Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

In celebration of the first World Water Monitoring Day, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Md., will host national, state and local officials, and local high school students for a water monitoring excursion on the Rhode River and the Chesapeake Bay on Oct. 17.

The dignitaries will be joining students from C. H. Flowers High School in Prince George’s County and South River High School in Anne Arundel County, both in Maryland, as they conduct water quality tests and sample fish and invertebrates for the Student Training in Aquatic Research program, a collaborative project between SERC, EPA and the Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center.

Acting EPA Administrator Marianne Horinko, and Roberta Savage, president of America’s Clean Water Foundation, will accompany the students on the 41-footNOAA coastal research vessel Bay Commitment along with Smithsonian Undersecretary for Science David Evans; Ross Simons, director of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center; and scientists from SERC and EPA.

The short research cruise presents a fitting way to mark the first World Water Monitoring Day, which aims to educate people of all ages in all nations, about the value of clean water and the role of water quality monitoring. World Water Monitoring Day is an outgrowth of last year’s National Water Monitoring Day in which 75,000 people across the country sampled and analyzed water in their local streams and watersheds.

In recognition of the global importance of World Water Monitoring Day, the Smithsonian will be Web-casting the day’s events live at: http://smithsonian.ty/videos/serc/ and http://serc.si.edu/ .

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is the nation’s premiere environmental research and education center at the land/water margin. A diverse staff of senior scientists engage in interdisciplinary studies that address issues such as global change, watershed studies, maintenance of productive fisheries, changes in our environment from biological invaders, and understanding fragile wetlands and woodlands. In addition, SERC serves as a major center for environmental education and professional training of the next generation of environmental scientists.