Sixth graders visited the Aquatic Resources Education Center to continue their study of the health of local watersheds. The Washington, D.C. parks facility is a multi-use environmental education and aquaculture center in Anacostia Park. The National Park Service and the Fish & Wildlife Service and the Department of Energy & Environment opened the AREC in 2005. Students took part in water quality tests to analyze the water, animals, and nearby fauna and assess the health of the watershed. The students are involved in a yearlong study of the local watersheds, which will culminate in their own projects devoted to improving local water quality and the health of nearby waterways.