Stream Cleanup and Art Project

2012 Arlington, Virginia, USA

After visiting Four Mile Run, Swanson Middle School sixth graders decided they wanted to address the problem of trash evident in and around the stream. Beyond just picking it up for proper disposal, the students wanted to reach the community and educate others on how trash, particularly plastic, negatively impacts aquatic life.

After conducting a litter clean-up at Bluemont Park and nearby streets, the students used the material they collected to make “trashworks” artwork to raise awareness, arranging with the school to display these works at the main office entrance. Their project was a finalist in the Caring for Our Watershed contest, and required no funding to implement.

Erosion Control Project

2012 Arlington, Virginia, USA

Swanson Middle School sixth graders examined the condition for Four Mile Run in Bluemont Park and discovered that the erosion and sedimentation that are evident there also have serious consequences for the Chesapeake Bay. They decided to take action on the school grounds, where they focused their efforts on an eroding slope in front of the school at a location that is highly visible to the public.

With help and guidance from Arlington Regional Master Naturalist volunteers, they identified suitable native plants for the location and obtained school permission to replant the area. They also formed an art committee to design and created signage to draw the attention of passers-by to the erosion, habitat, and pollinator benefits of native plantings.

One Plus Project

2012 Arlington, Virginia, USA

After learning about some of the problems that affect the Chesapeake Bay, sixth graders at Swanson Middle School realized the with 17 million residents in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, “if all those people did one little action to help clean the Bay, that would be 17 million little actions.” In forming their project, they decided to focus their action on convincing others to take that one little action.

The project involved creating a large mural-style drawing depicting a flowing stream. The mural was overlaid with removable transparent bookmarks, each of which described a simple action one could take to improve watershed health. The bookmarks themselves depicted images of something negative (such as litter), and the viewer’s removal of a bookmark would represent the viewer’s commitment to the positive action described. Their completed project they posted at school.

Water Can Save Winkler

2012 Alexandria, Virginia, USA

Seventh graders at George Washington Middle School tested water in tributaries of Holmes Run at the Winkler Botanical Preserve in Alexandria, and were concerned bout the extensive land development and an increase in impervious surfaces in the headwater areas of the small watersheds that supply them. From repeated testing of the water quality in the park, they could see that the streams are currently impacted by nutrient loads, particularly from nitrate deposition from automotive sources on nearby Interstate 395, and they wanted to ensure that planners were considering the impact of further development.

Working with the staff at the Preserve, the students initiated a water monitoring program to back their findings with data. They presented their findings before the Alexandria City Council at a public hearing on the neighborhood development plan and presented 416 signatures supporting a long term monitoring program and no increase in stormwater inflows to the Preserve. They also worked to draw public atention to the isue, writing a newspaper article for the Alexandria Gazeette-Packet, asking for community support and funding through Action Alexandria, and submitting questions for the Democratic City Council candidates’ forum in an election year.

Vermicomposting Project

2012 Arlington, Virginia, USA

Sixth graders at Swanson Middle School felt it was important to address the problem of organic waste leaching from landfills as a source of Chesapeak Bay nutrient loads. noting that 14% of U.S. trash is from food scraps, they decided to promote composting using worm bins. They built a worm bin at school, and used it to demonstrate a simple vermicomposting method, crating artwork to promote it in the school community and offering free starter worms from their bin for anyone interested to try it.

Native Plants Project

2012 Arlington, Virginia, USA

Swanson Middle School sixth graders wanted to address the problem of invasive species in Virginia because they inadequately support local food webs and they threaten native plant species. They chose to remove invasive plants and plant native species on the school grounds. As an outreach component of their project, they created a “garden of photographs,” that identified native and invasive plants commonly found in Arlington.

Pet Waste Disposal Project

2012 Arlington, Virginia, USA

Sixth graders at Kenmore Middle School aimed to address bacterial contamination in Four Mile Run by repurposing used plastic bags for pet waste disposal at local dog parks. Collecting bags from the school community and neighbors, they were able to donate roughly 10,000 gabs to Arlington Dogs for this purpose.

Puppets with a Purpose

2012 Washington DC, USA

After conducting surveys at their school, Brookland Education Campus sixth graders realized that few of their peers have of their peers had any awareness of the condition of their watershed, and they decided to work to raise and held a pep rally for the younger students at Brookland, so that their audience would better understand their impact on watershed health and commit to taking action to improve it.

Anti-Litter Signs

2012 Washington DC, USA

When students conducted water monitoring on a tributary of Sligo Creek, they were troubled by the extent of trash evident in and around the stream, and they decided to carry an anti-litter message through the neighborhood with anti-litter signs. They contacted the city government to obtain permission, and mapped out where to place the signs throughout the neighborhood for best effectiveness.

They designed signage online, and had the design produced as durable metal signs.

Rain Garden

2012 Washington DC, USA

Seventh graders at Jefferson Middle School in southwest DC wanted to address the pollutants that reach the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers through stormwater. They decided to create a rain garden at school to retain stormwater on-site. Enlisting the help of local nurseries in planning, they created a small rain garden featuring plants adapted to the Coastal Plain setting.

At the Caring for Our Watersheds finals, students shared a short video presentation on the importance of watershed stewardship and taking an active role in it. At the conclusion of their finals presentation, student Xavier H. Said, “i never did anything like this before, and I am happy to be part fo this project… I felt a great deal of pride because we did it.”