King Middle Schoolers Get Water "Whys"

Our Clean Water Stewards program at King Middle School has come to a close, and another group of six graders is well equipped to care for our local water resources.King students began their clean water journey in the classroom while the snow was still flying. As part of their WaterWhys day, students first learned how different water quality parameters, like dissolved oxygen, can tell us about the health of our waterways. Equipped with this knowledge, they went out into the field (despite freezing temperatures and pouring rain at one point) to collect water quality samples from the Fore River and Capisic Brook. They visited four sample sites along these streams once a month from February thru April. They observed the areas around each site to identify stormwater pollutants from activities people were doing in the area. They analyzed the information they gathered to make recommendations for how to prevent stormwater pollution locally and protect our water ways.Students also participated in four classroom lessons covering topics from watersheds to common pollutants and effective solutions. The hands-on activities included following a group of alewives as they encounter pollution on their way to Casco Bay and building vegetated buffer models to see how plants soak up stormwater runoff and can prevent it from entering our waterways.Students presented their water quality data and recommendations to prevent pollution to their parents and community members on June 6th. Students also created pins with clean water messages to hand out to attendees.You can view their projects by clicking on these images:                We had a great time working with this group of students, and we're certainly looking forward to working with King Middle School again next year!