River of words. Georgia's 2002 teacher's guide

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l1ntern,ltionc1l Environm.entql Poetry and Art
Ptofect fo-r K-12 Students

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Dear Teachers,

Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Environmental Protection Division, Water Protection Branch 4220 International Parkway, Suite 101, Atlanta, Georgia 30354
Alan W. Hallum, Branch Chief 404/675-6232
FAX: 404/675-6245

Thanks for your interest in the River of Words (ROW) Poetry and Art Project. ROW is a terrific tool to help your students identify their ecological address and explore_ their creativity.

You can lead your students in a study of their watershed, poetry lessons and/or art lessons using this helpful Teacher's Guide. The Guide is organized as follows:

- What is River of Words?, Contest Rules and Guidelines, How to order Materials - Field Trips to Support River of Words - National River of Words Teacher's Guide - Activities to Support River of Words - Inspirational Stories from Georgia Teachers - Rivers Al_ive Guide to Organizing and Conducting a Cleanup

Keep in mind, contest guidelines change each year. The guidelines enclosed are current.

In our State, River of Words is sponsored by the Georgia Center for the Book and Georgia Project WET (Water Education for Teachers). Since 1997, Georgia teachers have successfully incorporated this dynamic educational endeavor into their classrooms. We have sent at least one national grand prize winner to the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. each year.

Poetry and art from the 2002 contest are on display in the Georgia River ofWords
Exhibition. The exhibition is traveling to libraries throughout the State. See the routing . schedule in the first section of the guide to find out if the exhibition is coming to your
community. If not, you can contact me at (404) 675-1638 to schedule it for your school.

HAPPY ROWing!!

Sincerely,
~~~
404-675-1638 petey_giroux@mail.dnr.state.ga.us
The preparation of this guide was financed in part through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under provisions of Section 319 (h) of the Federal Clean Water Act of 1987, as amended and The Starbucks Foundation.

Rivet o Wot s
lntetnqtionql Envitonmentql Poetry qnd Art
Ptoject fot K-12 Students Geotgiq's 2002 Tec1chet's Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Whc1t is Rivet of Wotds? Contest Rules c1nd Guideline~ How to otdet Nc1tionc1I Rivet of Wotds Mc1tetic1ls... p. 1
Field Ttips to Support Rivet of Wotds............... .. p. 25
Nc1tionc1I Rivet of Wotds Tec1chet's Guide............ p. 29
Activities to Support Rivet of Wotds............... ... p. 79
lnspitc1tionc1I Stories from Geotgic1 Tec1chets.......... p. 105 Rivets Alive Guide to Otgc1nizing c1nc\ Conc\ucting cl Clec1nup............... p. 119
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ENVI'R'O NM:ENTAL ..
:p.,o:E-t~ Y & ART..
Whqt is Rivet of WotQs?
Contest tules an& guiqelines
How to otqet National Rivet of Wotqs Matetials
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What is River of Words?

River of Words is an arts and environmental education program that:

nurtures respect for and understanding of the natural world

f t,,; ,.. I R. 0 N M f. N 1 II\ I. rHt I fo,\ A'III t f"Ot('I I

promotes literacy in all its forms

trains teachers how to integrate the arts into core curriculum subjects

gives youth a forum for expressing their creativity and concerns

helps children develop a sense of belonging to a particular place

builds community partnerships

leverages existing reso.urces in support of education

facilitates interdisciplinary teaching methods distributes, publishes and displays children's ~ & poetry

publishes

an

Educator's

Guide

and

curri-culum

support
.

materials

River of Words (ROW), a non-profit organi7-?~on, was founded in 1995 by then-US Poet Laureate Robert Hass and writer Pamela Michael. Every year, in affiliation with The Library of Congress Center for the Boo~ we conduct an .international poetry and art ~ntest for children in grades K-12.

Each April, eight US winners, one intema~onal winner, and a "ROW Teacher of the Year" are honored (during National Poetry Month) at. an Award Ceremony at The Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Seventeen states currently award state ROW prizes, as well.

River of Words publishes an annual poetry book of winning submissions,
selected by Robert Hass. We also exhibit the children's paintings at museums, libraries, conferences and other venues around the world. Through our website and many workshops and presentations around the country, we provide students and teachers-and their communities-with tools, inspiration and incentive to begin exploring the natural and cultural history of their own homegrounds.

The contest is free, and every child is acknowledged with a personalized "Watershed Explorer" certificate. Children may enter on their own or through schools, nature centers, libraries, youth clubs and other organizations. Girl Scouts can earn their "Water Drop" patch by entering the contest and fulfilling other requirements (www.epa.gov/adopt/patch).

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The contest deadline is: North American entries-postmarked by February 15

International entries-received by March I

PO Box 4000-J Berkeley.CA 94704 USA 510-548-POEM

www.riverofwords.org

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l Que es River of Words?
.,Rio de Palabras'

River of Words es un programa educacional de arte y el ambiente que:

desarrolla el respeto y ehtendimiento para el mu~do natural promueve la alfabetizaci6n en todas sus formas ensefia a los maestros como integrar las artes en el curriculum da a los nifios una manera de expresar su creatividad e interes ayuda a los nifios a desarrollar el sentido de pertenecer a un lugar construye asociaciones comunitarias usa recursos para apoyar la educaci6n facilita los metodos de ensefianza interdiciplinarios
distribuye, publica y muestra el arte y la poesia de los nifios
publica una Guia para Maestros y materiales que apoyan el curriculum

River of Words (ROW) 'Rio de Palabras,' organizaci6n de beneficiencia publica, fue fundada en 1995 por el Poeta Norte Americano Robert Hass y la escritora Pamela Michael. Cada afio, en afiliaci6n con La Biblioteca Central del Congreso para el Libro, nosotros conducimos un concurso intemacional de poesia y arte para nifi.os entre los grados kinder a 12.

Cada mes de abril, ocho ganadores Estadounidenses, un ganador intemacional y el "ROW Mejor Maestro del Afio" son homenajeados (durante el Mes de la Poesia Nacional) en una Ceremonia en La Biblioteca del Congreso en Washington, DC. Actualmente, diecisiete estados tambien dan premios de ejemplo para el estado.

River of Words publica un libro anual de poesia de las obras que ganaron, selecionadas por Robert Hass. Tambien mostramos las obras de pintura en museos, bibliotecas, conferencias y otros lugares en el mundo. Por medio de informaci6n en el internet y muchas conferencias y presentaciones en el pafs, proveemos materiales, inspiraci6n e incentivo a estudiantes y maestros para que puedan comenzar a explorar la historia natural y cultural de su propia tierra.

Este concurso es gratis, y cada nifio es reconocido con su propio certificado de "Explorador de la Cuenca". Los nifios pueden inscirbirse por ellos mismos o por las escuelas, los centros del ambiente, las bibliotecas, clubs, y otras organizaciones. Girl Scouts pueden ganar su distintivo de "Gota de Agua" por inscribirse en el concurso y de cumplir con ~tros requisitos (www.epa.gov/ adopt/ patch).

La fecha limite para el concurso es: participantes Norte-Americanos certificados por el correo para el 15 de febrero.

Para participantes internacionales: recibidos para el 1 de marzo.

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River of Words PO Box 4000-J Berkeley, CA 94704 USA Tel: 510-548-POEM (7636) Fax: 510-548-2095
Lugar de informaci.6n por el internet www.riverofwords.org
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Frequently Asked Questions About the River of Words Contest
Who is eligible?
Children 5-19 years of age, who are not yet in college. Youth older than 19, but still in high school, are eligible.
When is the <kadline?
Eacb year, U.S. entries must be postmarked by February 1.51" and received by February 22etd. International entries must be received by March 151 Entries can be mailed in throughout the year. any entries received after the deadline will be automatically held for the next year's contest
Is there an entry fee?
No; the contest is free to enter.
May I submit more than one piece?
Yes. You can submit as many poems and/or pieces of artwork as you wish (including poem/art combinations). However, _each entry must have a separate entry form.
How do I enter?
You may enter the contest through your school. environmental club, scout troop, art organiu.tion. or ~y other such group, or you may enter the contest on your own. Group entries should be sent to River of Words together in one envelope or package. rather than individually. All en~es must be sent to us with a completed entry form, and should be sent to:
River of Words P.O. Box 4000-J Berkeley, CA 94704 USA
Am I entering as an individual or as part ~fa group? If you completed your River of Words contest entry through work with a class, scout troop. nature center, youth organization or other club, then you are entering as part of a
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group. Individual work should still be marked as a group ent,ry if it was completed
through participatwn in a class assignment or group projecL
River of Words will mail group entrants' "Watershed Explorer Certificates" in one
package to one address (school or scout leader's home, for example) for distribution.

If you are entering the contest on your own, (i.e., you did not do your work through participation in a class assignment or group project) then you are entering as an individual. You will receive your "Watershed Explorer Certificate" at your home address.

If you have any questions about your standing (whether group or individual) please contact us at info@riverofwords.org.

How should I prepare my entry?

