20th century, the mid-70s saw more momentum. The Bronx River Restoration organization was born from the efforts of residents to rejuvenate the trash-strewn river and increase access to its shores. The group organized cleanups, and lobbied for the necessary financial backing. 

In the '90s, a new flurry of financial and human resources flowed into the river as 
community groups rose to action and government funding materialized. The Bronx River Alliance, a nonprofit formed in 2001 to coordinate much of this activity, now counts 75 groups doing river restoration work. 

The Alliance performs a long list of educational, preservation and redevelopment functions, including the annual Golden Ball and Flotilla canoeing events. They also offer technical assistance to school groups like MS 80, and recently granted them equipment from a pool of funds allocated by Congressman José Serrano for classes working on the river. 

Lauren Collado, 14, lists the instruments her class wields. A large bucket toted by Marquez carried water test kits and devices to measure the river's speed and the depth of sediment. Compasses, wind meters and thermometers are used to evaluate the river's surrounding environment.

"These figure out what's good for the river," Collado said of the tools. "Plants help the oxygen levels, but other things burden it," she said, pointing to broken glass on the river's banks. 

Students calculate the river's oxygen levels, along with other basic indicators, once they return to their classrooms on East Mosholu Parkway. The tests results, recorded in a composition book, are a highly valuable resource for both the Alliance and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

"Nobody is monitoring the river's conditions now," Feinstein said. "We're trying to 
develop a database of the river's baseline through this data. It's a beautiful partnership."

EARTH is also tracing historical, literary and scientific aspects of the river through a student-produced video. Kiarra Lanehart, 13, is producing the social science segment by lining up interviews with local river experts. She now knows how the river got its name (from 17th century Swedish settler Jonas Bronck) and a bit of its history. "We've gotten a sense of how it became polluted," she said. "People thought it would clean itself."

Students are fully aware that the river can't rid itself of trash and pollutants. "They saw an oil slick recently [in the river], and were concerned," Marquez said. 

Musing about the birds drawn to the river (including orioles and mallards), Gomez stops to point to a contaminated pocket near the bank. "[This can] overflow when it rains," he said about the black pool. "That's how delicate things are."

The north section of the river is fragile, its banks suffering from erosion and its bottom caked with silt, Feinstein said. When the Bronx River Parkway was built in 1925, the river was straightened, which disturbed its natural balance. 

Community groups are working hard to preserve the hundreds of species of flora and fauna that inhabit the river, and add more. Trees planted by the Neighborhood Initiatives Development Corp., a local nonprofit, dot the shores. The Alliance's River Crew, stationed out of French Charley's Park, works on maintaining the river five days a week.

The students themselves amassed over four bags of trash in just a half hour of work. "I hate it when people litter," Collado said. "I tell friends who litter to clean it up."

All of the students, now finalizing high school plans, take a breadth of experience with them from the study, and some intend to further their work in the science field. Collado plans on attending the Hostos-Lincoln Academy of Science, and Gomez, who dreams of being a veterinarian, will move on to the prestigious Macy medical science program at DeWitt Clinton.

But all participants seem to be walking away with a heightened appreciation of their environment. "Some people think it's just a river," Lanehart said. "But it's a beautiful resource in the Bronx. It's improved some, but we still need more people to be involved."