The Hawthorne High School Ecology Club went on a field trip to the Hackensack River Keeper in the New Jersey Meadowlands on Friday, May 17 to learn about the effect pollution has on the marsh.

The club members took an Eco-cruise, which was sponsored by the Hackensack River Keeper, through the Meadowlands, according to Scott Crimmel, science teacher at HHS who heads the Ecology Club. Crimmel explained that during the two hour boat ride, the captain talked to the students on the history of the area. He informed them about how polluted the river and the surrounding area used to be and how the  River Keeper was created to clean up and police the Hackensack River.

“It was very educational,” said Kimberly Mulvey, an HHS senior in the Ecology Club. “We learned a lot about the marsh.” Alexis Miele, another senior in the Ecology Club, agreed, explaining that they also learned about the life of a marsh keeper.

Crimmel, who has been taking students on the trip for the past six years, believes it is very worthwhile. “This trip shows how an area that was once thought of as a toxic waste area was able to be restored to an area teeming with biodiversity.  Students gain an understanding of the things we can do today to help maintain our endangered natural areas.  Lastly, what could be better than spending two hours on a boat on a beautiful day?”