Written poems should be no longer than 32 lines in length, and should be typed or neatly

printed in ink (pencil does not photocopy!). Please staple your poem to your entry form

such that each piece faces out Remember, each poem yo submit requires its own entry

form!



ASL poems should be recorded on VHS videotape; each poem should be no longer than 3 minutes in length. Please sign your full name and the poem title (if it has one) at the
beginning of your poem. In addition to your poem, please include a brief summary of
your poem. This summary should be typed or printed neatly in ink, and stapled to your entry form. Remember, each poem you submit requires its own entry form!
Artwork should be no larger than 11" x 1T' and should not be framed, matted, laminated or folded. If using charcoal or pastels, please remember to fix your artwork before sending. Please afix your entry form to the back ofyour artwork, using either tape or glue. Do not use staples, paperclips, or any glues that could seep through and damage 1 your artwork! Remember, each piece of art that you submit requires its own entry form!

How should I attach my entry form to m_y work?
For written poetry entries, please staple the entry form to your poem so that each piece faces out (in other words, after they are stapled together, your poem should show on one side and when you flip it over, the front of the entry form should show on the other side).
For videotaped poems (performed in ASL), please include all entry fonns of students who appear on the tape in the same package. If other entries (written poetry or artwork) are being sent to River of Words in the same package, please place all the ASL entry forms together in an envelope and label them as ASL entry forms. Also. please remember to staple a short summary of the poem's content to the entry form.

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For artwork, please affix your entry form to the back of your artwork with tape or glue. If using glue, be careful to choose a glue that will not seep through and damage your
artwork. Please, do not staple or paperclip entry forms to the back ofyour artwork!
Remember, for each poem or piece of artwork that you submi~ you need to complete a separate entry form - thanks!

Where can I get entry forms?

You may download an entry form from the River of Words website (www.riverofwords.org), or you may request one to be sent to you via mail, email or fax by contacting the River of Words office.

River of Words

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P.O. Box 4000-J

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Berkeley, CA 94704 USA
Phone: 510-548-POEM (7636) Fax: 510-548-2095

Email: info@riverofwords.org

Is work returned?
No. However, by pre-arrangement, submissions from an entire state can be returned to one address (except for Grand Prize or Finalist artwork; in the case of winning artwork, high quality color reproductions will be returned instead). In states with a ROW State Coordinator, entries are returned to the coordinator. Many states award state-level ROW prizes as. well.

Who sponsors River of Words?
ROW is a non-profit educational organization, incorporated in the State of California. We are supported by grants from foundations and donations from individua.ls, businesses, and government agencies, like the Environmental Protection Agency. We are affiliated with The Library of Congress Center for the Boo~ the Library's literacy promotion division, which hosts our Award Ceremony and Luncheon each year, as well as a Teacher Training Workshop.

What priz.es are awarded?*

National:

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4 Grand Prizes in Poetry. one in each of four age categories:

Category I: (Kindergarten - Grade 2) Category II: (Grade 3 -Grade 6) Category III:" (Grade 7 - Grade 9) Category IV: (Grade IO - Grade 12)

4 Grand Prizes in Art, one in each of four age categories (same as above).

International:

One Grand Prize winner, in art or poetry, any age category.

Regional:

Shasta Bioregion Award Winner (Northern California, one winner only, in art or poetry, any age category).

Anacostia Watershed Award Winner (Washington, D.C. area, one winner only, in art or poetry, any age category).

Finalists: About 50 finalists total, in art and poetry combine(i- the exact number of finalists selected each yeai varies depending on the numberand quality of submissions.

Teacher of the Year. I winner. There is no formal nominating procedure, but if there1s a teacher you think we should know about (including yourself!) please let us know.

The 8 national grand prize winners, one international winner, and the Teacher of the Year:

win a trip to Washington, D.C. with a parent or guardian. They are honored at an Award

Ceremony and luncheon at the library of Congress, have a VIP tour of the White House,

go on a canoe trip and visit many historical sites.



Regional winners and finalists receive prizes of books and art supplies.

*River of Words reserves the right to not award a Grand Prize winner in any of the above categories if no entry merits such designation.

Are entries acknowledged?
Yes; everyone who enters will receive a personalized Watershed Explorer Certificate, suitable for framing. A list of winners is sent to those who enclose a self-addressed. stamped envelope with 55 pos~ge with their. e~tries.

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What ROW resources arc there?

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River of Words produces and distributes curriculum materials, community partnership resources, and children's art and poetry.

River of Words also conducts Educators' Workshops at various locations throughout the year. For upcoming workshops, visit the Educators page on our website.

Who judges the work?

Poetry: Former U.S..Poet Laureate (1995-1997) and ROW co-founder, Robert Hass.

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Art: Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) in Oakland, California Spanish Poetry: John Oliver Simon

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ASL Poetry: Susan Gonzalez
[For Teache~] How do I begin ROWing? Read the River of Words' Educator's Guide. It contains lots of background material

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on watershed science and how to teach poetry to children. You'll also find a

bibiliography and resource guide, as well as classroom and field activities designed to

help children explore their communities and their imaginations.

Read through the River of Words Contest Rules & Guidelines, which contain

specifics about entering, artwQrk size. poem length, etc.

Check our State Coordinators' page to see if your state has a ROW Coordinator. If so,

contact them for ideas and information.

Contact local water or park districts. museums. COnsetVation and arts organizations to

see if they have any resources you can use: naturalists, poets. artists, videos, maps. etc.

(One of the most successful and creative uses of River of Words that we've heard about

was in Mill Valley. California, where an elementary school teacher took her students to a

senior citizen's home that was situated alongside a small urban creek. The seniors tal~ed

to the children about what the area was like when they were children and together they

explored the creek. The children's subsequent poems and artwork so inspired the seniors

that they invited the kids and their families to return to the center. where they read them

poems they had written in response to the children's poems. Thi$ project has turned into

an ongoing oral history and creative writing project and has connected the school and the

senior center in ways that lasting and profound.)

If you are school-based. try to involve other teachers in River of Words.

Collaborations between science, language arts. social studies. and art teachers have been

very successful in many schools and have not only produced wonderful poems and

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paintings. but have led to commu_nity service p~ojects like creek clean-ups and school

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gardens. Aside from the obvious.benefit of shared ideas and work.loads that cooperation allows, a group effort seems to energize students about the project. as well. River of Words is designed as a vehicle for building community partnerships. It is an opportunity to involve parents. service groups. local businesses. the media and other

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community resources in a common goal. While such partnerships are not essential to an effective ROW project, giving students' work and concerns a wider audience can engage them more fully in the process.
If possible, get outdoors, even if it's only the schoolyard. Utilize field activities that encourage careful observation, data recording, sketching, listening, etc. ~epeated visits to the same site allow students lo observe changes. Many teachers incorporate a "service learning" component in their ROW projects, like water quality monitoring, tree planting, gardening, or creek clean-up.'
We call our curriculum approach "Watershed Explorer" for a reason-join your students in the fun of discovering of more about the place you live.

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River of WordsTM Contest Entry Form

Note: If we can't read your handwriting, you can't win a prize and you won't get your Watershed ExplorerTM Certificate. So, please print carefully and use a pen!
Date: _ _ __

I am entering as an individual_, OR, as part of a class/ group_ _. ( IMPORTANT! If you are unsure,
... please see the Common Questions section of our website at www.riverofwords.org, or call 510-54S-POEM !)

Name:____________________ Age:_ Grade:_ Male: _ Female: _

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Title of Submission:,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Art_Poem:_ (Check one)

Note: If you are entering as part of a group you MUST indicate whether you are entering through your school, scout troop, summer camp, park district,. libra.1y, or other organization below.
School or Organization_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

School/Org Address,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ City_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

State_ Zip/Postal Code

Country:_ _ _ _ _ School Phone _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Teacher/Facilitator(s) First Name_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Last _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Parent or Guardian's Name____________ Signature ____________ Home Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ City_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

State_ Zip/Postal Code~--- Country _ _ _ _ _ _ Home Phone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

I hereby~ a n d ~ to River of Words {ROW) the non-ecdusive right~ ~ o n , i n ~ of the original writing, ,

artwoo..or photos that1 havesubmitled to RiverofW~ fD ~reuse.,~ a n d ~ a n d ~reprodu~ and
display the same, individually in CJ?lliunct!on with olheroriginal artwc:n, wri1!n8, ~ and vtdeo, in.any and an media

now CX' heceafta known throughout the wodd., oc illustratioo, promotion, art, a d v ~ and trade., or any o t h e r ~

whatsoever; and lo use my dula's name t o ~ the author ofthe woikinmnnedion with m y ~ in the River of

W ~ ~ o r dwrsivtie~nrg-o,IfpWuhnoodlroedsrs.sfataronnmddtahn~a: tm-aoi:onirdau.uslleddoianfigemhwsisiatshunobdaudttie.lUmimeadintwadtsiuoankriswsaininlglyioanundtduodafel0l

mv [' in dai

dwd's name as i <nnnedion with ms for- libel 0[' in

ts aeatoc. I herel?1 release
the useofthe origiilal vasion of Prtvacy. In any

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athretwwointknionfgmcaetreitgiosrifoesu.nRdi.vR~OoWf Wasosruoms mesaninot~ ains thle efxd.usfiovrelroisgthotrto~deedd are.npoowetirnynoerraarntwdowdi:t..hRhoivlderporifzWesoirfdnsompoaeymselol,r

assiS!',, license, or othetwise transfer all rights 2ianted to it hereunder. 1his authorization and release shall also inure to the

benefit of the su<XJeSSOr.s, !egal representatives. lioensees, and assigns of River of Words. I have read the foreg~ and fully .

