Author Archives: Chloe Sprecker

Ecoclub

ecoclub implementation 2017, San Andres de Giles, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Los Robles of San Andrés de Giles: Students: Federico Trombetta, Juan Martín Orionello

This project brings back the idea of creating environmental clubs, presented last year by Sagrada Familia Highschool. The origin of this project derives from the action taken by the 6^th form students of the school that guided and supported research and development of all the projects presented this year in Caring for Our Watershed contest. To keep up with this initiative the proposal was to make it official by giving it a name: ECOCLUB Los Robles.

ecoclub implementation The aim is to create a place for investigation, debates, creative solutions for issues and problems regarding the Areco basin. They make t-shirts with natural dyes for club members and they also create a blog with more information: ecoclucCLR.blogspot.com.ar.

The Smart Spotlight

2017, San Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires, Argentina

EE Technical N° 1 of Carmen de Areco: Students: Lautaro Romero, Nicolas Susseret, Agostina Guerrero

This project is about using intelligent lighting in the laboratory. The proposed technology is based on the use of an Arduino system such as Microcontrollers, LED lamps and light sensors and intensity regulators applied on the fishbowl. The aim of the system is to work with renewable energies to manage the duration of light and shadow in the fish tank.

Recovering Our Streams

recovering our streams action project 2017 Carmen de Areco, Buenos Aires, Argentina

EES N°2 “Mariano Moreno” of Carmen de Areco: Students: Fátima Gonzalez

This project proposes to intervene a 1000m area on the bank of “Los Ranchos” stream, the source of the Areco river basin. The objective is to design a conservation and restoration model of the ecosystem of this riverbank. The area of intervention has been modified by anthropic activity and the proposal tends to create conditions that propriate the growth and multiplication of fish species present in the area. The area will be taken as a model to present to the riverbank owners of the Areco river basin as an opportunity to contribute with the production of biodiversity.

recovering our streams action project This project attracted the attention of many institutions that want to collaborate: It’s a collaborative project that´s being done together with the University of San Antonio de Areco (UNSAdA), University of Lujan(UNlu) and it’s being used as a Thesis of a Student, Matias Etchart, from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). This is going to be a long – term project with more work to come.

COMPOSTING WITH MUSTARD SEED SCHOOL

2017, Sacramento, California, USA

Composting Mustard Seed School

For her Caring for Our Watersheds project, Clarissa Huerta, of the MET Sacramento High School, wanted to work with students from the Mustard Seed School, a private school established to help meet the needs of homeless children. When Clarissa visited, she noticed they had a garden area, but did not yet have a compost system. Clarissa’s proposal included the addition of a compost bin to the facility, but also a lesson for the students to teach them the environmental benefits of composting and how to use the bin. Clarissa met with different age groups to share about composting, give students practice using and maintaining the bin, and to meet the wiggly worm friends inside that will help decompose the food scraps and provide free, nutrient rich soil to the school’s and shelter’s garden. Clarissa pointed out, that even at a homeless shelter, there is still substantial food waste. The compost bin would also help decrease the amount of food waste sent to the local landfill. Nutrien project funds helped Clarissa purchase the bin and provide supporting materials for the lesson.

AQUAPONICS SYSTEM AT G.W. CARVER HIGH SCHOOL

2017, Sacramento, California, USA

Aquaponics Carver High School

Henry McKay, a student at the G.W. Carver School of Arts and Sciences built and installed a small Aquaponics system on his school’s campus to demonstrate a sustainable, water-wise system to produce food. Aquaponics, which combines the raising of fish with the growing of plants in water, uses substantially less water than traditional growing, as water and nutrients are recycled. There is already a robust garden/ farm at Carver School of Arts and Sciences in which students plant, maintain, harvest, and learn about food system production and processes. The Aquaponics system, which was designed to run off of solar power, is a great addition to the campus and garden, demonstrating an additional technique, and expanding and extending this learning to future cohorts of students at the school. Caring for Our Watersheds project funds helped Henry purchase the materials he needed to build the system.

