Earth Day – Environmental Careers Field Day with Professional Scientists

April 22, 2013:     34 students from Tim Fennell’s AP Environmental Science class at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy joined 14 professional Environmental Scientists and other community volunteers in the field (in the river:) for an Environmental Science Career Day on Earth Day.  Students rotated through stations where they learned about benthic macroinvertebrates, fish, water quality and the relationships between and properties of groundwater and surface water.  Students were surprised and delighted to see gar close up and also an immature native freshwater mussel. Scientists from the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department, Austin Water Utility, University of Texas – Texas Natural History Collections – Fish Team, Austin Youth River Watch and other professionals worked with the students in the field and then talked with them about their career pathways.