understand the mntents thereof. tlus release shall b e ~ UJX>!l me and my heirs, legal representatives, and a_ssigns. I further

release River of Words from any responsibility for injwy incuried during the research or production of the original writing,

artworl<, photos and video.

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L ______________, being the parent or guardian of the above-named minor, hereby
consent to and join in the foregoing release and consent on behalf of said minor.

Pl~ge of Originality: I declare and avow that the poem(s) or art I am submitting to the River of Words
Contest is my own original work.
Student's signature_____________-,-_________________

PO Box 4000-J, Berkeley, CA 94704 USA

Tel: (510) 548-POEM (7636) Fax: (510) 548-2095

Website: http://www.riverofwords.org Email: info@riverofwords.org

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Contest Rules and Guidelines

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U.S. entries must be postmarked by February 15. International entries must be received by March I.
Entries may be sent in at any time throughout the year.

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I. The contest is open lo youth who arc age 5-19, on the February 15 deadline date. Youth older than 19 who arc still enrolled in high school arc clgiblc, but college students, even if 19 or younger, are not. Entrants need not submit

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work through their school; individual submissions are also accepted (Please see Frequently Asked Questions for

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clarification on these categories).

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2. YOlJth may enter the contest as many times as they like, but a separate entry form must be completed for each

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submission.

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3. All entrants will receive a Watershed Explorer Certificate.

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4. All poems must be original work. Written poetry must be either typed (preferred) or legibly written in ink (pencil

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does not photocopy); ASL poetry must be submitted on VHS videotape. Poems should not exceed 32 lines in

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length (written) or 3 minutes (signed). The student's name. sch~l. city and state should be included on the
poem. and a completed Entry Form should be attached. For ASL poetry. please include a brief written summary of

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the poems content, and staple this summary to your entry form. For written poems, please staple the Entry Forni

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to the poem so that each piece faces out. Collaborative poems are accepted. but only one child (chosen as the

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group representative) will be eligible for any prizes awarded. We are able to accept poems only in English, Spanish and American Sign I.mzgua.ge.

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5. All artwork must be originaJ work. Artwork should not exceed 11" by 17" in siz.e. Acceptable media are paint, pencil, marlcers, ink. crayon. chalk or pastel (fixed). photography. cloth, collage and computer art. All entries must

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contain the student's name. school. city and state on the baclc - do not use a marker or anything that will show

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through! A completed entry form must also be affixed to the baclc of each piece of artwork. Please attach the entry

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form with tape or other fixative (tf using glue, be careful to use one that will not run through and damage the artwork) - also, do not use paperdips! High quality color reproductions of prize-winning artwork will be

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provided to their res~ve creators.



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6. Art entries must be done on paper that will allow for duplication. display or framing. Please. no notebook or typing

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paper, and do not mat. QlOUDt, laminate, frame or fold artwork. F.ntries must be mailed flat or rolled in a tube -

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no folding, please!

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7. Submissions become property of River of Words. ThrQugh submission of poetiy or artwork. contestants and their

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legal guaroians grant non-exclusive iqxoduction and publication rights to the works submitted.



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8. All U.S. entries must be postmarked by Februaiy 15, and must be received by February 22. lntematiooal entries must be received by MaICh 1. We are.not RSpODSible for entries that are late or lost in the mail. F.ntries received

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after the deadline will _be automatically entered in next year's contest

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9. Winners will be announced in April of each year.* Winners must sign an acceptance form. For a list of winners.

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please include a self-addressed, stamped (55) envelope when sending in your entry.

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l 0. Grand prize: round trip transportation from the winner's nearest major airport to ~ashington. D.C. for the winner

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and .one parent or guardian. Prize is not redeemable for cash. Accommodations and some meals will also be

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provided. Taxes and all other expenses are the responsibility of the winner. Winners must be available for travel

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sometime in April or May.**

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*River ofWords reserves the right to not award a Grand Prize winner in any given category ifno entry merits such

designation.



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. **International. winners may be acknowkdged at the Awards uremonyfor the foll.owing year's contest, ifinJernational

travel l.ogistics cannot be worked out in a timely manner.

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FoR FURTHER INroRMATION OR TO REQUEST RlvER OF WORDS INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, CONfACT:
River of Words, P.O. Box 4000-J, Berkeley, CA 94704 USA Phone: 510-548-POEM (7636) Fax: SI0-548-2095 'Email: info@riverofworos..~ URL: www.riverofwords.org

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River of Words (Rio de Palabras) Forma de Entrada para el Concurso
Nota: cada poema o obra presentada necesita una forma de entrada comp/eta. Por favor usa una pluma y escriba claramente. Su nino no sera elegible por un premio si no podemos leer que ha escrito!

Fecha: - - - - - - -
Nombre: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - E<lad: - - - Grado: - - - Sexo: - - -
Region Watershed: _________ Escuela: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Direcci6n de la escuela: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ciudad: - - - - - - - - - -

Estado:

C6digo Postal: _ _ _ _ _ _ # del telefono: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Maestro(s):

Sujeto(s): _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Titulo de la obra: ________________ Arte:_ Poema:_ (chequea uno)

Nombre del padre o guardian:

Firma: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Direcci6n de casa: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ciudad: - - - - - - - - - -
Estado: ____ C6digo Postal: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ #del telefono: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Yo doy penniso y derecho as River of Words (Rio de Palabras), con respeto de la obra, el escrito, las fotos o el video que he presentado al River of Words, para usar, publicar, una vez y otra, y reproducir, y demostrar el mismo, individualmente o junto con otras obras en el mundo, para ilustraci6n, promoci6n, arte, publicidad, y comercio, o por cualquier otra raz6n; y para usar mi nombre para identificar el autor(a) de la obra con relaci6n a la particpaci6n mia en el River of Words. Yo entiendo que el uso de mi obra incluye mi nombre como el creador. Yo desempefio y descargo River of Words de todas las demandas con relaci6n al uso de la obra, el escrito, las fotos, y el video original incluyendo, sin limitaciones, todas las demandas para libelo o invasion de intimidad.

He leido y entiendo esta forma Esta forma de entrada sera obligada a mi, mis heredos, y

representativos legales. Yo desempeiio y descargo River of Words de cualquier responsabilidad

para lesiones incurrido en la investigaci6n o producci6n de la obra, el escrito, las fotos, o el video

orignial.



Yo _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ soy el padre o guradian del niiio y consiento en esta forma de entrada de parte de este niiio.

I[]
"'I

River of Words, PO Box 4000-J, Berkeley, CA 94704 USA Tel: 510-548-POEM (7636) Fax: 51~548-2095
Email: info@riverofwords.org Website: www.riverofwords.org

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RIVER OF WORDS

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Environmental Poetry & Art Contest
Pledge of Originality
The following pledge of originality must be signed by each entrant to the River of Words Contest and witnessed by an adult.

lil
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I declare and avow that the poem(s) or art I am
submitting to the River of Words Contest is my own
original work.
Entrant's Signature
Witness's Signature

111
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Date
A Project of International Rivers Network & The Library of Congress Center for the Book
P.O. Box 4000-J, Berkeley, CA 94704 USA Tel: (510) 433-7020 - Fax: (510) 848-1008 Email: row@irn.org Website: http://www.irn.org
ROW 1016 6/5/97

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TO ORDER RIVER OF WORDS MATERIALS, PLEASE ALL Otrr THE FORM BELOW &
REfURN WITH A CHECK, MONEY ORDER. CREDIT CARD NUMBER, OR PURCHASE ORDER TO: River of Words. P.O. Box 4000-J, Berkeley. CA 94704; fax 5I0-548-2095; or email info@riverofwords.org.
