Meet the River Heroes

It starts with a single drop of rain. Where does it go once it falls from a cloud? For students in Moss Point, the answer is close to home: it ends up in their bayous and rivers, right where they can see it.

That journey is the heart of River Heroes, the Pascagoula River Audubon Center’s hands-on education program. It leads students to a bigger question: How are we connected to the Pascagoula River, and what can we do to help it?

River Heroes grew out of a community grant project and the flooding concerns Moss Point faces. For Mary Rodgers, Senior Center Manager at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, it also comes from a love of the Pascagoula River and the wildlife that depend on it. “I want students to appreciate the place they call home,” she says.

The river sits along the Mississippi Flyway, where more than 40% of North America’s birds migrate. Clean water supports the fish and insects those birds depend on, so caring for water and habitat helps protect the places birds feed, rest, and raise their young. River Heroes helps students see that connection for themselves.

Learning by seeing, touching, and doing

The sixth-grade River Heroes Academy is a series of six connected lessons that Center educators like Amanda Romano bring into the classroom. They plan with each teacher first, learning how the class works and how the lessons can best support it. Students then predict, investigate, record evidence, discuss, and explain what they find.

The first lesson starts with watersheds, using a watershed model so students can watch what happens when rain hits a parking lot, a roof, or a field. Different materials stand in for pollutants. Soy sauce, for example, represents oil running toward a larger body of water. “We’re using all the senses,” Mary says. “It’s really empowering for the little ones.”

From there, students meet the animals and plants that depend on clean water, build food webs with organism cards and yarn, and test water quality in local samples to see whether the river can support life. They also explore how people affect the river and investigate challenges close to home, like flooding.

River Heroes is also the foundation for Green Pathways, a six-lesson extension planned for middle school students in the new year. Students will investigate stormwater, design a solution using natural features, and help carry out a community project, such as a rain garden, a storm garden, or a shoreline restoration, to reduce flooding closer to home.

The goal is for students to learn about these important connections and to see a role for themselves in caring for the river and their community. “They can make an impact. They can take an action and make a difference for something they love and treasure,” says Mary.  

A River Hero at Every Age

The beauty of the River Heroes program is that it’s built to grow with students. The same lesson format can be adjusted for any grade by following that grade’s standards and keeping the activities age appropriate. For example, the Center has adapted this program for both second and ninth graders, with the high school students painting storm drains with River Heroes messages, helping their neighbors connect the streets to the river.

River Heroes also shows up at local festivals and outreach events, where visitors of all ages can join in. They participate in fun quizzes about river life, predators, and the food chain, then make a River Hero promise: they write what they will do to protect the river, add it to the display, and take home a sticker and a badge.

Want to Be a Hero?

“Everybody wants to be a River Hero,” Mary says. “Everybody wants to make a positive impact.” There are several ways to join in:

• Bring it to your school. Teachers, parents, and community members can tell their school district about River Heroes. The curriculum is ready to adapt, and it can focus on any river in the area.
• Meet us at an event. Look for the River Heroes booth at local festivals and events, answer a few questions, and make your own River Hero promise. 
• Follow along. Follow the Center on Facebook to watch the River Heroes program grow.

Beyond the River

The Pascagoula River Audubon Center offers many other ways for the community to connect with local birds and habitat. Growing Forward teaches native plant propagation and care, linking plants to the food and cover birds need. Birding walks and kayak tours help people recognize local birds and understand where they live. G.R.I.T.S. (Green Resilient Infrastructure Technical Skills) gives teens field and technical skills tied to coastal habitat conservation, and young learner programs, field trips, and community outreach offer more places to start.

While the Center’s building is currently closed for renovations, it’s clear the work continues to flourish in outdoor spaces, classrooms, partner locations, and beyond.  

For Mary, the hope is simple. When students can see, touch, and experience what they are learning, they begin to understand why healthy habitats matter to birds, wildlife, and people. “I hope that understanding helps them grow to love this place and see how their choices can help keep it healthy,” she says.

It all begins with a single drop of rain, and with a question students carry home: How are we connected to the river, and what can we do to help it?