RUB-A-DUB-DUB PHOSPHATE FREE SOAP

2020, EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA

When a pair of middle-school students from Edmonton, Alberta learned about the troubles with water quality facing their local watershed, they knew now was the time to take charge. Anny Singh & Chrisle Petierre thoughtfully researched what steps they could take to help improve water quality, and stumbled upon some facts about the impacts of soap and detergents on water quality that just didn’t sit right with them.

After some research, Anny and Chrisle learned about alternative car washes that use phosphate free soaps to reduce their impact, and wondered how they could do the same. Instead of a car wash soap, the pair has opted to partner with Lakehouse Natural Soap Company to create a hand soap free of phosphates. Their project, titled Rub-a-Dub-Dub, took a unique and innovative approach to a challenging water quality problem.

In order to reduce the amount of phosphates entering the watershed the pair set out to create a product with a passionate message. Not only do these phosphate-free, locally made soaps smell and look great, but they are a great reminder to be mindful of what goes down the drain every time you suds up! This idea came at just the right time, when because of COVID-19 every one was washing their hands more often, this project got people thinking about what they could do to keep their wastewater clean and improve their watershed.

HAY LAKES SPRING CLEANUP

2020, HAY LAKES, ALBERTA, CANADA
Spring Clean Up
Soren and Dana, grade 12 students from central-Alberta, took a long, hard look around their hometown of Hay Lakes and realized that things could be a lot cleaner with just a little help! After researching and learning more about the impacts of litter and waste in the Battle River Watershed where they live, the pair knew it was time to take action!

Dana and Soren showed perseverance in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and were able to adapt their plans for a coordinated group spring cleanup to a social media campaign and contest to encourage local families to get outside and pick up trash. Using a boosted Facebook ad the event was promoted to over 2500 local residents, with a dozen taking the lead in the community and participating in the litter pick.

To sweeten the deal, the pair included a prize pack for one lucky clean-up participant. The winner was drawn and received a package filled with Caring for our Watersheds swag! Hay Lakes is looking better already, and with more clean-ups like Soren and Dana’s we’re on track for a healthier watershed for years to come!

Spring Clean Up

COURTYARD REVITALIZATION AND SCHOOL GARDEN

2020, VEGERVILLE, ALBERTA, CANADA
Revitalization
A woman by the name of Margaret Fuller once said “if you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it,” and this sentiment is exactly what inspired the Vegerville Composite High School’s Environmental Club to spring to action when they realized some green spaces on campus were being underutilized.

After taking inspiration from other high schools across Alberta that utilize school-community gardens for student education, Ava, Hailey, Ryan, and Aaron took charge on creating a plan to transform an existing campus courtyard area into a space to enjoy nature and grow food. Not only do the upgrades include ground work; with the combined funding from the Caring For Our Watersheds contest and other sponsors, the club is excited to start construction on an atrium to enclose the area to allow students to enjoy it over the cold Alberta winters!

Not only will the space be a beautiful reminder to take pause and enjoy the watershed we live in, but the addition of a garden will provide agricultural learning opportunities for students- valuable skills for a sustainable future. The Vegerville Composite High School Environmental Club has truly demonstrated how they care for their watershed with this long-term project that will allow students to discover and connect to the natural world for years to come.

Legacy Story – John Paul Wasan

Where are they now? Learn more about John Paul’s Reclaim Our Prairie! initiative, and how Caring for Our Watersheds has left a lasting legacy.

Reusable Containers

2019, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Ava and Allynah are students at École Leila North Community School in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They wanted to reduce the amount of disposable plastics ending up in our watershed, so they came up with a plan to distribute reusable sandwich containers to students at their school.

“Many people throw items away not thinking of the damage it can lead to. Because of that, there is more pollution and it is not only harming us, but animals as well. If you look around, you will always see garbage on the ground, no matter where you are.”

They did presentations to each class to educate their fellow students while handing out the containers. The school’s canteen partnered with the girls to help promote the use of their containers and to offer a discount on drinks if students brought their own bottles to fill.

