By Mary Beth Mueller, PA Resources Council

Over the summer, school students in Delaware County rolled up their sleeves and enjoyed a week of education and exploration as participants in the Stream Stewards Program presented by PA Resources Council and the Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative.

“Through interactive classroom lessons, students learned about local waterways and how they are impacted by our daily actions,” says Diana Andrejczak, PRC’s Eastern Program Director.  “During a field trip to a stream in Ridley Creek State Park, students took a hands-on approach to identifying macroinvertebrates and performing basic water chemistry testing. Using kick nets and dip nets, students collected, identified and released insect samples.”

Ms. Andrejczak joined with Jamie Anderson of EDCSC to host the week of watershed/water quality lessons as an environmental element of Interboro School District’s summer enrichment program.

“Our goal is to offer activities that showcase watersheds, water quality and how pollutants can impact our local waterways,” she explains. “At the stream, students learned how aquatic insects are used as indicators of water quality and then practiced identifying and classifying macroinvertbrates based on their tolerance to pollution.”

Back at Glenolden School, the students expressed their creativity by painting wooden fish cutouts as part of PRC’s “Fish for the Future” community art display.

“This new art project focuses on bringing together students attending local schools to create decorated wooden fish that will be installed on local fences,” she explains. “In addition to beautifying the fences, ‘Fish for the Future’ will educate those admiring the artwork by displaying educational messages regarding water quality.”

Click Here for more information about Stream Stewards.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Resources Council website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates, follow PRC on Twitter or Like them on Facebook.  Click Here for PRC’s Events Calendar.  Click Here to support their work.

PRC is Pennsylvania’s oldest grassroots environmental organization founded in 1939.  PRC has worked to protect resources for future generations through environmental education, recycling, waste diversion programs, anti-litter campaigns and other initiatives.

(Reprinted from the PA Resources Council website.)

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[Posted: September 9, 2021]

9/13/2021