A team of Clarkson research faculty, graduate students, and STEM Ed outreach staff lead by PIs Pacht and Walsh are entering their 4th year of collaborative participatory research focused on MPs pollution status in Fishkill Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River in Dutchess and Putnam counties. The team plans to enhance the utility of its study design in the 2025-26 project year, by partnering with Fishkill Creek Watershed Alliance (FCWA) and a regional lab at Bard College. Sampling and testing will align with the objectives of these groups by focusing on monthly sampling and processing for Water Quality parameters, while enacting a rapid response (RR) model for microplastic sampling around episodic major rainfall events.
Funding from CoE’s 2025 RFP will allow the PIs and their teams to continue to expand the scope and impact of this promising work, while aligning with the goals and objectives of local and regional research and outreach partners.
Data collection that is both expanded and more focused, combined with participatory engagement, and public K-12 education will enable the team to continue improving hydrologic characterization of riverine microplastics, while supporting outreach, education and workforce development for 75 high school students, teachers, young environmental professionals, and volunteers.
