Farming for the Future

2014, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Within the Ohio River watershed, there are many subunits, including the Little Miami River watershed. The main focus of Nathaniel Polley and Chloe Halsted from Wyoming High School fell in Clinton County, as agricultural development contributes greatly to runoff in the Little Miami watershed. The ability to curtail this runoff would serve as a vital step to maintaining the health of the Ohio River.

After speaking with several local farmers, Nathaniel and Chloe discussed the techniques already being utilized with a proven record of success on farmsteads. Among these, and the easiest to implement, is the process of planting cover crops whose sole purpose is to conserve and improve the soil, thus providing a win-win situation for both the environment and the economic interests of the farmers. Cover crops need only a quarter of each acre on a given plot of farmland, yet they are instrumental in preventing erosion.

They needed to isolate which farms contribute the most runoff to the Little Miami watershed before strategizing where to plant cover crops. Overall, decreasing runoff and soil erosion via cover crops and waterways would ensure the stability of freshwater ecosystems and provide safer supplies of fish for human consumption. The initial money contributed to the activation of their phases I and II, which involved the funding for pinpointing sources of pollution alongside the purchase of cover crops. Moving forward, it is the hope that there could be governmental funding to allow farms to continue to improve and reduce the runoff going into the watershed.

The Dusty Old Trail

2014, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

The campus of Withrow High School is very large and open with a variety of areas that water can flow. At the bottom of each hill on campus, there are sewer drains, contributing directly to the problem of combined sewage overflow. Since the water is running straight into the drain and not being captured by plants or rain barrels, the sewage systems are flooded whenever there is intense rain. Dontaz Hadden and DeAaron Duskin noticed that near their school’s football field there was a dry dirt trail that results in an overflow of the drain and a large puddle when it rains. The water does not soak into the hillside along the fence since the hill is made of impervious clay.

To combat this runoff, Dontaz and DeAaron planted native grasses along the hill. The clay was dug up and replaced with healthy soil and compost, gravel was placed to serve as a walkway, and plants were planted. The Dusty Old Trail was replaced with a lively new one, bringing a breath of fresh air to Withrow’s campus.

Dusty Trail

Watershed Ambassadors

2014 Washington, DC, USA

After spending the year learning about the Anacostia River Watershed and the varied environmental issues that it faces, sixth grade students at the SEED School of Washington wanted to share their knowledge with the rest of the school. The last week of April, the students facilitated “Watershed Awareness Week”, during which they went to various classes explaining the importance of watersheds and the impact we have on them. Additionally, the students placed signs around campus encouraging people to recycle, painted rain barrels, and handed out “Watershed Ambassador” buttons. The week culminated in the unveiling of the updated school garden that the students had been working on all year.

At the Caring for Our Watersheds finals, students shared examples of the posters and buttons they had created and pictures of their vegetable garden. Their project won 2nd place in the 2014 Caring for Our Watersheds competition.

Tree Planting and Rain Barrels in the Community

2014 Arlington, Virginia, USA

Students in Victoria Keish’s science classes at Kenmore Middle School collaborated on a Caring for Our Watersheds project. Although their proposals did not make the finals round of the 2014 competition, two projects moved forward anyway. Since two classes had proposals relating to planting native vegetation to improve water quality in Four Mile Run, the students worked together on their Caring for Our Watersheds project, coordinating with Arlington County to organize a tree planting at the end of May in Bluemont Park, within walking distance of the school. The second project conducted outreach to the school community to encourage homeowners to install rain barrels on their property, and as an incentive they offered to reimburse the cost of attending a rain barrel workshop offered by Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment.

The tree planting project required no implementation funding, as the County was able to provide tree saplings and the necessary tools. The rain barrel workshop received $220 in implementation funding provided by Nutrien, which reimbursed the cost for four attendees at the workshop.

Turn Off the Lights!

2014 Arlington, Virginia, USA

Sixth-grade students learning astronomy at H-B Woodlawn Secondary program learned about the problem of light pollution and its effect on viewing the night sky, but as they researched the issue they also found that light pollution can cause harm to wildlife and plants that are important to watershed health. To help raise awareness of the problem, they wanted to ask Arlington residences and businesses to turn off or dim unnecessary lights and draw the shades for 30 minutes the night of April 26, coinciding with Arlington Earth Day and International Dark Sky Week, as well as with the peak migration of birds over the Mid‐Atlantic region. They hoped that during that time, Arlingtonians would go outside and view the lovely dark and starry night sky.

To get the word out, the students produced flyers to promote the event, and they were able to post announcements on the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy, and ARLnow websites, as well as through their own blog site. The local National Public Radio affiliate, WAMU, featured the students and the project on their news website, as well. Quoted in the article, student Henry Hammer said, “People don’t know that it can be good to turn off the lights beyond just saving energy. It can save the lives of animals, it can reduce smog, and it helps the environment.”

H‐B Woodlawn’s “Turn Off the Lights” project was a finalist in the 2014 Caring for Our Watersheds competition in Virginia, and the students received $519 in implementation funding from Nutrien, which covered printing costs for the flyers.

Watershed Warriors Restoring Wetlands

2014 Alexandria, Virginia, USA

Students in one of Mary Breslin’s seventh grade science classes at George Washington Middle School tested water quality in Alexandria and noted that because land in the city is so extensively developed, there are few wetlands to help filter runoff and absorb nutrients, sediment, and pollution before it reaches local waterways. They felt that a good way to improve watershed health would be to restore wetlands along the Potomac River.

