Join Stroud Water Research Center on the beautiful banks of White Clay Creek March 24 for an outdoor celebration the week of World Water Day.

The event will be held at the Stroud Center, 970 Spencer Road, Avondale, Chester County from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.  Please register so the Center knows how many people to expect.

It will feature fun family activities and an unveiling of the new Watershed Education Mobile Lab, a fully outfitted 14-foot box trailer ready to travel and deliver education programs to underserved schools and communities.

Held every year since 1993, World Water Day is a United Nations observance day that focuses on the importance of fresh water and taking action to tackle the global water crisis.

While the lack of access to clean water is often thought of as a problem of the developing world, more than 2 million Americans don't have running water or basic indoor plumbing at home.

Race is the strongest predictor of access to clean water. Black, Latinx, and Native American households are disproportionately affected.

Recent data also underscores the threat to water quality: In the United States and Pennsylvania, 50% and 30% of streams, respectively, are impaired. Philadelphia (97%), Delaware (94%), Lancaster (89%), Chester (72%), and Dauphin (66%) counties are among the worst affected.

Connecting with nature is key to democratizing education about freshwater resources and provides important health and educational benefits to developing minds.

Mobile Watershed Ed Lab

To provide equitable access to meaningful watershed educational experiences, the Stroud Center, during its March 24 World Water Day event, is unveiling its Watershed Education Mobile Lab.

In addition to reaching underserved schools and communities, the mobile lab expands public engagement at parks and festivals.

It’s outfitted with a full set of instructional materials, such as microscopes and equipment for monitoring water quality to create hands-on experiences that build awareness and connections to local waterways.

March 24 Activities

On March 24 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., families and community members can learn about the world’s most precious natural resource — clean fresh water — and how to protect it through four engaging activities:

See a live demonstration of electrofishing, a technique used by scientists to sample eels, trout, and other underwater neighbors in White Clay Creek, a National Wild and Scenic River.

Discover live freshwater insects that exist in healthy streams at the new Watershed Education Mobile Lab.

Check out freshwater stewardship videos under the pavilion.

Gather in a streamside forest for a bilingual (English/Spanish) reading of Creek Critters, a finalist for the 2021 AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books, Hands-On Science Book category.

Sponsors of the mobile lab include Pa. American Water, E. Kneale Dockstader Foundation, Pa. Department of Environmental Protection’s Environmental Education Grants Program, National Park Trust, Burkholder Mfg. Inc., Full Throttle Wraps and Graphics, CCRES Educational and Behavioral Services, Fish and Boat Commission, Pengara Design and Production, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, and an anonymous donor.

The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided. To register and for COVID-19 safety protocols, visit the March 24 World Water Day event webpage.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Stroud Water Research Center website, Click Here to subscribe to UpStream.  Click Here to subscribe to Stroud’s Educator newsletter.  Click Here to become a Friend Of Stroud Research,  Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter and visit their YouTube Channel.

The Chester County-based Stroud Center seeks to advance knowledge and stewardship of freshwater systems through global research, education, and watershed restoration.

[Posted: March 16, 2022]

3/21/2022