An estimated 2,000 students made a big splash recently when they participated in an Indian River Lagoon–focused event organized by the Ocean Research & Conservation Association, or ORCA.
The 8th annual A Day in the Life of the Indian River Lagoon took place Oct. 9 at more than 40 waterfront sites from Volusia to Palm Beach counties. Students in grades 4 through 12 joined teachers, scientists, and volunteers to collect data on water quality and wildlife in one of North America’s most biodiverse estuaries.
“A Day in the Life of the Indian River Lagoon is a program that has been inspired by other A Day in the Life programs,” said Missy Weiss, ORCA’s director of citizen science and education. “I personally used to live in New York and participated in A Day in the Life of the Peconic Estuary when I was working for an environmental organization up there. When I moved to Florida, I realized that there really is nothing like that down here. I wanted to be able to give students in elementary, middle, and high school, and even undergraduates, the opportunity to connect with their local waterway the way that we did up in New York through the A Day in the Life program there.”…