RiverQuest Armstrong
College/University Programs
Program Descriptions:
5 hour program:
Environmental Science: Allegheny River Ecosystem
Duration: 5 hours, half on board and half on land. Students bring bag lunches.
Capacity: 40 students, 4 professors
Fee: $20/student.
Professors determine the day's curriculum in conjunction with RiverQuest staff. Students spend 2 1/4 hours underway on the Allegheny exploring:
- Freshwater ecosystems and aquatic habitat
- Elements of the river food web such as plankton, aquatic insects, birds, waterfowl and fish
- Local geology and geography
- Water quality indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, nitrates, phosphates, and iron,
- The relationship between chemical and biological water indicators; and,
- The cause and effect of point and non-point source water pollution.
Another 2 1/4 hours are spent landside and students explore the nearby riverscape and its environs and participate in:
- A stream study and comparison of terrestrial aquatic habitats,
- A biodiversity study of a nearby green space; or,
- An examination of the watershed and human impacts on its health.
2 to 3 hour program:
Environmental Science: Analyzing freshwater quality
(2 program spots per day)
Duration: 2.5 hours on board.
Capacity: 20 students plus 2 professors
Fee: $30-$35/student
Students board a vessel and get underway on the Allegheny to utilize sampling equipment to explore:
- Freshwater ecosystems and aquatic habitat
- Elements of the river food web such as plankton, aquatic insects, birds, waterfowl and fish
- Local geology, geography and land use
- Water quality indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, nitrates, phosphates, and iron,
- The relationship between chemical and biological water indicators; and,
- The cause and effect of point and non-point source water pollution.
90-minute program:
It’s Alive! Ecoadventure (multiple programs per day)
Duration: 1.5 hours on board.
Capacity: 20 students plus 2 professors.
Fee: $15/student. Available late afternoons, evenings, and weekends.
Sail into adventure looking for signs of life in the watery world that runs through our area. Search for microscopic plankton in a river water sample. Get up close and personal with local waterfowl, be puzzled by strange native fish, and hunt for unbelievable creatures from the Allegheny. A great option for student recruitment events and as a suppliment to weekly laboratory courses involving environmental science or land management.
Customized programs:
Contact RiverQuest to set up a customized field experience.
PROGRAM FEES
The cost of delivery of RiverQuest Community education programs are underwritten by contributions and donations received from community foundations, organizations, businesses and private individuals and from grants received from local, regional and national government agencies.
HOW TO REGISTER CLASSES and GROUPS for programs
Contact RiverQuest at 412-231-2712, extension 13, to speak with Christine Statzer. Dates are available on a first come-first served basis.
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