# ofCopies Item
ROW Educator's Guide: $6.00 ROWing Partners: $5.00 1999 ROW Winning Poems: $7.00 2000 ROW Winning Poems: $7.00 200 I ROW Winning Poems: $ I0.00 River of Words Artwork _ _ postcard: $2.00. or _ _ poster: $15.00 Artist's Name: _ _ _ __ Title:-_ _ _ _ _ _ _Contest Year: _ _
ROW T-Shirts (featuring artwork by Tony Spiers): $15.00 please indicate size _ _ (sizes available: S-XXL. Childrens L)
California residents. please add 8% tax
Postage & Handling (For orders in North America. add $2 for 1 item and $1 more for . each additional item. For international orders, add $5 for 1 item, and $2 more for each
additional item. Total Amount
Name:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ School/Org: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Mailing Address:---------------------,-----City/State/Zip/Country: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Telephone: _______ Fax: - - - - - - - Email: - - - - - - - -
Billing Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
City/StatefZjp/Country: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Telephone: _ _ _ _ _ __ Fax: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Email: _ _ _ _ _ _ __
CREDIT CARD ORDERS ONLY: Credit Card#: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Expiration Date: _ _ _ _ __ Signature: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

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We are proud to announce the publication of...

ruvfR OF wolWQ(!

Wa~ershed Explorer... Curriculum

This revised and expanded edition, now nearly 250

AMollidnapl,a,y~o,lklacia--SAnimod>eO---

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pages in length, includes many new activities and areas of exploration, including: kites, birds, mapping, classroom gardening, naturalists, and much more, plus lots ofadditional support for teaching poetry. We've also added more activities that seive the needs

''''iI

ofurban children who often don't have access to outdoor resources, like creeks, gardens, or backyards.
To order the revised River ofWords Educator's Guide, please fill out the form below and return with a check, money order, or purchase order to:
River ofWords

P.O. Box 4000-J

Berkeley, CA 94704 USA

K-12 Educator's Guide
To Sapport die A1111U11 l'oclly & /\ti. c.om..t

Fax:510-548-2095

1:1

'II

No. of Copies

River of Words Educator's Guide: Watershed Explorer Curriculum
$25, plus $7.20 s~ping/bandling

$_ _ __

I

2002 River of Words Poetry Book
$10, plus $4.50 shipping/handling

$ _ _ __

'

California residents, please add 8.25% tax Total/Amount Enclosed

$_ _ __ $_ _ __

NOTE: To view or order additional River ofWords publications and materials, please visit our website:
www.riverofwords.org

Name- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Home Address- - - ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
City/State/Zip/Country_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Tel:- - - - - - - - - - Fax:- - - - - - - - - Email:- - - - - - - - - - -
Credit Card Orders Only, Fill Out Below Credit Card#_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Exp. Date_ _ _ _ _ _ __ Signature_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
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August 2, 2002

ENVIRON MENTAL P O E T R Y & A R-T

2003 River ofWords Calendar Now Available!

IN AFrlUATION '111TH T111: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
CENTER FOR THE 8oOK
:z.530-C SAN PABLO AVENUE BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 9470:z. USA
TE L 5 I O. 5 4 8 . POEM (7 6 3 6)
FAX 510.548.:z.095
www .r i verofwords. org

Hello from River of WordsWe are proud to announce the publication of our first ever River of Words Calendar. It is a collection of art and poetry selected from the entries we receive from around the world in response to our annual contest. We would appreciate your assistance in getting the word out

Board of Directors ROBERT HA.ss,
CHAIRMAN AMY THOMAS,
V1aCH1R

about this exciting publication, and ask that you contact your local booksellers and provide them with information on how they can purchase our calendars. We are very excited that a portion of the

ExECUTIVE DIRECTOR URL COLE
CINDY KAMM LAUREN KLEIN HAYES
0WENU.MMERS MALCOLM MARGOLIN
STEVEN ROOD MARGARET ScHINK Juom, STRONACH
Advisory Board
RAcHELBAcav GoRDON BEAHAM Ill
WENDELL BER.RY
jOHNY.CoLE 0AKUY HALL PETER MATTHIESSEN
MAYUMI ODA
GARYSNYDEJ!. RoNTHORPE MAH WALTERS

proceeds from the sale of the calendar will go toward continuing the

work of our contest and our teacher training workshops. Should you

want to purchase additional copies of the calendar you may order them

through the ROW website, www.riverofwords.org. For larger orders (20

+) you.or your local bookstore may contact the publisher, Amber Lotus,

directly. The calendar (which begins in January of 2003) is the perfect

year-end holiday gift, and a celebration of the creativity and imagination

of the youth of the world.

Thank you for your continued commitme...n..t..t.o....R..i..v..e..r..o..f...W...o...r.d..s..................-.

Sincerely,

:

To order calendar-

:

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Large orders-contact Amber

d~--f-4XW

Lotus Publishing at 1-800-326-

'1:375 or www.amberlotus.com

Sasha Rabin Program Manager, River of Words

Smaller orders-contact River of Words at

www.riverofwords.org or

.......5..1..0..-..5..4..8...-.P...O....E...M.....(.7..6...3..6..).....................-..

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River of Words Exhibition Routing July 2002 - May 2003

July 1-14 July 15-28 July 29-Aug 11 Aug 12-25 Aug 26-Sept 8 Sept 9-22 Sept 23-Oct 6 Oct 7-20

Athens Regional Library System Kathryn S. Ames, Director 706-613-3650, ext. 333 kames@gcpl.net

Athens

Newton County Library Greg Heid, Director 770-787-3231 gheid@mail.newton.public.lib.ga.us

Covington

Conyers-Rockdale Library System Deborah S. Manget, Director 770-388-5041 mangetd@mail.rockdale.public.lib.ga.us

Conyers

Clayton County Library System

Jonesboro

Carol J. Stewart, Director of Library Services

770-473-,3850

stewartc@mail.clayton.public.lib.ga.us

Thomas Public Library Peach Public Libraries Gilda E. Stanbery-Cotney, Director 478-325-1640 stanberg@mail.peach.public.lib.gaus

Fort Valley

Byron Public Library Peach Public Libraries Gilda E. Stanbery-Cotney, Director 478-956-2200 stanberg@mail.peach.public.lib.gaus

Byron

Houston County Public Library Judy Golden, Director 478-987-3050 goldenj@mail.houston.public.lib.ga.us

Perry

Twin Lakes Library System Lillie E. Crowe, Director 478-445-0677 mvml@hom.net

Milledgeville

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Oct 21-Nov 3 Nov 4-17 Nov 18-Dec 1 Dec2-15, Dec 16-Jan 5 Jan 6-19

Jefferson County Library System Charlotte A. Rogers, Director 912-625-3751 rogersc@mail.jefferson.publ.ic.lib.ga.us

Louisville

Screven-Jenkins Regional Library

Sylvania

Kathryn Youles, Assistant Director of Operations

912-564-7526

youlesk@gcpl.net

Chatham-Effingham-Liberty Regional Library Bill Johnson, Director 912~652-3600 bjohnson@celrl.org

Savannah

Statesboro Regional Library Peter G. Sullivan, Director 912-764-1328 peters@srls.public.lib.ga.us

- Statesboro

Ohoopee Regional Library System Dusty Gres, Director 912-537-9283 gresd@mail.toombs.public.lib.ga.us

Vidalia

Okefenokee Regional Library Charles Eames, Director 912-287-4980 c~jrr@yahoo.com

Waycross

Jan20-Feb2

Brooks County Public Library Laura Harrison, Director 229-263-4412 harrisol@mail.brooks.public.lib.ga us

Quitman

Feb 3-16 Feb 17-March 2

Moultrie-Colquitt County Library Melody Jenkins, Director 229-985-6540 jenkinsm@mail.colguitt.public.lib.ga. us
Coastal Plain Regional Library
Gary Frizzell, Director
229-386-3400 gary@gcpl.net

Moultrie Tifton

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March3-23

DeSoto Trail Regional Library Lisa Rigsby 229-336-8372 rigsbyl@mail.mitchell.public.lib.ga.us

Camilla, Sylvester, Blakely

March 24-April 6

Southwest Georgia Regional Library Susan Whittle, Director 912-248-2665 s whittle@mail.decatur.public.lib.ga.us

Bainbridge

April 7-20

Kinchafoonee Regional Library System Frances P. Messer, Director 229-995-6331 messerf@mail.terrell.public.lib.ga.us

Dawson

April 21-May 4

Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library Claudya B. Muller, Director 706-641-4078 mullerc@mail.muscogee.public.lib.ga.us

Columbus

Week of May 5

In tr~it Rhonda Mullen, Executive Director Georgia Center for the Book 404-370-8450, ext. 2225 , mullenr@dekalblibrary.org

May 12-25

Chattooga County Library System

Barbara P. Hutsell, Director

706-857-1806

_. _

hutsellb@mail.chattooga.public.lib.ga us

Summerville

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Field Ttips to Support
Rivet of Wotds

"Wqi:et Looks i:o Me" Elishq Voni:tell 1<,qte Hill .Clqy El.emeni:qty School-Mqblei:on, GA

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Fl ELD TRI PS TO NATI/RE CENTERS SUPPORT RIVER OF WORDS
Across Georgia, nature centers offer programs that support River of Words. On a field trip, your students might discover
their local watershed and create poems or art they can submit to the contest. The content, timeframe and cost of
these programs varies by center.
Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, Mclnsfielc:\
Brooke Ager Discovery Area Watershed Field Trip For 4th - 6th grade students Students will learn about watersheds, explore CE'WC's streams and lakes and have the opportunity to create poetry and artwork. Poetry and artwork can be done during the field trip or back at school (in which case a teacher's guide will be provided). Cost $3.00/student, Deposit required. Contact 770-784-3059
Chattahoochee Nature Center. Roswell
The Creek and the Cherokee For 3rd - 12th grade students The land of the Chattahoochee Nature Center was once inhabited by native peoples, including the Creek and the Cherokee. In this program, students discover how these people used the river. the land, the wildlife. and other natural resources for hunting, farming, gathering, medicine. shelter, clothing, transportation, music. and games. Objective: Students will summarize how the Creek and the Cherokee people in Georgia used natural resources in their daily lives. This program is an excellent opportunity to set the stage for a language arts/fine arts activity. Oassroom teachers are invited to
supply a a,lminating activity for River ofWords to conclude the presentation ofThe Creek and Cherokee program.
Cost $6.00/student, 7.5 students/naturalist, 2 adults free/2.5 students. Reservation and deposit required. Contact 770-992-205.5, ext. 122 to make reservations. Specify River of Words option for The Creek and the Cherokee program.
Dunwoody Nature Center. Dunwooc:\y
River of Words For K - 8111 grade students Students will learn about watersheds, identify their ecological address. explore DNC's stream, and learn about macroinvertebrates while inspiring their creativity to make art or poetry to submit to the contest. Cost $6.00/student-$60 minimum for poetry, $7.00/student-$70 minimum for art. Contact 770-394-3322
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Elachee Nature Science Center, Gc:1inesville
Nature Journaling Activities For 5th - 8th grade students Cost: $6.00/student. Contact: 770-535-1976
Newman Wetlands Center. Hc:1mpton
. River of Words & Nature Journaling For 6th - 12th grade students Students will learn about wedands and the watershed, and will explore the role of human beings as stewards of these ecological systems. They will spend time in the creeks and wedands of the Clayton County Water Authority property and participate in observation exercises of the wildlife and plant communities in these environs. They will have the opportunity to create poetry and artwork, either on-site or back at school. Cost: $5.00 per student with a minimum of $50.00. Maximum number of students per class: 20. Contact: 770-603-5606
Oatland Island Education Center, Sc:1Vc:1nnc:1h
River of Words For I.. - 8th grade students Students will learn about watersheds and wedands and be able to describe the characteristics of wedands, observe Georgia's dynamic coastal wedands through direct experiences in our salt marshes and tidal creeks, unleash their imaginations in a wedands poetry writing session. The Ist and 2nd grade field trip is 2 hours in length and the 3rd - 8th grade field trip is 2.5 hours in length. Cost: $3/student for Chatham County students and $5/student for Non-Chatham County students with a minimum of 15 students or $45. Contact: 912-898-3980

Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center. Columbus

River of Words

For 2nd - 6th grade students

.

Students will learn about watersheds, visit and explore a pond and marsh environment, and learn about the animal

.and plant life unique to their ecological address in the Chattahoochee River Valley. A portion of the program also

includes a culminating activity where students will create artwork for submission to the River of Words contest.

Cost $4.50/student, 2.5 students minimum.

:

Contact: 706-687-4090

Sandy Creek Nature Center. Athens
River of Words For 2nd - 8th grade students Enjoy a trip to our local wedands, sample the edge of our pond, learn about our wedand plants and animals, and discover the importance of the surrounding watershed. Wrap up the program by creating your own watershed art or poetry inspired by your visit. Field study program is 2 hours. Cost: $2.50/Athens-Clarke County students and $3.50 for non-ACC students. Adult chaperones welcome and are free. Minimum $40 fee. Contact: 706-613-3615, ext. 231

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Nqtionql Rivet of \t\Jotcis Teqchei's Guicie
"Detotmc1tion" Am.:inc.ia Yanez - St.:ite Winner Dtuiq Hills High School - Atlant.:i, GA
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OF ORDs f
National Environmental Poefry & Poster Contest for Students

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TEACHER'S GUIDE

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The Simple Life
The crossroads to heaven make you feel like stones. The roots of your ashes are like mount~ins.
The dirty country road makes the sky ahead look yellow. The kingdom of green blooms in a special red way. The fog upon the pond is in silence unknown only two people know the stairs to roses. My father floats in the air traveling like steel making echoes that are getting closer. The crickets make way to stars,
the stars are like traffic on an old silvery, rainy day, and it is hard to breathe on the fountain of life or death.
Scott Laffler 4th gra,de
Barnwell Elementary School Alpharetta
National Grand Prize Winner
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Riverbank Song

Skipping rocks on the Ohio Thinking of lots of things Like the river
Bigger than me

I was eleven With three friends
I like to call my brothers and sister Watching the glittering up and down
And two friends I like to call my parents Reading from a history brochure

Standing upon the very same bank Where a young entrepreneur named Abe
(At the age I am now, not then) Began a ferry business
I remember his boat passing by in the setting sun
And there was his silhouette And there were his wobbly legs
and there I was his friend With tangly hair in the almost-Midwestern wind
And a smooth rock in one hand

An~ at the age he was then and I am no~

And

w~t~hodd
.. e

e'"i the morning mist with those same 1za and her baby emerge from the

frith!1~~river

fog

Barefoot on blocks of ice

To freedom on the other side

Which was where I was waiting

Breath.One hundred and fifty year? later Ing breath hot and wet against mY

5corf

Elizabeth Westby 12th grade
Chamblee High School Chamblee
National Finalist

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"0-. H BEAUTIFUL FOR SPACIOUS SKIES; the song goes, "for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains' majesty across the fruited plain~ In the future they are going to say of us that, at the end of the twentieth century, we inherited a vast and beautiful and living land, still full of wild mountains and rivers, the remains of great forests, windy desert mesas, bayous and glades and lakes, and a teeming creaturely life, all this endangered and some of it rendered immensely productive by our energy and cleverness and ingenious technologies, and they are going to ask what we did with il
They might come to say that we respected it That we were a country from the beginning that took its character from our relationship to the immensity and b~uty and promise of the land and that, though we exploited it brilliantly, sometimes mercilessly, and often unwisely, we also loved it and that in end we preserved it and cared for il That we understood that we were in a relationship of community to the land itself, its watersheds and grasses and trees and elegant quick-eyed life, and that we passed it on. still thriving. to our children.
Or they will say of us that we were clever, energetic, and greedy. That we kept saying how much we loved the land and that we were going to respect it, but we also kept saying that it made good sense to exploit it just a little more before we stop. And we kept cutting down our forests and polluting our rivers and fouling our air just a little more, just a little at a time, until there was not much left.
How is this story going to turn out? The answer to that question lies with our childrenthe first generation of the twenty-first century. It lies in their own imagination of the land, in their understanding of it and knowledge of it and their feeling for the wild life around them. The idea of ~ver ofWords is to ask them to educate themselves about the place where they live and to unleash their imaginations. We need both things-a living knowledge of the land an_d a live imagination of it and our place in it-if we are going to preserve il Good science and a vital art and, in the- long run. wisdom. All this must begin in the classroom, in family conversa. tion. and in family outings. There is no reason we can.not give our kids hope, and a sense of pride, and a love of. our amazing earth, and a sense of purpose, and we need to begin now. River ofWords is the seed of a place to start. Please join us in this effort.
To you students, I would say this: learning your watershed should be an adventure and so should expressing it in poems.and art. I .hope.you11 bring all of yow.natural energy and imagination to it. It doesn't matter whether you live in the city or the'--country; water runs through it that supports your life. Your imaginations run through the place where you live like the water does. So I wish you watery minds and earthy minds and airy minds-and fiery minds, and all of us involved with River of Words hope you have fun with this project

Robert Hass

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United States Poet Laureate

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ELCOME to the River of Wotds Teacher's Guide. We hope to provide you with information and ideas to inspire you to bring the wonder of nature into the class-
room By helping your students
connect to their environmeq_t you can help them connect to an essential part of themselves. The poems and posters they create as a result of this con-
nection will help them under-
stand their own vital place in the natural community. We hope this connection will inspire life-long stewardship an~ creativity.
In recent years, American educators have begun moving 11 toward interdisciplinary 11 curriculum, incorporating lessons from disciplines that heretofore were considered dis11 tind This approach broadens
11 the educational experience for
both teachers and students.
11 River of Words is pleased to pre-
11 sent a Teacher's Guide combining II m format10n from the sa.ences
I and from arts and letters.
11 1111

How TO USE THIS

This Teacher's Guide is divided into three main teaching sections:

The Stories in the Land Program Oassroom & Field Activities

About Watersheds

Teaching Poetry and Art

We suggest you read through the information from The Orion Society's Stories in

the Land Program first The program uses an innovative approach to environmental edu-

cation developed by John Elder, PhD. The introduction on page 8 will give you an

undei:standing of the principles upon which the program is based. There is no need to

follow any example exactly; the lessons work best if you allow your own environment

and ideas to become a part of the process.

