Celestial bodies are a curious mystery to gaze up at on a summer night.  Human cultures have a long history of creating stories and myths about the shapes stars seem to take on. Stars also have served a practical purpose for navigators on ocean bound vessels.  With the help of a sextant and nautical chart it is possible to deduce a precise location without the help of GPS devices.  We hear from Captain Samantha Heyman who has used celestial navigation on cross-ocean voyages for years and found the stars to be loyal companions on an often inhospitable ocean.  

Too often, classroom learning isn't the best setting for environmental education. Folding chairs, fluorescent lights, and chalk boards can't teach the point of ecology.

The Clearwater onboard education program boasts not only a top-notch curriculum that covers Hudson River history, science, ecology, and nautical techniques, but has the students get actively involved in the whole process. Onboard educator Maija Niemisto tells us how the students use all their senses aboard Clearwater. They feel the difference in wind pressure away from the shore, they smell the Indian spices that Henry Hudson was searching for, they push the tiller to midships, they slide their finger over a slippery fish scale. All this not only helps the students become engaged in the learning process, but it inspires them to get involved in protecting the river once their off the boat.

In yet another effor to promote sustainability, Clearwater uses a biodiesel blend in the Sloop motor on board.  Clearwater crewmember and engineer Erik Fyfe explains the biodiesel and its importance for sustainable resources.

"Think globally and act locally" is the only way to make a difference in the world, according to folksinger and activist Pete Seeger.  Instead of dwelling on monumental acts and tasks that affect millions, he urges us to keep our activism small and manageable, but stay persistent and with hope.

The sun is the ultimate renewable resource, and environmentally conscious people all over the country are basking in the energy efficient possibilities of photovoltaics systems.

Solar panels can harvest the sun's energy to provide secure off-grid electricity to a house and heat household water. You can even produce a surplus of electricity to sell back to an energy network.

In geographical areas without fertile soil, there are still ways to sustainably grow produce. Hydroponics is a system of greenhouse aquaculture that grows plants without any soil.

The Science Barge, a project of New York Sunworks, operates a hydroponic greenhouse in New York City, and gives public demonstrations of this viable method of urban agriculture.

"Going green" isn't just a fad - it can be a legitimate business move. The Howland Cultural Center thought so when they installed a geothermal heating and cooling system in 2008. The temperature system, which uses ground heat pumps deep into the earths surface, keeps the historic building warm in the winter and cool in summer.

Geothermal systems present a real alternative to using fossil fuels in homes and businesses, and provide real green-collar jobs when we need them most.

The Woody Guthrie is a replica of a 19th century Dutch cargo ship, built for the Hudson River, with a permanent dock in Beacon, NY. A ship mate aboard the boat shares her thought on the importance of getting out on the river to fully appreciate its grandeur.

At a time when our children too often resort to indoor play, video games, and electronic entertainment, their inactivity is causing catastrophic rates of diabetes, asthma, and obesity. We need to bring them back to nature, and a life of activity.

We spoke with Dr. David Fenner, a pediatrician in the Hudson Valley, who is concerned with childhood inactivity and its connections to ill health and nature-deficit disorder.

The Hudson River has a rich place in American History and the industrial revolution. Pollopel Island, sometimes known as Bannerman's Castle, is a testament to the power a river has over people and vice versa.

We must do all we can to protect the river, and assure that it's future has as much potential and vitality as it's rich past.

Robert Rodriguez Jr. collects photographs of the Hudson Valley, and believes it can help contribute to conserving the natural landscape he has grown to love.

At-risk youth in the Hudson Valley have opportunties to grow food in their communities year round.  These teens plant, plan, and cultivate produce, and, as it turns out, self esteem.