Author: Lauren Daniel
What happens when you mix a group of enthusiastic educators with water resource professionals, riverkeepers and a dash of GIS Mapping?
According to the participants of the first NC Stream Watch educators' cohort, you get nine educators from across North Carolina who are inspired and empowered to connect their students with their local streams and waterways.
The educators were the first cohort of a new virtual education program by NC Stream Watch, an outreach and education program of the Division of Water Resources (DWR). The program offers information on water resource management. In addition, at the completion of the program, participating educators get access to a North Carolina science standards-aligned curriculum for teaching about water quality, quantity and the importance of conservation.
Cohort members were kindergarten through eighth-grade educators from all over North Carolina including Boone, Sparta and Ocracoke. Each month, they met virtually on a one-hour call to learn from DWR staff and scientists and share ideas for incorporating water-based activities into their coursework or outreach programs.
After their monthly calls, participants spent the next four weeks applying their new knowledge into their lessons.
For example, in January, participants watched a video featuring DWR’s Cam McNutt to learn about how to use visual clues around a stream to assess its health. This stream monitoring technique is called a “visual habitat assessment,” and can be completed without any instrumentation or sensors. After watching the video, participants shared that they were surprised about how much anyone can learn about their stream just by looking for erosion and exposed roots.
Participants were also introduced to Michelle Raquet, section chief for the DWR Basin Planning Branch. Raquet shared information about how each river basin in North Carolina goes through a comprehensive analysis to create a basin-wide analysis and guidance in a “basin plan.” Karen Teklinsky, an eighth-grade teacher from Ocracoke, showed this video to her students.
“My students and I were surprised to learn how much goes in to evaluating and protecting water quality and quantity,” Teklinsky said. “Creating a plan involves many aspects: Municipalities, permits, agriculture, potential pollution, local leaders, the health department...It is like putting together a puzzle!”
As a result, Teklinsky shared the Tar-Pamlico Basin Plan with her students, which resulted in many “real-world connections to some of the information I have been talking to them about in class,” she said.
Real-world connections were frequently made during the NC Stream Watch cohort.
Kristin Owens White, an eighth-grade science teacher near Lake Tillery, commented about how an invasive aquatic plant called hydrilla is “taking over” after listening to North Carolina riverkeepers share about how they’re working to raise awareness for human impacts to water resources.
“My students have definitely started to notice human impacts on our water sources, and they want to be active in making a positive impact,” she said. “We have a couple of run-offs on our campus that they have noticed trash and oil sheen in. After seeing the crawfish and salamanders in this area, they have been much more interested in cleaning it up.”
Courtney Vass, an educator at the Greensboro Science Center, reflected: “I have never really thought much about water resource management and how we impact water quality. The example of boots and boats cross-contaminating other bodies of water never occurred to me but makes so much sense.”
One unique aspect about this cohort that proved successful was the engagement among the participants. Cohort members reflected each month on a virtual message board, where they answered reflection questions and commented on each other’s thoughts.
The NC Stream Watch program is offering another cohort for educators for kindergarten through the eighth grade in fall 2024. Applications will be accepted until Sept. 10 for the 2024 fall cohort.