A Service Learning Partnership where Everyone Wins (A Learn and Serve America Grantee)

Kerry McManus stands behind the ninth grade Windward student as she leans down to collect a water sample from the Schell Ditch Basin. "Make sure you take the sample from the middle, not the edge," Kerry coaches the student. "You don't want sediment in your sample."

Kerry is the Education Coordinator at the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring sustainable wild salmon runs in Whatcom County. NSEA and Windward High School began working together last fall to assist the City of Ferndale with data collection for its stormwater monitoring plan.

Their work resulted in a unique three-way partnership and letter of understanding between Windward, the city, and NSEA, approved by the Ferndale City Council in the fall. The letter describes the water quality monitoring and educational outreach activities that are being performed during the 2007-2008 school year and the specific responsibilities of each partner.

The arrangement appears to be a win-win-win for each partner.

"According to our salmon spawning surveys, we are seeing some of the lowest population levels in Whatcom County in ten years," says Kerry. "As a result, salmon monitoring is critical to restoring sustainable wild salmon to our streams, but NSEA doesn't have the staff capacity to conduct all the data gathering. The Windward students are conducting a vital service to our community," Kerry adds.

This sentiment is echoed by Bob Cecile, a stormwater engineer with the city of Ferndale. "The city is under-funded and under-staffed, so the students are providing a valuable service for us. I'm pleased that we have this opportunity to partner with the school."

Windward ninth-grade students are also winners. Through their fieldwork, they are learning first-hand about water quality monitoring and salmon restoration and will collect data that city officials will use to manage the Schell Creek Watershed and comply with U.S. Department of Ecology standards for stormwater management.

In order for the city to be in compliance with the standards established by the federal government, a group of Windward science students conduct weekly water testing for fecal coliform at four Ferndale locations. The students collect water samples and transport the samples to the city's lab for testing. As they collect the water quality data, students talk with NSEA staff about a restoration plan that they plan to implement during April on Schell Creek.

To support the students in their fieldwork, city officials shadowed them and recommended sampling techniques. The city also donated a custom-designed tool that assists the students with collecting water samples from the middle of a monitored site, so that they are less likely to collect sediment in their sample.

The Windward students also collect data at each site on dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, turbidity, and conductivity in order to document and plan to post the results on a project website.

The data that students collect will be shared with Ferndale residents through outreach and education activities sponsored by the City. Plans include developing a Stormwater Flyer, which will be enclosed in residents' upcoming utility bills. The flyer will define stormwater pollution (which includes runoff from septic systems, landscaping and gardens, motor oil and household hazardous wastes), describe it's environmental impact, and suggest how individuals can get involved in local stream restoration projects sponsored by NSEA and other community-based organizations.

"It's rewarding to participate in a partnership that encourages students' exploration and discovery and also cultivates a powerful sense of community stewardship. This project is showing kids and adults what the opportunities are and how easy it is to get involved," summarizes Kerry.

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Information for this article was taken from an article by Kerry McManus, which appeared in the Winter 2008 Fish Tales, the quarterly newsletter of the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA). More information about NSEA can be found at www.n-sea.org.