Becoming River-Friendly: Stuart’s Journey Toward Watershed Certification

Kate O'Brian
Lower School Technology Innovation Specialist & STEM Teacher

At Stuart, we believe that education extends far beyond the classroom walls. As we live this year’s theme of taking action with confidence and courage as a community, we are empowering Stuart girls to be environmental stewards who will care for our world. To highlight our immersive curriculum, special events, and on-campus service projects connected to sustainability, we’ve embarked on a year-long journey to achieve the highest possible recognition as a River-Friendly School.

This rigorous certification offered by The Watershed Institute is a powerful way for Stuart to formalize, celebrate, and deepen the environmental stewardship that is already a core part of our Sacred Heart identity. We’re excited to celebrate our commitment to Goal IV, as “All members of the school community accept accountability for the care of God’s creation, practice effective stewardship of the earth’s resources and work to alleviate the climate crisis.”

What Does it Mean to Be “River-Friendly”?

Imagine rain falling on Stuart’s 55-acre campus. Every drop has the potential to carry harmful pollution like fertilizer, litter, and other contaminants into our local waterways. Each choice our school community makes, like keeping Friendship Forest clean and cultivating native plants in our Teaching Garden to support wildlife, can add up to big waves of positive change that impact our watershed community as a whole. 

The River-Friendly Schools program challenges schools to reduce pollution, advocate for sustainable choices, and promote a healthier environment for all. The program requires learning and action in three major areas:

1. Water Quality,
2. Water Conservation, and
3. Wildlife & Habitats.

Along with studying River-Friendly topics throughout the year, the program also encourages students to hone their advocacy skills as a part of the Education & Outreach component of the certification. 

Setting the Standard: Watershed Level Certification

Stuart’s sustainable practices and programs began with Architect Jean Labatut, “who designed a campus in 1963 that was significantly ahead of its time, incorporating many concepts that would later become the criteria in the United States Green Building Council’s LEED green building certifications.” With our long history of environmental stewardship, we’re a fitting candidate for the River-Friendly Schools program’s most advanced certification, the Watershed Level. Schools in this tier not only complete coursework in the four foundational standards, but also host special initiatives like River-Friendly field trips, service projects, and festivals across the school. Here’s a glimpse of the River-Friendly journey so far, woven into the fabric of student life at Stuart:

Lower School

In Lower School, third graders in STEM will study native plants and their impact on the local food web during the Great Native Plant Debate, and all Lower School students will gain hands-on experience revitalizing our school gardens in partnership with Fairgrown Farms. In April, Lower School will also host its first Project WET Festival on Earth Day, learning more about water conservation and celebrating water’s importance in our lives. 

Middle School

In Middle School, fifth graders will participate in water education through Project WET, simulating macroinvertebrate catch-and-release and making inferences about water quality based on which organisms they find as a part of the “Ask the Bugs” activity. Their science study will culminate in a grade-wide Project Based Learning project seeking to answer an essential question—is access to clean water a human right? Throughout this project, students evaluate case studies such as the Navajo Nation, Flint, MI, and Sudan through the lenses of both scientific inquiry and social justice. 

Upper School

In Upper School, tenth graders in Chemistry in the Community will collect and evaluate stream water data through the StreamWatch Schools program. StreamWatch Schools is The Watershed Institute's K-12 water quality monitoring program that engages students in real-world environmental science. The program involves students in fieldwork, data collection, data management, analysis, and interpretation, empowering students to join in with schools across New Jersey to help protect our state’s streams and rivers.

Impelled to Action: Community Stewardship

The River-Friendly Schools certification is a powerful recognition of the values we share as a Sacred Heart school. As we empower our students to become the informed and action-oriented environmental leaders our world needs, we invite every member of the Stuart community to join this collective act of stewardship. Look for upcoming details about campus clean-ups, community celebrations, and volunteer needs throughout the year. Your involvement directly supports our students and helps us secure the prestigious Watershed Level certification. Let's protect our planet together!