Norwich - Thames River Academy students and teachers want "in" on a new city effort to study, preserve and enhance the historic Indian Leap and Upper Yantic Falls area and proved their interest Wednesday with a working field trip.

The area consists of two city-owned dams and wooded areas important to both American Indians and European settlement history.

The Upper Falls Heritage Park was created in the 1990s with a grant and volunteer work that restored a 19th century hydropower house, now boarded up, and created a walking trail connecting the upper mill village to the lower falls, Indian Leap. The natural gorge was the site of a legendary 1643 Indian battle, when the Mohegan Indians routed the retreating Narragansetts over the cliff.

The heavy work on Wednesday was done by art and cultural history teacher Jason Rosen and three students, freshman Antonio Hatzimichalis, junior Cody White and sophomore Colton McNeil. With instruction from Angelo Yeitz, public works superintendent of streets and parks, they cleared branches hanging over the fence near the dam and neatly stacked them for the city chipper.

Several other students made their way to the river's edge.

"I want to catch a big fish," ninth-grader Alexis Barnes-Lawson said to science teacher Bob Sampson. Thames River Academy science classes often collect and tag fish in Spaulding Pond in Mohegan Park, but Wednesday was the group's first visit to the Yantic River. They will return soon with buckets and nets to collect specimens to examine and identify in the lab.

Sampson did point out deer tracks and gave students an all-important lesson on poison ivy. Junior Colton Shirley said he was hoping to find "lots of cool stuff" at the river bank, and he wasn't disappointed. At his feet was half of a bright blue robin's egg.

Next week, the students will meet with William Champagne, president of the Norwich Historical Society, to learn about the overall effort to improve the historic falls area.

The city has obtained a $17,500 grant from the state Office of Culture and Tourism and has requested the required equal matching share from the Sachem Fund, created by the city and the Mohegan Tribe for arts and cultural projects. Champagne said the money would be used to hire an architect, historian and engineer to assess the condition of the former Artform factory the city recently acquired adjacent to Indian Leap and make recommendations for preservation.

Once the reports are completed, the historical society would host a public forum to discuss ideas for the area.

Thames River Academy students have some ideas to offer. The students would like to install benches and create a "sitting area" to make the park more inviting. The Indian Leap area is a popular teen hangout already, and Rosen hopes if they learn the history of the area, they will help protect it.

"It's not like you're going to stop kids from going down there and smoking cigarettes," Rosen said. "But hopefully, they'll have a little more respect for it."

c.bessette@theday.com