The students worked with a horticulturalist from the National Park Service and the Alexandria Seaport Foundation to develop their project of raising wetland plants to be transplanted into local waterways. Their proposal took second place at the 2014 Caring for Our Watersheds competition in Virginia in April, and in mid‐June they were in the field implementing their idea. Using boats provided by the Seaport Foundation, and with guidance from National Park Service staff, they planted native wetland vegetation at Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary, a tidal embayment alongside the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

Student Ana Humphrey documented the project in a short video: https://vimeo.com/97895773

Originally having budgeted $360 for the project, they covered expenses using the Caring for Our Watersheds participation reward provided by Nutrien, as well as via in-kind donations.

Planting Trees to Improve Dissolved Oxygen

2014 Alexandria, Virginia, USA

Seventh grade science students at George Washington Middle School tested water quality in local streams, and their results showed low dissolved oxygen, which is a threat to aquatic life. In the Chesapeake Bay, depletion of dissolved oxygen leads to extensive “dead zones” where important native species, like oysters, cannot survive. They worked with the city’s former Watershed Program Administrator and the Virginia Cooperative Extension to develop their solution to one of the causes for low dissolved oxygen. In Alexandria, storm water heats up on streets and other impervious surfaces, and the problem has worsened with loss of tree canopy to shade and cool the landscape. Improve their watershed. Their grant idea was based on the idea of planting trees along the Potomac River.

As Caring for Our Watersheds finalists, the students presented their proposal to plant trees to help reduce the temperature of stormwater runoff, and they demonstrated additional ecosystem benefits of trees using the UDSA Forest Service’s iTree software suite. Their Dissolved Oxygen Project was the winner of the 2014 Caring for Our Watersheds contest in Virginia.

With tree saplings donated by a local native plant nursery, Earth Sangha, they planted 14 trees at the school, and as the location was far from a water source, they requested and received $840 in implementation funding from Nutrien to cover a watering truck contract to keep the trees alive through the hot, dry summer. They also performed a rap to raise awareness of the importance of tree planting onstage at Alexandria’s Earth Day celebration at Ben Brenman Park.

Pond Habitat – it’s in Our Hands

2014 Fairfax, Virginia, USA

Eighth graders at Lanier Middle School noticed that ducks frequently nest near a small pond created in the schoolyard’s habitat area, and they wanted to ensure the area supported duck nesting and wise water use. They felt that using rain barrels to fill the pond would be a better use of resources than filling the pond with potable water, and a good way to lead by example. However, they found that the school building has no downspouts in the habitat area, which is in an interior courtyard, so they thought a funnel could be used to direct rainwater into a rain barrel.

By conserving water, promoting wildlife habitat, and demonstrating an application for water harvesting, they knew their idea would improve the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and it would save the energy used to treat drinking water.

A finalist proposal in the 2014 Caring for Our Watersheds competition, their solution involved designing several possible funnels, and having one built to their specifications. They built a platform for the funnel and planted vegetation that would make the area a better nesting place. In consultation with experts from Lands & Waters and Friends of Accotink Creek, they implemented their solution with $2000 in funding from Nutrien.

CFW Project Update

In 2018, this schoolyard habitat is thriving, and has received a number of awards. The area continues to conserve water and energy by using rainwater instead of local drinking water, promote wildlife habitat through the well-established native vegetation, and is even used to inspire local educators to participate in CFW and implement solutions with their students.

Schoolyard Habitat 2018_image 1 Rain Barrel still used in 2018!

Non-Native Rose Removal/Native Species Planting

2014 Antelope, California, USA

Students in Antelope High School’s People of the Planet Club helped to implement Dayna Berry’s “Removing the Thorns” proposal, which took first place at the 2013 Caring for Our Watersheds California Final Competition. This proposal was to remove existing non-native rose bushes around the school and replace them with a variety of native plants. The roses require watering and application of chemical pesticides/ fertilizers, which have the potential to run-off and pollute the surrounding creeks. In addition, these rose bushes flowered for only 2 weeks out of the year, so they were very poor plants to attract pollinators. The native plantings, adapted to the local climate, would not require long-term irrigation or pesticides and would also provide habitat and food sources for local birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.

Students worked to replace the non-native rose bushes with CA native plant species that are drought tolerant and require no additional chemical inputs. They also mulched the area to prevent evaporation and to help control weeds. At project completion, they had planted 15 Blue blossom ceanothus, 24 Provence lavender, and 20 California fuchsia, as well as adding 16 yards of mulch to the area. Nutrien implementation funds made the purchase of plants and mulch possible

The students and others on campus are pleased with the initial results as the plants are already starting to bloom. While the plants are small now, they will grow quickly to beautify the campus as well as provide many flowers for pollinators.

Planting Trees to Sequester Carbon

2014 Virden, Manitoba, Canada

Logan Biccum and Natalie Vachon wanted to “create a better environment for their watershed.” The students proposed planting trees at a local park, “a simple but obvious solution that will greatly benefit the environment.”

Along with their classmates, Logan and Natalie planted 92 trees along Scallion Creek at the school’s Learning Garden site. Working with the Upper Assiniboine Conservation District, the team chose a site where tree planting would “greatly benefit the soil erosion and wildlife habitat.” Trees are an extremely important part of a watershed. Among the benefits of trees: “Trees reduce greenhouse effect by shading house and office buildings. This reduces the need for air conditioning, which in turn reduces the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce energy. Tree roots will also eliminate nutrients which are harmful to our water, and by planting trees we can enlarge our wildlife habitat.”

Thanks to a contribution from Nutrien, the support of the Upper Assiniboine Conservation District and the hard work of their classmates, Logan and Natalie discovered that “planting trees will improve our earth in so many ways!”