WATER SCIENCE EDUCATION

2017, Sacramento, California, USA

Mianna Muscat hosts water science education

Mianna Muscat, of the MET Sacramento, has been involved in several previous Caring for Our Watersheds projects, including tree plantings and park clean-ups. This year, her focus was on expanding watershed education for her classmates. She wanted to find a way to engage students outside the classroom, educate them on the processes that provide water for the state, and connect them with nature. Mianna proposed a trip to the Headwaters Science Institute, during which students learn about the snowpack driven water cycle, how albedo affects rates of snowmelt, and methods scientists use to track the snowpack which makes up much of California’s water. Mianna’s proposal and implementation funds from Nutrien helped all 30 students in class to attend the trip and get this hands-on field experience in the area of Water Science and Management

MASON BEE HOUSES

2017 Sacramento, California, USA

MET Sac High School Noah Crockett helps save the bees

Mason Bee House

MET Sacramento High School student Noah Crockett has a passion for entomology and a specific interest in pollinators. Over the past years, he has been interning at the UC Davis Bohart Museum of Entomology and has learned a great deal about the threats to pollinators. Crockett’s project this year focused on providing nest sites for two specific native pollinators, the Mason Bee and Leafcutter Bee (family: Megachilidae). While these bees do not produce honey they are still beneficial for gardens; they are amongst the most productive pollinators and are able to access much smaller flowers than honeybees and bumblebees. Crockett built a dozen bee boxes and distributed them to property owners along the American River. He included instructions on how and where to hang the boxes, as well as seeds for spring flowers to provide additional nectar sources for the bees.

WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM AT THE MET

2016, Sacramento, California, USA

Justin Yu installs water bottle filling station at MET Sacramento High School

Justin Yu, of the MET Sacramento High School successfully worked with his school’s facilities maintenance staff to install a water filtration system on campus. This project was a follow-up to his previous project, in which he provided reusable water bottles to his classmates and delivered a presentation on the negative effects single-use plastic bottles have on the environment, and the benefits of reusable bottles. While many of the students used the bottles, some would still bring plastic bottles claiming they did it not for convenience, but for water quality issues. Providing the water filtration system would provide clean, filtered water to students, and encourage reusable bottle use—a win- win for their health, thirst, and the environment. According to the counter on the unit, within a month of installation, they had already saved 1400 water bottles!

BIRD BOXES FOR CAVITY NESTERS

2015, Sacramento, California, USA

Salma Rosas helps birds in California

When Salma Rosas, of the MET Sacramento High School, was asked how she could “improve her watershed”, she decided to focus on habitat for birds, specifically cavity nesting species such as bluebirds and swallows. Salma learned that in the urban environment of Sacramento, many old, dead trees that would have provided natural cavities for nests for these birds have been removed due to their hazardous and/ or unsightly nature. While this is often necessary for safety, it decreases available habitat. To increase suitable nest sites, Salma decided to build bird boxes and install them at school and at a neighborhood park. Caring for Our Watersheds project implementation funds help her buy wood and supplies to build these boxes

Purgin’ Sturgeon

2017, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Purgin Sturgeon student action implementation project students with canoes

Luke Roffey from Westwood Collegiate is passionate about the creek near his home. “Sturgeon Creek provides vital habitat for many species of birds, mammals, amphibians, and fish, and it’s a critical piece of nature in an otherwise urbanized landscape.” He proposed an underwater cleanup with his peers using canoes and litter removal equipment.

Purgin Sturgeon student action implementation Luke in canoe “An underwater litter removal project has never been done in Sturgeon Creek before, and judging by the amount of garbage Westwood students remove from the banks of the creek each year, there is likely a lot of garbage under the surface that needs to be cleaned up. Removing garbage from an aquatic ecosystem such as a stream greatly increases the quality of the habitat for wildlife. Gone are hazards that can cause injury and entanglement for animals. Removing floating and submerged garbage will dramatically increase not only the natural beauty of the park, but also the functionality of the ecosystem.

Many people, especially youth, have become very disconnected with the environment, and participating in my project will allow them to reconnect with nature. Canoeing in particular can be very therapeutic, thus by participating in my project students will not only be bettering their local watershed, but also bettering themselves.”

Upon hearing of the project, a local company “Wilderness Supply” offered to loan all of the equipment free of charge. During the cleanup, students engaged with passerby’s explaining their project and the importance to the watershed. It was a great day they now hope to repeat on an annual basis.