If you are new to teaching the natural sciences, Stream Sane by the Oregon Fish

and Wildlife Department on page 15, will give you a good introduction to watershed

ecology. The Resources and Bibliography section on page 32 contains a wealth of

sources to further your own understanding. and that of your students. But even without

an extensive grounding in the natural history of your own area, you and your students

can discover the geography of your own place by following the steps in rinding Your

Own Bioregion. on page 22.

ff.you have never led a creative work session, take heart, and read through the

tips and information from teachers in the Teachers & Writers Collaborative, beginning

on page 25. Continue on to read Hannah Hinchman's section on teaching art to

students on page 31.
Preparing students for the River of Words Contest does not need to be elaborate, nor

do you need special skills, equipment, or resources. You can easily use the resources

available in your own classroom and school yard. For brief poetxy lessons on water-

sheds and the local natural enyironment, a reading of two or three example student

poems, followed by a group discussion trying to guess exactly what the student-poet

mood was seeing, hearing, etc, sets a

of observation.and attention, both.to words and

nature. Students could look out the window at the weather, open the windows and

smell the fresh air. remember and share a recent experience of a rain or snow storm,

think about where the_water from those stonns went A walk out in the school yard is

a Seid trip to the local sky, air, and geography. Puddles are useful laboratories.

We suggest that you use this aoss-disciplinar.y curriculum as a way to reach out

into your own community. Contact a local nature or environmental education group to

ind an expert who could lead a Seid trip or present a classroom demonstration Or call

a local arts education group and bring a working poet or artist into the classroom to

help inspire your students. You can download an extensive list of community

resources for yo~ state from our world-wide ~eb site. If you don't have access to the

web, give us a call Helping you branch out into your own community is part of what
the~ ofWords Project is all about
We think you and your students will enjoy preparing for the 1996 Ri11eroJWords

contest But we planned the program with ~n eye on the future. This Teacher's Guide is

our gift to you. We hope you will continue to use it as the seasons unfold

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Networ RIfn~, itVeft::,iC"c.i~i

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~ - Q IVERS are the arteries of the planet They sustain much of its terrestrial lifeand.

for countless centuries have dictated the course of human settlement To_tbi5 ~XO

.,: _:1

uch of the world's drinking water and food supply remains largely depende'nt 0

r<;:::~n rivers. From the Amazon Rainforest to the Vietnam Delta, tens of millions of people O

., ,,.,, ..., , .;/-}",'i

: d~rive their livelihood and culture directly from rivers. But-like our atmosphere, forests, O

Li~j/iiik H~~Jn R.igh~ a~?J

soils and oceans-the health of rivers is deteriorating at a rapid pace. Toxic pollutants, ma8

a:jf ~gn;~r:::f~::c::.:;f:~f:f:~::!.~E::::Es fnpironmenta!Protection

sive dams and uncontrolled diversions are rapidly diminishing their ability to support IifO

fiij~i~&};d.

organizati~d-:~~it~Ji~[:i';,".1, ' developing and assisting a global grassroots movement-
to protect and restore ~e integrity of the world;s"rivers. and watersheds,
to promote the wise management of the planet's freshwater resources for the benefit of the people and ecosystems who depend on them,
and to create a worldwide understanding of river ecology-the interdependence of all biological physical and cultural aspects of rivers and their watersheds.
IRN, a non-profit organization, has worked for the last ten
years to promote sound river
management and to protect watersheds and riverine communities. Our staff of hydrologists, engineers and environmentalists assists groups, institutions and individuals around the world to advance sustainable freshwater policies and practices. To receive more information about IRN's programs, publications and information services, write to:

understanding and actions of future leaders, policy makers and decision makers. To help 0 spread the word, one of today's leaders. Poet Laureate Robert Hass, has teamed up with O International Rivers Network and The Orion Society to create the River ofWords Project 0
River ofWords is a aeative and exciting way for tomorrow's leaders to begin understaiidin0

the importance of rivers..;.and the communities they support-today. There are three

aspects of this project that make it particularly meaningfuL even beyond the important 0

issues surrounding the wise stewardship of our riparian resources.

0

Orie of the first things we learn as children is our home address. Later we discover our 0

neighborhood. memorize maps of countries, and over time develop an understanding ofO
the political geography that governs the human world around us._ But what about our 0 .natural word? Rivers and watersheds are key ingredients to helpi~g us unde~nd our 0
ecological address'-where and how our food is grown, where we draw our water, the O

location and health of the forests that ultimately frame and furnish our homes. With our

ecological address in hand, we know how our actions affect our natural neighborhoods, 0

cities and towns-not just for their own sakes, but for their ability,..to nurture and sustain 0

the world we humans create.

,,,

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Rivers have played a central role in the art and culture of. many societies and remain 0
o the inspiration for contemporary artists and writers worldwide. Expressing the impor-
tance of rivers in human terms though literature and the arts communicates so much O

more about their. importance than mere economic and scientific equations. Fish kills, 0

toxic sludge and degraded watei:sheds speak volumes on their own, without the need to O

.be quantified, calculated and ranked. Conversely, a healthy, thriving watershed s ~
volwnes that no scientific equation can quantify. literature and the arts must cont'iii-;;_e 0

to play a key role in nurturing ecologically sound perceptions and policies.

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Our rivers and watersheds may span several states or countries, or be considered nation- 0

al and international treasures, but their healthy_rnanagement requires strong local com- 0
mitment Communities must take the responsibility for their stewardship. not just a few O local officials or state and national agencies. This is why River ofWon:ls has worked hard 0 to include not just educators and schoo~ but also river and aeeks organizations, book- O

sellers. libraries and poetry and art.c; groups in your area, so that the community as a

whole gets involved and committed.

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We all nee<! rivers. and right now they very much need us. River ofWards is an 0 excellent opportunfty to strengthen your.-community's relationship to its rivers and water- 0 shed, to hdp your children develop an abiding sense of place. and to have fun while 0

doing it

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Owen Lammers Executive Director. lntemational Rivers Nd1110rk

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THE ORION SocIETYS
Stories in the Land Program
For each home ground we need new maps, living maps, stories and poems, photographs and paintings, essays and songs. We need to know where we are so that we may dwell in our place with a full heart
-Scott Russell Sanders
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THE ORION SOCIETY

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NY WATERSHED-BASED APPROACH to environmen.tal education will be significantly

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influenced by the particular bioregion in which a school is located. Thus, there is less

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of a need for curricular "guides" or other prescriptive material than there is for certain

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broad principles, and for examples of curricula that have worked for a variety of teachers.

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The Orion Society's Stories in the Land Program, directed by renowned environmental educa- 0

tor John Elder, Ph.I>., has developed one set of principles that has proven helpful to many teachers.

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These are:

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1. Attentiveness to the local environment, rather than a study of global problems or political 0

controversies, is the most productive way to start.

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2. This should be an inclusive approach to the landscape and community, registering the

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natural history and the human history alike.

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3. An interdisciplinary curriculum, in which the arts and literature are integral as well as. the 0

natural sciences, both engages and instructs students.

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4. Time spent exploring and studying out of doors complements work in the classroom.

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Teachers in cities and suburbs can pursue this model of environmental education just as

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successfully as those in the country. Ralph Allen, an 0rion_Society Fellow teaching in a Philadelphia

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high school had this to say after his recent sense of Place". course: i've had students tell me at the

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outset of this unit, 'I don't have a watershed: And fve had the same students come back glowing with 0

stories of wonderfui little streams they've discovered or of rediscovering favorite streams from their

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childhoods, or of finding a whole pattern of streams buried beneath city streets and railroads." Young 0

people discover their place in a wider community, including a geological history, characteristic

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weather patterns, flora and fauna, indigenous cultural traditions, and the more recent history of

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J~t- g migrations and commerce. From such a broadened perspective, a sense of environmental and C::thical 0

responsibility nat~ally ~es.

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, ,,~tij~_f-j;\}:]~! 0,

:::::i::7:1~;:1::!::~~;::::;:nfo:rw~!e:~::~i1;ii~}{iif!!ti The following bn~freports convey the range of0non SoaetyFellows ~,re~t:7H:_mcula. }'~;;]}4i.12;}{'.~; O

:.. , ,.;40- 0 0

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.. KAREN WESSEL
Homer junior High School Homer; Alaska

"\V Te live in the Anchor River Watershed-
W home, at its soim:e, of the King Salmon
whose fisheiy brings thousands of people to her banks on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska every summer. Brown and black bear, moose, bald eagles. halibut, stellar sea lions, minke and orca whales, and the sea otter are among the many heralded citizens of this ecosystem, rich in Sitka spruce, red alder, and birch.
