Both human and environmental factors shape the health of Pennsylvania waterways. Warwick Senior High School students know that well after checking the pulse of a stream flowing close to their Lancaster County homes.
DCNR’s award-winning Watershed Education program showed them what to seek and where to look. What they found was a high chlorine source, traced to a factory’s machine-cleaning process. What they used to find it was an unique educational tool that recently was saluted by state officials.
Last year it lured over 2,000 students and teachers out of the classroom and into Pennsylvania’s waterways. This year, even more participants will be able to share data and view program goals and requirements on a DCNR web site.
“This state park effort received its highest recognition June 26 when it was among 25 organizations and individuals honored at the first-ever Governor’s Award for Watershed Stewardship ceremony,” said John Plonski, DCNR’s executive deputy secretary for parks and forestry.
DCNR’s “Watershed Education” program enables teachers or civic group leaders to attend workshops hosted at area state parks by park environmental educators. Participants then are encouraged to launch study efforts along Pennsylvania’s wealth of waterways.
Teachers and their students are encouraged to pick a waterway and focus on its historical, cultural, and geological features, while noting physical features such as clarity, pH, sedimentation, runoff, and possible pollution threats.
“An appropriate stewardship program, using this information and data, will be crafted to help the waterway,” said Plonski. “Students then will share what they learned at the end of the year at a student summit.”
An overview of the watershed program can be accessed here; or through the Bureau of State Parks page.
Plonski noted that since its revision in 1998, the “Watershed Education” program for students in grades 6 through 12 has “chalked up some pretty impressive statistics:
“Almost 50 schools across the state have participated, involving 446 teachers in 28 teacher workshops. More than 2,000 teachers and students from schools and civic groups have undertaken watershed education studies.”
“Recognition of the program and its results by Gov. Ridge is a deserving tribute to the quality and dedication of our state parks bureau’s environmental education staff,” said Sarah E. Hopkins, chief of the bureau’s environmental education and information division.
“A core group of state park educators put many, many hours, along with their hearts and minds, into developing this program,” Hopkins said. “They drew from their collective years of experience to develop a program that offers a comprehensive approach to studying and learning about the environment, as well as one that is challenging and motivating to students.”
Jean Devlin, head of the bureau’s environmental education and interpretive section, said the governors’ award “further validates that Watershed Education is a top-notch program for educators and students across the Commonwealth.
“The program addresses many of the new statewide standards, and we also just received approval from the state Department of Education to offer professional education hours to teachers who participate in Watershed Education training.”
The web-based technology will allow students and teachers alike to exchange data and “become more interactive,” said Teresa Kromel, an environmental education specialist who oversaw the program’s revision.
“It will allow us to get the program information out to more people; enhance storage and utilization of data and information collected; and act as a clearing house for references, tips on equipment needed, and background information.”
Kromel advises prospective participating teachers to review web page information contact one of the listed parks personnel, and “pick a waterway students can study, learn from, and help protect.”
“Hopefully, the program’s recognition by the governor, coupled with its enhanced accessibility on the web, will encourage additional school teachers to participate,” Kromel said.
“This program will educate the watershed users of the future so that they do not repeat the mistakes of the past.”
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