On Saturday April 19th 2008 Diba Khan-Bureau along with her environmental science class and STRONG-CT environmental engineering technology students out again to perform a rapid bioassessment. This will be the 8th year that Khan-Bureau and her class have performed this important project for the CT DEP, Salem, East Haddam and Lyme. The Rapid Bioassessment (RBV) is the collection and identification of benthic macro invertebrates which are insect larvae found in rivers and streams. The RBV is performed twice a year. Bioassessment or biological assessment is defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as "an evaluation of the biological condition of a waterbody using biological surveys and other direct measurements of resident biota in surface waters" (Klemm et al. 1990).

Khan-Bureau’s STRONG-CT (science and technology reaching out to new generations) scholars have performed many of these RBVs and will be helping other students in other classes to learn about the importance of this study. Also invited to participate are STRONG-CT students from UConn, Manchester and Quinabaug Valley CCs.   This research is part of the Eightmile River study for the Federal “Wild and Scenic” designation. The study area includes Salem, East Haddam and Lyme.

     STRONG-CT Team Leaders:  Nicole Izzo, Nikita Peperni, and Denise Zevetchin led the other STRONG-CT students from QVCC

                       and UConn along with other TRCC students enrolled in Environmental Science courses through the RBV activity.