Through the River's Eyes

If rivers had eyes, what would they see? 

I’d imagine flickering reflections of reeds against the water, glimpses of shiny fish tails disappearing into the dark abyss, and underwater forests of feathery leaves and stems shaded by a canopy of lily pads. Minks curiously peaking out behind rocks, and loons diving down to catch the unsuspecting fish. A father teaching his son how to cast a fishing rod, or two naive research students fighting the rapids in a sinking canoe, caught in a torrential rainstorm . 

In reality, these are all scenes I witnessed or experienced during my time studying rivers in the North Country. During the summer of 2026, I conducted a dual research project that both studied and communicated the water chestnut invasion on the Northern NY rivers. Going into this project, I knew I wanted to make a film that portrays rivers in a light that reveals how deeply intertwined they are with the people, wildlife, and ecosystems around them. The film is personalized to rivers in Northern New York, particularly the Oswegatchie River, and dives into the relevant threat of the invasive water chestnut plant. 

Over the course of 8 weeks, I (along with Riley Cushman, my research partner, and Dr. Brad Baldwin, my faculty mentor) sampled and analyzed ecological data from 66 sites along waterways in St. Lawrence County. We aimed to a) identify ecological parameters that may allow for greater local dominance of water chestnuts among invaded sites, and b) based on our results, map areas near Canton NY that may serve as good “hosts” for water chestnuts. 

In the field, we identified and collected aquatic plants and recorded abiotic conditions. After processing vegetation and abiotic samples in the lab, we then tested for statistically significant relationships between the ecological parameters and water chestnut dominance at each site. Throughout the entire process, we worked to mitigate the invasion by hand-pulling water chestnuts.

At Heuvelton, a heavily-invaded reservoir on the Oswegatchie River, we found that a higher water chestnut dominance was correlated with a deep sediment depth, slow flow rate, and lower light penetration* (*considered a result of high water chestnut dominance, rather than a predictor). Based on these potential predictors, we identified sections of the St. Lawrence River and Black Lake to be areas of potential “high risk” of water chestnut dominance, if invaded.  

At the same time, I filmed and edited footage and interviews to produce a short ecofilm, titled “Through the River’s Eyes”. Most of the footage was taken in the field during our research trips, often from inside a canoe and between scribbling down data. It tells a local story about the interconnected relationship between people and the natural world, the far-reaching impacts of rivers, and our shared responsibility to protect them.

I strengthened my skills in designing a research project, gained hands-on experience with aquatic ecology field equipment and GIS data entry techniques, improved my fluency in multiple linear regression analyses in RStudio, and developed new skills in filmmaking and video editing in Davinci Resolve. By the end of the project, I had gained a deeper understanding of the local significance of the Oswegatchie River, the impacts of its water chestnut invasion, and the rising importance of community-led conservation efforts.

If rivers could speak, what would they say to us?