Bluffton Students Wade Through the Wabash

   It's not every day students get to ditch their books and head to the river, but some Bluffton Middle School students got to do just that.

   They left the classroom Tuesday to wade through the Wabash River. The students tested the river's health as part of a decades-long educational program. They say it beats sitting in class.

   “We just kind of get to have fun, and put our hands and get dirty in the river,” said student Janean Steffen.

   The students joined local General Motors employees to figure out if the Wabash River is healthy. It's part of the GREEN (Global Rivers Environmental Education Network) program. GM has sponsored the program since 1989.

   “We look at the biological invertebrates that live on the bottom of the river, and they're the best indicator of whether the river's healthy or not,” said Beverly Balash, a science teacher at Bluffton Middle School.

   GM supplied the waders, and students jumped in. After testing for acidity and e-coli levels, students concluded the river is pretty healthy.

   “There were a lot of right-handed snails, and right-handed snails are good because they are very intolerant to pollution,” said student Michael Henderson.

   Still, students found a good deal of trash.

   “I found an Ibuprofen bottle and some Capri Sun packets and stuff,” said student Jessica Villman.

   Balash says the experience helps students understand how to take care of the environment.

   “The prettier something looks, the more likely people are to take care of it,” said Balash. “So we try to make sure that we're keeping it clean and doing our part.”

   Students like being hands-on, and they say it leaves an impression.

   “It was pretty hard to comprehend before we came how much there is in the river,” said Henderson.

   Back in the classroom, students will analyze the data they collected. Then, they'll identify an issue and develop a project to address it.