The students at Quaker Valley Middle School in Sewickley, PA are working to restore the once native paddlefish to their local watershed. The paddlefish, a freshwater filter feeder, was last sighted in the area in 1919 and is thought to be locally extinct. After an oil spill in the streams and rivers of Park's Run in 1996, the students became concerned about their environment and decided to get involved.

First, the students made an effort to clean up the river. They not only picked up trash in and around the river, but also surveyed and mapped the area. The students built a nature trail and created field identification materials of the local aquatic and insect life. In addition, the students monitored the weather daily and evaluated the water quality of the stream. This work has allowed the group to identify normal water quality parameters and will further assist the group in identifying abnormal readings in the future.

During the environmental evaluation process, the students discovered that several lower life forms were beginning to reestablish themselves in the area affected by the oil spill. Encouraged by this news, the students have decided to work closely with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to insure the successful reintroduction of the paddlefish. The group will assist with the follow-up assessment programs and educate the public about the species. Eventually, the students would like to construct an aquaculture facility at their school so they can help raise and release greater numbers of paddlefish to the local streams. The success of the reintroduction program will take time to measure, because it takes 13 years for the paddlefish to mature and reproduce.

The Quaker Valley Middle School students have learned that oil spills and the actions of few concerned citizens can have a far-reaching global impact. As a result, they decided to create an exchange program with Higashi Junior High in Kushiro, Japan. This program allows the students to exchange information and learn about each other's culture. In fact, the project received one of its highest recognitions in the summer of 1998. They were selected as one of the top nine projects to represent the United States for NOAA's GLOBE Learning Expedition in Helsinki, Finland. Five students and one chaperone presented the project to over 300 students, educators, and scientists from 27 different nations.