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  DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY  PROGRAM 

The Environmental Technology Program is a three-year major, which runs from the sophomore year to the senior year. It is designed for those who plan to pursue their studies beyond high school. One of the main topics of the Environmental Technology  Program is water resources and local and global watershed education.

During the sophomore year, students will conduct water quality tests on the ponds here on campus  and along the Ipswich River. This will provide students the opportunity to do comparative studies of these two inland ecosystems. The sophomore program will help students to acquire real world skills used by fie1d biologists and ecologists for conducting experiments and tests which will aid them in developing models for better understanding of local forest communities, wetlands,  and wildlife habitats. Sophomores will aim to use Topographic Maps, Geographic Information Systems CGIS)  and the Global Positioning System CGPS) for conducting field research.

"Expeditionary Learning" is an integral part of the program. The expeditions are used to amplify  classroom instruction. Each  spring, students organize a trip to the headwaters of the  Pemigewasset and Merrimack rivers in New Hampshire, in order to study the rivers' hydrology and chemistry. Throughout the year students will examine the many career opportunities in the environmental sciences through guest speakers and by working directly with professionals in the field. Students will also have the opportunity to raise Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar, from eggs, in the school's own fish barn facility .The salmon will be released into a tributary of the Merrimack River just prior to the expedition. In addition, students will raise Plymouth Red-Bellied Turtles, Pseudemys rubriventris, an endangered species in Massachusetts. The turtles will be returned to the Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species program in the spring, for release back into the wild.

The junior year picks up where the sophomore year ends, in the estuaries of the Ipswich and Merrimack rivers. This is the launching site for our studies of Marine Biology and Oceanography. The Marine Biology curriculum is based on understanding the Marine Biodiversity of the Gulf of Maine. Students focus on such local ecosystems as salt marshes, the rocky inter-tidal zone, benthic habitats and others. Students will continue their studies of GIS by developing maps of study areas within the Gulf of Maine Bioregion, including Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The Junior year
expedition takes the Students to Nova Scotia, Canada in order to study the northern
portion of the Gulf of Maine.

During the senior year students will prepare to take the Advanced Placement Environmental Technology Exam. The exam is held each May. As a part of the senioryear, students will also take a Hazardous Materials Training Course (HAZMAT), provided by the University Of Massachusetts, Lowell. Students will also work on a project with a local environmental organization, such as a wetland restoration project, or a biodiversity inventory with a local conservation commission. These will be real-world projects based on the environmental needs and concerns of local communities.