Milford High Teacher Honored For Watershed-To-Whale Conservation Project

MILFORD, MA — A Milford High School science teacher has been recognized for a yearlong environmental science project that connected pollution in local waterways to whale conservation in the Atlantic Ocean.

Austin Costa received a Blackstone Valley Superintendents’ Consortium Promising Practices Award for “From Milford to the Atlantic — Connecting Local Watershed to Whale Conservation,” Milford Public Schools announced Tuesday. The project combined classroom lessons, local fieldwork and marine science activities during the 2025-26 school year.

Students visited Louisa Lake and other locations in the Charles River watershed, where they tested water quality, observed environmental conditions and participated in trash cleanups. They used microscopes, pH and salinity testing kits, nets and a watershed model during the project.

After studying how pollution moves through connected waterways, students presented what they learned to fourth-grade science classes at a Milford elementary school. They also researched pollution issues affecting whales and created brochures explaining their causes, effects and possible solutions.

The project included a visit to Southwick’s Zoo, lessons involving a life-size inflatable whale and a whale-watching trip. Eighty-six of Costa’s 102 students participated in the trip, according to his project summary.

“Many of these students, it was their first time on a boat and they just truly enjoyed being out there,” Costa wrote. He said the experience showed students the importance of environmental stewardship and protecting the world around them.

The local lessons reflect broader water-quality concerns in Milford. Stormwater can carry pollution from roads, roofs and other paved surfaces into the Charles River, according to the Charles River Watershed Association.

The consortium’s Promising Practices program recognizes creative instructional projects and shares them as models for other educators.

Costa said the project reinforced the value of outdoor, hands-on learning. Plans for future student opportunities include partnerships with animal shelters, veterinary facilities and Southwick’s Zoo.

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