Students Help Environment at Former RG&E Site

This week some Rochester students put a year's worth of lessons to work.  They are improving the environment at an old RG&E power plant.

These 4th and 6th grade students from Rochester's Henry Hudson Elementary school are getting their hands dirty. 

"We have to be gentle with the plants because if you don't, then they can easily break and it makes it harder for the animal life because some animals eat plants and its part of the food web," says 6th Genesis Silva 

This week they took a field trip to a former RG&E power generating facility.   It's located next to Rochester's High Falls. 

"We are trying to bring habitat back to this area because RG&E took it from it's original state "

The students have brought their own seeds to plant.
As well as other trees, shrubs, worms and bird houses.
The project was paid for with grants from Donors Choose and the Disney Planet Challenge. 

4th grade student Madison Smith says, "I like that if, you can like dig and when you plant the trees and stuff then you feel good after because you help the environment."

For students the planting was the most exciting part of the project.  But, this is actually part of something they have been studying all year long.

Teacher Linda Antonio says, "We have been working on this project all year doing research on the different animals that live here and the different plants that would be native to New York."

Someday the students hope to return to the site, to see if their hard work paid off.  "With this project they can come and go to the pedestrian bridge and they can see what they've done and they can see that they've made a difference.  They can show their family," says Antonio.