E-Newsletter Articles
October 2009
Safe Water is My Responsibility (SWIM’R): Nancy Carlson
Nancy Carlson started off by stating that she is a Naturalist. When asked, “What is a Naturalist?” she responded that it is “Someone who loves and embraces the natural world, that would be me.” Not only does a Naturalist love and embrace the natural world but they also love and embrace sharing it with people of all ages (for Nancy, especially children). She is an environmental activist and advocate. She received a two year degree in water quality from Marine Park, a branch of MATC in West Bend. She teaches environmental programs to adults and children. She started as a volunteer and has been involved for years in various environmental programs.
This October Carlson, along with two of her colleagues, Lynda Mucha and Jamie Racine will be teaching the Safe Water Is My Responsibility (SWIMR) program to 1500 Racine Unified School District (RUSD) fourth graders. SWIMR was started in part because of a group called Keep Our Beaches Open, KOBO. The beaches were constantly closing and this group wanted to see change. Lisa Scott Ptacek wrote the swimmer program while Dave White was the Director of River Bend. This is the 5th year the program has been in operation.
The SWIMR program is conducted along the Root River in Racine near the Root River Environmental Education Community Center (REC). The REC is hosting this program. Some of the questions that the students are asked are; “How are you connected to the River?” and “Where does your drinking water come from?” They want the students to realize that the drinking water here in Wisconsin comes from one of the largest bodies of fresh drinking water in the world. They also discuss run-off and how it affects the health of Lake Michigan and the Root River. Garbage, oil, salt, paint, herbicides, roof run-off, pesticides, and other pollutants run off into Lake Michigan and into drinking water.
Students also have the opportunity to let their inner scientist out as they conduct a variety of tests along side of the Naturalist. The Dissolved oxygen test compares a safe, healthy number to what is in the river. They test for pH. They test for Temperature, and students learn that if the water is to warm it can affect certain species that are not tolerant of warm water. Turbidity tests the clarity of the water. They ask students, “IF the water is too clear is that good,” and many respond that “yes” it is good. Surprisingly, if the sun gets through too easily it can increase photosynthesis in plants and can suffocate certain aquatic life.
The vegetation along the river can affect the water quality as well. Checking for macroinvertibrates, or the biotic index, is another way to check if the water is polluted. Some of these organisms can only live in clean water, so if you do not see these macroinvertibrates it can be used as an indicator of the condition of the water. Planting deep- rooted plants near a body of water can act as a buffer zone. The REC has planted a buffer zone to inhibit run-off and the students will have the opportunity to see this preservation system. They will also point out the negative areas, such as a pipe that goes into the river and runoff by the boat ramp
There is also an indoor portion of the course. Models are set-up as demonstrations. One of the models is of a road with candy wrappers, sand, oil, and other pollutants. The instructor will pour water on it and the students can see the run-off. They also have models with buffer zones so that students can see how these areas capture the pollutants. Another interesting demonstration is conducted using a bucket of water. As the group talks about daily life, items are added to the bucket and this gives students a way to visualize how the water gets polluted. This water is then poured through rocks, sand, & soil and it naturally filters the water. This demonstrates how important the wetlands are to water quality.
Nancy feels that environmental education has gone to the wayside, but it is imperative to teach children to care for the environment and teach them to care for the earth and all living things. With the movement in the green job market it is important for urban students to understand environmental issues. Many urban students do not have the opportunity to experience nature; some students fear the woods and have never seen simple things like a living toad for instance. This needs to be address and must be implemented in the schools.
September 2009
Another Great CHIWAUKEE ACADEMY week of learning! -John Surrendonk
Save the date:
August 9th - 13th, 2010
Racine Unified Leadership Academy and Data Teams - Jeff Wiess
