Environmental Studies & Research
Five years ago, seniors enrolled in the Environmental Studies Advanced Senior Seminar were comparing water samples in various Virginia rivers when they came upon an incredible discovery. They had found a site of the federally endangered species James River spinymussel in the Free Union area of Albemarle County. What has followed in the years since has been nothing short of extraordinary as the study has expanded its reach throughout our watershed.
The Environmental Studies Advanced Senior Seminar is a field-based class that combines environmental science and statistics, specifically researching local freshwater aquatic life. St. Anne’s-Belfield is unique in that we are the only high school with a scientific collection license that allows students to work in consultation with the Virginia Department of Game and Wildlife to study, analyze, and gather data on the federally endangered spinymussel.
The data collected by our students directly impacts state-level research. Check out our most recent data on our local waterways.