Debbie Palmer, Assistant Administrator for the Marshall County Soil and Water District recently participated in a week long educational program. She said, “Have you heard the expression ‘It won’t feel like work if you enjoy what you are doing?’ I have never related to that so completely until now. For six days in September I have been rafting on the Tippecanoe River at Tippecanoe River State Park and loving my job.”
Area high schools were invited to participate in a day long educational program organized by Soil and Water Conservation Districts in the area. Each day started with a demonstration about watersheds and the impact pollution has on our rivers and streams. The rafts were then launched with many teachable moments about erosion, bank stabilization and conservation along the way. At two separate points, students got out of the rafts, first to learn about forestry and then about water quality. The students took water samples, tested for phosphates, dissolved oxygen, searched for macroinvertebrates and learned how each of these components tell something about the quality of the water. The final stop was the Nature Center where everyone had lunch followed by talks about fresh water mussels and river otters. The students took quizzes at each of the stops with the Indiana Academic Standards taken into consideration and the winning team members received t-shirts.
Palmer said, “Each day was a fresh start with the buses bringing a new group of between 50-100 students.” She continued, “A lot of work, coordination and volunteers go into making each day run smoothly.” Palmer indicated that the reward is the ability to teach the next generation valuable lessons in conservation and have fun while doing it. She closed by saying, “I am tired but thrilled to be a part of such a worthwhile project and can’t wait until next year!”
Provided byDebbie Palmer
Provided byDebbie Palmer
