BONNER — Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) students are taking their science class from the lab to the riverbanks to learn about the watersheds their communities rely on.
"Without clean water, there's no life. We're growing a community of really knowledgeable individuals," Ripple Missoula Program Manager Dalit Guscio told MTN.
MCPS has partnered with Ripple for the past 10 years to bring hands-on curriculum to students.
"The mission for this program for me is understanding the scientific process. The field trip is just the climax of the program, where they somehow come back to us and say, 'Wait a second. Did it work? Is our watershed healthy?' I say, 'Well, you tell me,'" Guscio explained.
Fifth graders at Rattlesnake Elementary School have spent weeks learning about nearby ecological systems.
Students from Guscio's course at the University of Montana were on-site at Milltown State Park to help lead stations.
"We're studying macro-invertebrates to see if the water has like pollution or tailings from mining," said Rattlesnake Elementary student Barrett Moriarty.
Students are learning about the history of the basin and ongoing cleanup of surrounding Superfund sites.
"We live. at the time, in the biggest Superfund complex in the country. What better way of talking about healthy waters, water-healthy watersheds in our backyard when we're so affected?" Guscio said.
The program is funded through the Natural Resource Damage Program and provides place-based learning opportunities for students from Butte to Missoula.
"The Missoula station, we do all MCPS schools, so all nine elementary schools, and we also do Clinton and Bonner," Guscio said.
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For many in the program, exploring the health of the ecosystem is both fun and rewarding.
"Getting to like explore all these really cool things about our watershed," said Rattlesnake Elementary student Opal Newman.
The experience may inspire the next generation of river stewards.
"The river is really important to me and my family. To actually study it and make sure it's healthy. It would be really important to me," Moriarty said.
"It's like really powerful because it's not just like adults that can make a difference, it's also kids that can make a difference," Newman said.
