With hip waders on and nets in hand, it's out to the river to collect bugs in order to test for macroinvertebrate biodiversity.

Washington Academy students teach elementary students the ins and outs of raising salmon eggs to the fry stage during Salmon Release Day.

During Maritime Wildlife Observation field trips, students have the chance to watch whales, seals and water fowl in action.

Water quality monitoring is an important skill our students master, testing for temperature, flow rate, dissolved oxygen, pH, alkalinity, conductivity and more.

Washington Academy students are very active in community service. Recent projects include stream bank restoration, tree planting, building informational kiosks, and shoreside clean-up.

Aided by the Washington Academy Wetland Nursery, students propagate trees, shrubs, and native wetland plants for use on restoration projects.

In 2002, this team of five Washington Academy students earned First Place in the National Youth Watershed Team competition for their work on Atlantic Salmon restoration.

Here, students are working with a local fish hatchery on a Bioremediation Project designed to capture nutrients in a man-made wetland before discharging the water to a nearby stream.

Students learn basic construction skills in the building and maintenance of a pump station. Other projects include the greenhouse, potting shed, informational kiosks and signs.

Students prepare experimental lab batches of biodiesel prior to large scale production. The biodiesel is then used in the Washinton Academy Student Activity Bus.

Salmon restoration involves habitat enhancement projects that involve stream bank stabilization and tree planting activities. Students planted more than 300 trees at the Old Stream site, a tributary of the Machias River.

Students assessed the old outlet dam, measured water depths, and interviewed camp owners on Lower Sobao Lake in the headwaters of the Machias River. Dams impede the upstream migration of salmon to historic spawning areas. Our data will be used to determine if this dam needs to be removed in the near future.

Each Fall for the past 12 years, W.A. students have invited area fifth graders to their Salmon Release Day field trip. in addition to releasing Salmon, students assess water quality using chemical and biological analysis. They survey for sources of pollution and map the stream bed and its banks.

2004 Envirothon Team A: 1st Place

2004 Envirothon Team B: 3rd Place