Riverside Middle School Robotics Team Cleaning Riverside Beach

The Riverside Middle School’s Robotics Team, which we have named Dumbledore's Army, organized a beach clean-up at the beach near the park across the street from the Crescent Park Carousel, on October 29, 2016 from 12-3 PM. Our school's Robotics Team is competing in the First LEGO League Challenge which led us to take on this clean-up.

Our team is required to conduct a research project to help solve a problem in our community. The theme for this year’s project is called “Animal Allies” and requires teams to find ways in which humans can help animals for the benefit of both species.

Our team has chosen to research quahogs for our project. Quahogs and other shell fish help to filter toxic debris from polluting Narragansett Bay. Quahogs are also famously associated with Rhode Island and provide a great source of seafood nutrition for people throughout the state. Unfortunately, the quahog population is often banned from being harvested as the water in Narragansett Bay becomes polluted by trash from our beaches. We hear about shellfish bans all too often in our state.

Quahogs have a very interesting history. The Native Americans used their shells to create wampum; a type of bead. In 17th century New England, Quahogs were used as a form of currency. In 2006, the oldest known animal was discovered off the coast on Iceland. This animal-known as Ming- was a 507 year old quahog.

In order to help the quahogs, we organized a beach clean up to stop pollution from entering Narragansett Bay - a local area which is inhabited by quahogs.

Students involved are: Emma Rose, Haley Padula, Alex Rebello, Sierra Tanzi, Jade Clark, Christa McCormick, Brenna Felix and Nathan Eisel.

(Riverside Middle School teacher John Marsula has been working with two groups of students as they fine tune a few research projects. Saturday, October 29, a group of RMS students who are on the team cleaned trash from the beach next to the Crescent Park carousel for their research project.)