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Senior Capstone Students Visit Richmond’s Vertical Slot Fishway

1/10/2018

Collegiate School seniors enrolled in the Senior Capstone course, The River City, met a James River Park System biologist at the vertical slot fishway on the river’s Bosher's Dam this week to see firsthand the intricate "fish ladder" that enables native species such as the American shad to return upriver to spawn, despite the presence of the dam.

In The River City Capstone, Richmond is a second classroom. Through experiential education and meaningful civic engagement in the city and along the James River Park System, students explore how the economic, political and cultural landscape — historically and presently — is inextricably linked with the environmental landscape and health of the James, the city and citizenry.

Throughout the course, students are challenged to investigate how the James River connects and separates Richmonders to and from each other and the world historically, and how those relationships have impacted the natural and manmade Richmond of today, as well as students’ role in shaping the Richmond of tomorrow.

The seniors also consider how changing demographics of the Richmond region present challenges and chances for connection. Through study of Leave No Trace wilderness navigation and partnerships with organizations committed to responsible city development while honoring Richmond’s unique past, students are challenged to consider how we should shape our city in the future.

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