The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) is spreading the word about a valuable resource for teachers and other education organizations. CRC is happy to announce that our EnviroScape® Watershed/Nonpoint Source Model is available for loan to classrooms throughout the Connecticut River watershed in Vermont and New Hampshire. The model is a valuable tool for teaching elementary and middle school students about the water cycle and how it is impacted by pollutants, demonstrating how our lakes and rivers become polluted by human actions. This kinesthetic model is a powerful tool to engage students in ecological topics and consider real-world applications of what they’re learning. Teachers can borrow the model and incorporate it into their lesson plans, or a member of the CRC team—a river steward or ECO AmeriCorps member—can provide presentations in schools or at other educational/community events.
“We recently brought along the Enviroscape to the Vermont Wildlife Festival,” says Clare Wangard, the ECO AmeriCorps member serving with CRC. “It was a great tool to engage children of all ages in the challenges associated with watershed conservation. Many kids came up to our table asking questions, and they were fascinated by the demonstration of how water may become polluted. It was helpful to have something dynamic and tangible to address their curiosities and facilitate a learning opportunity.”
Kathy Urffer, CRC’s Director of Policy and Advocacy and Vermont River Steward continues, “It is valuable for us as an organization, or for anyone who teaches about watersheds, to use this tool to connect with community members around these concepts. Many of the students and families we engage with fish, swim, or paddle in our rivers and this tool helps to make a visceral connection between how our surface waters become polluted. And it helps to illustrate the work being done to protect and restore our rivers and streams.”
Kate Buckman, the River Steward in NH agrees, “Having a physical model to interact with can really enhance understanding of how our actions as humans can influence what is happening in our rivers, in both negative and positive ways, by simplifying complex concepts into something more visual, tactile, and hopefully easy to remember.”
Any teachers or schools interested in borrowing the Enviroscape model or who are interested in having a presentation done at their school can fill out a request form.
CONTACT:
Clare Wangard, ECO Americorps Member, Outreach, Education and Restoration Assistant
(314) 736-2955
Kathy Urffer, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Vermont River Steward
(802) 258-0413
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The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) restores and advocates for clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities to support a diverse and thriving watershed. CRC has been a steward of the Connecticut River and tributary streams since 1952. Their programs include advocacy, aquatic invasive species management, dam removal, habitat restoration, migratory fish surveys, recreation, trash cleanups, and water quality monitoring. Together through community engagement and education, they’re dedicated to ensuring equitable access and healthy rivers for all. Learn more at ctriver.org.
ECO AmeriCorps is a program administered by the VT Dept. Environmental Conservation. The program consists of 24 members serving statewide with partner organizations dedicated to improving Vermont’s water quality and climate resiliency, and minimizing the amount of waste entering landfills. For more information about ECO AmeriCorps, visit www.ecoamericorps.vermont.gov.
AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for service and volunteering. CNCS annually engages more than five million citizens in service at more than 60,000 locations in 8,500 cities across the country through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and other programs. National service participants address the most pressing challenges facing our cities and nation, from educating students for the jobs of the 21st century and supporting veterans and military families to preserving the environment and helping communities recover from natural disasters. For more information on AmeriCorps, visit www.americorps.gov.
This material is based upon work supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Opinions or points of view expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of AmeriCorps or the Corporation for National Service.