Rain Garden at School

2019, Sacramento, California, USA

After learning about issues related to urban storm water runoff, Suad Abdan and Elizabeth Meads spent time researching ways to address this concern is their local watershed. They learned that a well-placed rain garden can serve to help “slow the flow” of runoff, to help water infiltrate into the soil and recharge groundwater, as well as provide habitat and food for insects and wildlife. They also liked the idea of creating something aesthetically pleasing that had so many environmental benefits.

Suad and Elizabeth spent time during the winter surveying their campus for an appropriate location for a rain garden. They chose a low spot where water seemed to drain to from the campus right before the water would flow onto the road and into the storm drain.

They chose a variety of plants that develop deep root systems, were able to tolerate seasonal inundation with water, but also survive dry periods. While their garden was relatively small, both girls learned a lot about the design and process of installing these rain gardens and how they can serve as tools to reduce storm water runoff.

rain garden

student action

Their demonstration project will be a learning tool for the garden class at George Washington Carver High School, who will monitor the garden to see how it is performing after the plants have established and grown over the next year. Caring for Our Watersheds funds help purchase plants and mulch for the garden.

Watershed-Themed Children’s Book

2019, West Sacramento, California, USA

River City High School student Sonya Shifrin has a passion for the environment and the arts. For her Caring for Our Watersheds project, she chose to combine her artistic talents and her enthusiasm for natural resource stewardship to create a watershed-themed book for children.

Sonya, who was a finalist in the 2018 Caring for Our Watersheds competition, created watercolor illustrations for each page of her book, which introduces watershed concepts and encourages students to care for their local watershed with examples of what they can do in their daily lives to make a difference. With funding from Nutrien, Sonya was able to print copies of her book and donate them to each of the elementary school libraries in the Washington Unified School District.

watershed childrens book example

Canyon Creek Trail Clean-Up

2019, Auburn, California, USA

MET Sacramento High School student Faith Smitham was concerned with all the trash she saw along one of the most popular trails in the Auburn State Recreation Area, the Canyon Creek Trail. For her Caring for Our Watersheds project, Faith organized a clean-up of the trail and creek area, including the trailhead and parking area, where much trash is found.

On Saturday, May 11, Faith and her small group of volunteers spend around 4 hours cleaning up the trail, and talking to other visitors about her project.

garbage clean up

As a result, several hikers actually joined in their clean-up efforts, contributing to the success of the day! Faith also gathered data on the different types of trash they collected (plastic bottles were the most numerous) and planned to share this with park rangers, in case it may inform future signage, management, and the prevention of littering and pollution in this beautiful area.

Watershed Science Trip

2019, Sacramento, California, USA

Watershed Science Trip Student Photo

MET Sacramento student Simon Downes-Toney knows how a field trip can solidify and enhance classroom learning about watershed issues and also get students excited about science. As this was one of the largest snow-years on record, it presented an excellent opportunity to learn about the snowpack that is critical to California’s water supply.

Measuring snow depth and density at levels in the snowpit

Simon organized a trip to Claire Tappan Lodge, where students measured snow temperature and density at different levels within the snowpack, snow purity at different field locations, and graphed and analyzed their data. Simon’s proposal and funding from Nutrien allowed for more students to attend the trip and learn about how scientists track, study, and predict water supply with this critical resource.

Building a Compost Bench

2019, Sacramento, California, USA

As a student at The MET Sacramento High School, Shamar Russell spends part of his week at an internship in the community. Shamar interns at the Creative Connections Arts Academy (CCAA), where two needs he saw in the garden area sparked an idea for his Caring for Our Watersheds project.

Shamar wanted to teach the children of CCAA about composting, but there was not a good space to build a 3-section compost bin. There was also a need for seating for a teaching space in the garden area.

compost bench

Shamar decided on a project that would fulfill both needs: a compost bench! While the bench has a smaller capacity for composting garden waste, it still can be used as a focal point to teach about composting to the students. It also serves as a place where students can sit for a lesson in the garden or where students and teachers can rest after planting, weeding, or harvesting.

The current design allows for a potential worm bin, or the bottom can be removed if ground contact is desired for more traditional composting. Signage will be included to point out this unique new feature of the garden space at CCAA. Caring for Our Watersheds funding helped Shamar purchase lumber and hardware to build the bench.