Indian Creek Watershed Association: Watershed Heroes "Mountain View Summer School Scientists" (Learn and Serve America Grantee)

How clean is the water in Monroe County? This past summer, 18 Monroe County students in West Virginia worked with the Indian Creek Watershed Association to find the answer to that question.

On June 25, fifth through ninth grade students embarked on a six-week program, called Mountain View Summer School Scientists, which aimed to help them study both chemical and biological elements of various sites along Indian and Turkey Creeks in their county.

In an average week, Summer Scientists made two field trips. Students visited up to three different creek sites on each trip and were accompanied by an experienced geologist who explained the different geological aspects of the rocks and landscapes the students encountered. Students had the opportunity to see creek-side restoration while learning about the process and understanding the purpose of the restoration. They also learned about cave springs, testing water for E.coli and other bacteria, and the process of grinding grain from a historic local mill. While at the sites, students took notes in journals and later used in the classroom to compose essays presenting their findings logically and sequentially.

A typical day for the Summer Scientists began at 8:30 a.m. with a nutritious breakfast followed by classroom work involving writing or scientific studies.  Students would then lunch at the school and head to the only local pool for fun or participate in enrichment activities such as are or physical exercise.

Toward the end of the summer program, students were given the opportunity to create a watershed mural on the front of the main building of the local pool. The mural creation was overseen by local artists Joan Menard and John Mullens, who designed the mural based on ideas from the students. Each student participated in the creation of the mural, whether through designing layouts, peeling paint, priming walls, or drawing and painting. In addition to creating the mural, the students participated in a journalism project where they interviewed local residents on their opinion of the mural and its impact on the community.

At the completion of the program, students composed a paper, titled "Summer Science Student Report: A Close Examination of the Monroe County Watershed," which detailed their observations throughout the program.

Funding for the summer project was provided through a Project FLOW (Future Leaders of Watersheds) grant from the West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service as well as state and federal 21st Century Community Learning Center funds for the Monroe County School system. For more information about this project, or to obtain a copy of the student-written final report, please contact Sherry Swint, program coordinator for Project FLOW, at (304) 558-0111 or by emailing Sherry.L.Swint@wv.gov.