For eleven years, Homer Junior High has wdcomed the spring with an exodus of students from its doois to the natural world of Kachemak Bay. As part of a natural science, writing, and art aoss-curricular team, I have led groups of students into the words and waters and let them be a part of this wodd Through sketching, we explore the stratigraphy of centuries, opening a window on the geology of the region Oimbing up the moraine of Grewingk Glacier, we experience the plant succession of glacial terrain, drawing, photographing, and writing along the way. We sit silent for twenty minutes under the canopy of old cottonwoods, listening, smelling, watching.

We break the silent meditation with our pencils-to sketch, to write, to create a record of our impressions in the immediacy of the moment Perhaps there is an eagle's nest above or bear scat before us. Once we sat next to a depression in the last fall's leaves marked by tufts of black bear fur.
From our sketches and journals emerge the work of art, to be crafted, to be shared, to finally be published or displayed. Writers enter a workshop mode for peer comment and editing. Models of effective poetry and prose of the natural world help us to shape the art and sometimes to inspire it More often it is born in silence, however, a silence where the senses reign. affording communion with other sentient beings of our home.
The headwaters of the Anchor River flow into the Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay of the Pacific Ocean, the great water that finally mixes with all others, celebrating life and grieving pollution Our students know these waters, because they feel them at their source. They feel them in a quiet breathing. a reverence, from which grows the art of poetryand painting.

: h Grade Teacher; Tetonia Elementary School, Tetonia, Idaho

.t,,}~..ttle help from community volunteers, elementaiy
~dents"Glh experience hands-on science in your community. Students can learn about local watersheds, water quality, and ecosystems in a day-long adivity that will leave them
wanting more. A Day On the River begins with an orientation to water-
II sheds. On the day before the activity, have students "build" moun11 tains and valleys of rumpled papet: Using spray bottles, have
11 students rain on their creations and the water will settle into watersheds that students can see. A good review of the water cycle will also help students understand what they will be experiencing. Students ar:rive ready for A Day On the River with the
11 following materials: warm clothes, good hiking shoes, a sack lunch, plastic containers, magnifying glasses. sample bottles. straineis, and small plastic zip-lock bags. Upon arrival at your chosen site, students will rotate through
11 the following activity stations during the day:
1. Water life: At this station, students screen the water from the river to discover insects and other living organisms that inhabit the river. They test the river for temperature, pH balance, 11 phosphates. and bacteria (with the help of local biologists). F.ach team also creates a water ecosystem from the river in a plastic container that will be sent back to the classroom for observation

2 Animal life: At this station, students learn about the animals that inhabit the river area. They look for signs of these animals and if they are lucky, observe the wildlife They learn how to identify- the wildlife that is oommon in this area. They also learn about food chains and animal swvival
3. River history: At this station, local experts tell the students stories of the river and its development They also tell the students how the area has changed over the yeais.
4. Nature hike: Students take an hour-long hike along the river, identifying trees, plants, and undeigrowth. They look for wildlife and collect specimens.
5- Nature art: During the hike, students stop and learn about nature sketching from a local artist Students spend time seleding a plant from the river area to sketch and identify-. They also use . the mat~ fouqd r:,.ear the river to create nature sculpture, wodcing in groups of three or fOUI: When they are finished with their creations, they share what they have created with other membeIS of the class.
Upon arrival biick at school students use the materials they have oollected in their specimen bottles to create ecosystems in the classroom that can be observed for several weeks. They also take their nature sketches and create finished products for display.
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Before going out for a full~y field trip, the most time on was haiku because of its O students had plenty of practice making emphasis on the direct observation of 0

... -.. ..

obseivations along the river behind the

SixtH'fJrade Teacher

school I encouraged students to list sensory

images ~phrases which captured what they

Cogswell Memori~l Middle School saw. felt heard. smelled, tasted). When the

Henniker, New Hampshire time came for all~y field trips to new des-

nature and its simplicity. Also, because of its
shortness, haiku poetry lends itself well to 0 teaching the process of revision, a skill I 0
wanted to focus on. We read a lot of haiku O by contemporaxy poets and noticed that 0

tinations, students carried with them confi- most of these poets place far more emphasis

dence in recording their observations in a on captw:ing the essence of the moment 0

field jownaI: We focused our obsetvations than on creating poems which adhere to 0

on different characteristics of the wateISbed the typical 51715 syllable sequence typicallyC)
each time. One subject that was particularly associated with haiku. This is a significant 0

exciting to the kids was our study of river
creatures. After collecting maao-invertebrates, we brought them back to the classroom for obseivation, and using books and

point because I feel that most teachexs do

the opposite. They stress the syllables,

0

which tend to result in haiku that are limp 0

and lifeless and miss the magic of the

O

field guides, we learned more about their

moment

O

natural history, then wrote poetry based on

After revising and editing our poems,

our newfound knowledge.

we moved on to the artwork We use a 0

trips. After this and other such field we collage style for illustrating the poems. I 0

spent time reading the poetry of some out- show students picture books that make use 0

standing poets whose work is accessible to of this technique such as books illustrated O

this age group. Students selected poems
that had meaning to them and wrote about them in journal entries. After being_
immei:sedin reading and hearing poems. the group generated a long list of the qualities of poetry. We then used this list as the basis for our own poeti:y writing.
During our poeti:y writing. I exposed
students to various poetiy styles such as
free vezse, rhyme, poems written from the animal's point of view, poems for two voices, and haiku poetry. By far. the style I spent

by Eric Carle. Students have fun generating
a large collection of painted papers using 0 methods that we have learned about or 0 invented. Some of these methods include 0

blow painting, screen painting, spatter
painting. marbleizing. crayon resist, plexi- O glass, watercolor wash, finger painting. etc 0 As students pain~ I ask them to make use 0
of coloxs that will compliment their poems. 0

later students will 01t up these painted papers to create images for illustxating

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their poems.

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.ast Spring, my thim_grade class and I vol~teered to . . .~ting a ~ _about the part of the environment that 0 I:. plant willows, pines ,and spruce in an eroded area spoke to them during the watershed experience. Storm 0

of lewis Creek, our local watelShed. As the children explored the creek and th~ surrounding fields and woodlands, two parent volunteei:S and I furiously wrote down their uninhibited, creative language. We read bade to the

clouds rumbled aaoss the Green Mountains drenching 0

us as_each child's poetic voice was heard. Under drier
conditions in our classroom, we made textured ram-

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scapes using birch barlc. textured wallpaper. burlap. col- 0

children the playful. descriptive dialogue that oo:uned as ored tissue paper. paper bags, etc, streaked with white 0

they interacted with the environment They were asked
to consider numan verbs" (i.e., gossip, argue, knit) when

pine needles dipped in blade tempura paint to aeate an 0

environment resembling our lewis Creek experience. . -42-

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:. , ij0NNIE DANKERT
Santa Cruz High School Santa Cruz, California

,::'or many years, my deep interest has
_I_ rested in seeking a way to design a
course of study engaging students in regional habita~.educating them on the denigration of the watershed. Plumbing the depths of our ignorance, there lies a need to look into the water's shallows and c.all witness to the shadows of death. My choice was to focus on the avian community, specifically four California
birds, the light-footed dapper rail the elf owl the brown pelican, and the peregrine falcon The destruction of coastal watersheds is result-
ing in the alarming disappearance of many California species. Federal state, and local water-management practices, land acquisition, private ownership, and the lack of suitable revegetated habitat directly affects every bird. 1his brings us to examine our nation's Endangered Species Act with careful analysis partirularly on a..urent proposals offered for consideration
Watersheds, an interdisciplinary blueprin~ successfully provides a variety of avenues for students to aa:ess an elaborate network of communities, and make a petsonal connection We educate one another through collaboration and a collective spirit Wildlife artist Rochelle Mason's Animals and Feathezs wodcshop introduced to students the

complexities of aviary anatomy, causing us to

further appreciate the unique beauty of a sin-

gle feather. With pastels, watercolors, and

sharpened pencils, in one afternoon of draw-

ing exercises we discovered a delicate intima-

cy for these vanishing creatures.

Student research and field studies

revealed the watershed's rich diversity, trans-

posing multiple visions df each fragile com-

munity. To gather assorte;d perspectives, stu-

dents interviewed local groweis, visited .

organic farmeis, and followed a running

debate among activists, g9Vemment officials,

and business people concerned with the
I
economy. We continually looped back to the

vital necessity of The En<jangered Species Act

to underscore the importance of habitat

preservation Active invoivement in such

endeavors plants seeds fo.r future stewardship.

The ramifications of 'INatershed destruc-

tion branches into every river, slough, and

ocean, influencing the qt.lflity of our water,

the viability of our soil, the integrity of our

intentions. The search for'this land's legacy of

rain-bearing rivers, high-rising mountains,

and gently sloping beaches converges at the

streams water's edge, where

and tributaries

are marked with the passing beauty of native,

pink salmon

THE ORION SocIEIT
...........
