It was the first time in a boat for 11 Japanese high school students studying aquatic ecology at the University of Illinois Springfield last week.
This week, their studies would show them why it may not be a good idea to swallow the water should they fall out of the boat.
The students and two teachers from Ashikaga Boys High School in Ashikaga, Japan, are at UIS for a Science Academy Program funded by the Japanese government.
During the weeklong trip, which began Thursday, the students are learning sampling techniques, fundamental water analysis and basic molecular biology and how it relates to conservation.
Ashikaga has been Springfield’s sister city since 1990, and UIS is hosting a group of science students from the same 600-student high school for the third year.
This story appeared online in The State Journal Register on July 13, 2015.
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