The Orion Society is an environmental education organization that fostezs nature literacy in people of all ages. The Orion Society's programs include publications and other teaching tools that seek to deepen our relationship with nature;
teacher-training institutes, teaching f~Uowships, and model classrooms; writer-tours that seek to cultivate holistic.ally aware and environmentally caring citizens; and community-building projects that are working to reshape our ec;=onomic and social institutions to make them more ecologically s~inable. To receive more information on_The Orion Society's programs and teaching resources, write to: The Orion Society, 136 East 64th Street, New York, NY 10021.

111

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'.
About Wa.tershieds
Lo,nglerson, you passed a stone's:throw away from his door, . Your iripplesare Cherokeeprayers, .
Youcany the hopes of this ha:ti6n w#hin' your banks,
. Yot1 and he.are ~lik~. you are con~ined histories, .You ,are .a generation of yet unbroken channels. -Gladys Cardiff From Long Person"
. \, ''".
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Excerpt &om
"Coming into the Watershed"
...___....___________, snrnu...------ ,-,, ..,,-..._._
by Gary Snyder
II Ill
Ill

A WATERSHED is a marvelous thing to consider: 1 this process of rain falling, streams: flowing and
oceans evaporating causes every fllOlecule of

water on earth to make the complete trip once ,every two

million years. The surface is carved into watersheds-a kind

of_ familial branching, a chart of relationship, a~d a defini-

tion of place. The watershed is the first and last nation

whose boundaries, though subtly shifting, are unarguable.

Races of birds, subspecies of trees, and types of:hats or rain
'
gear often go by the watershed For the watershed, cities and

dams are ephemeral and of no more account than a boulder

that falls in_ the river of a landslid~ that tempor~rily alters

the channel The water will always be there, and it will

always find its way down. As constrained and polluted as

the Los Angeles River is at the moment it can ~lso be said

.

'

that in the larger picture that river is alive and well under

the city streets, running in giant culverts. It may be amused
I
by such diversions. But we who live in terms of centuries

rather than of years must hold the watershed and its com-

. munities together, so our children might enjoy the clear

water and fresh life of this landscape we have ~osen. From

the tiniest rivulet at the crest of a ridge to the main trunk of

a river approaching the lowlands, the river is all one place

. and all one land The water cycle includes our springs and wells, our
~ierra_ snowpack, our iqigatioo, canals, our car wash, and the spring salmon run. It's the spring peeper in the pond and the acorn woodpecker chattering in a snag. The watershed is beyond the dichotomies of orderly/disorderly, for its forms are free, but somehow inevitable. The life; that comes to flourish within it constitutes the first kind of community.
-45-

1. North Pa~fic Coast 2. Klamath/Central Pacific Coast 3. Central Valley of California/ San Francisco Bay
4. South Pacific Coast S. Columbia River Basin 6. Great Basin 7. lower Colorado River 8. Gila/SalWerde Rivers 9. SanJuan 10. Middle and Upper
Rio Grande 11. lower Rio Grande 12. Pecos River

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Watersheds

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of the United States

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17. Upper Colorado River 18. Platte/Kansas Rivers 19. Upper Missouri/Yellowstone Rivers 20. Main Stem Missouri River 21. Lower Missouri River

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O 22:- Mississippi Headwaters/TaDgrass Prairie O 23. Upper Mississippi Riverfrallgrass Prairie

24. Great Lakes 25. Ozark Watersheds

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26. Ohio River VaRey

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43. Arctic Alaska 44. Northwest Alaska 45.--lnterior-Alaska 46. SoU1heast Alaska 47. SoU1h Central Alaska 48. Bristol Bay/Kodiak 49. Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta SO. Bering Sea/AleU1ian Islands 51. Beaufort/Chi.Jkchi Seas 52. North PaciflCIGulf of Alaska

13. Edwarus Plateau 14. East Texas 15. Texas Gulf Coast 16. Arl(ansas/Red Rivers
.
~ HAWAII SI
42. Pacific Islands

34, Roanokefrar/NeuO
Cape Fear Riverso 36. Delaware River/
Delmarva Coastalo
o 37. Hudson River/ New Yori< Bight 38. ConnecticU1 River/
long Island Soull<"'"J
0 39. Gulf of Maine RivJ,.,
40. lake Champlain 41. Chesapeake Bay/
Susquehanna Rivo

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27. lower Mississippi River

28. Tennessee River

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29. Central Gull Watersheds

30. Florida Panhandle Watersheds

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31. Altamaha/Suwanee Rivers

32. PeninsularFlorida

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33. Savannah/Santee/Pee Dee Rivers

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PUERTO RICO

VIRGIN ISLANDS

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35. Caribbean

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&printalfrom tht flt111l rq,ort oftht Natiot111l Forum on Nonpoinl Soura Pollution.

.

a,n11a1td by tht Gmsm,ation fund and tht National Grogrophic SoadyO

DCO Mop soura: U.S. fol, &. Wildlife Stn,ict; rq,ort is aMilobl,from th, Tmm, lnstilult. Washington.

.

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From The Stream Scene, published by Oregon's Fish arid''Wildlife Department
Watershleds

I
'The study ofrivers is not a matter of nvers, but ofthe human heart." j -Tanaka Shozo

LL LAND on earth is a watershed Humans and their activities play an important and essential role in watersheds, yet few people understand
them Still fewer know the d)iiiamks and boundaries of the ones in which they live.
A watershed is a system. It is the land area from which water, sediment, and dissolved materials drain to a common watercourse or body of water. For each watershed there is a drainage system that conveys rainfall to its outlet. A watershed may be the drainage area surround- . ing a lake that has no surface outlet, or a river basin as large as that of the Columbia River. Within a large watershed are many smaller watersheds that contribute to overall streamflow.
The point where two watersheds connect is called a divide. A watershed is drained by a network of channels that increase in size as the amount of water and sedi-
ment they must cany increases.
Streams are dynamic, openwater systems with channels that collect and convey surface runoff generated by rainfall snowmelt, or groundwater dischatge to the estuaries and oceans. The shape and pattern of a stream is a result of the land it is cutting and the sediment it must carry.

STREAM ORDERS
In most cases, a watershed system is

almost entirely hillsides. Only about one

percent of a watershed is stream channels.

The smallest channels in a watershed have no tributaries and are called firstorder streams. When two first-order streams join,

\
t

they form a second-order stream Wheri two second-order I
channels join, a third-order stream is fo1;ffied, and so on.

First- and second-order channels are often small steep, or

intermittent Orders six or greater are laiger rivers.

Channels change by erosion and deposition. Natural

channels of rivers increase in size downstream as tribu-

taries enter and add to the flow A chan~el is neither

straight nor uniform, yet its average size!changes in a regular and progressive fashion. In upstream1reaches, the chan-

nel tends to be steeper. Gradient d ~ downstream as

width and depth increase. The size of s~ments tends to

decrease, often from boulders in the hilly or mountainous

upstream portions, to cobbles or pebbles: in middle reaches.

More sand or silt are found downstreani In some cases,

.

I

.

large floods cause new channels to fo~ leaving once-

productive streams dxy and barren. 1

STREAMFLOW TYPES

I

Besides the ordering system previbusly described,

streams may be classified by the ~eriod of time dur-

ing which flow occurs.

I

Peren1nial flow indicates

a nearly year-round

flow (90 percent or

more)'. in a well-defined

channel Most higher
I
order streams are
perenhial.
I
lnteni'tittent flow gener-
ally ours only during
the wet season (50 per-
cent of the time or less).

Ephemeral flow gener-
ally occurs during and
shortl~ after extreme precipitation or snowrnelt conditions. Ephemeral
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channels are. not well defined and are usually headwater on soil moisture from a greater depth than evaporation 0

or low order (1-2) streams.
The physical chemical and biological makeup of a

because plant roots may reach into available moisture supCJ
ply. Transpiration is greatest during the growing season O

stream relates to surrounding physical features of the

and least during cold weather when most plants are rela- 0

watershed and geologic origin. Analysis of these features lively ~ormant

_

O

aids understanding of stream-watershed relationships

Wmd may cause erosion, control the accumulation of

and predicts effects of human influence_s on different

snow in sheltered places, and may be a significant factor 0

stream types.

in snowpack melting. Wind erosion can occur wherever 0

FACTORS AFFECTING WATERSHEDS
CTimate
Land and water are linked directly by the water cycle.

wind is strong and constant, or where soil is unprotected 0

by sufficient plant cover.

O

Physical Features

0

Solar energy drives this and other cycles in the watershed. The area of a watershed affects the amount of water

O

Climate-the type of weather a region has over a long peri- -produced. Generally. a large watershed receives more pre- 0

od of time-is the .source gf water. Water comes to the . watershed in seasonal cycles, principally as rain or snow.

cipitation than a small one, although greater precipitation 0 and runoff may occur on a smaller watershed in a moist 0

In some areas, condensatio~ and fog-drip contribute water. climate than on a large watershed in an arid climate. O

The seasonal pattern o~ precipitation a~d temperature vari-

Shape and slope of a watershed and its drainage pat- 0

ation control streamflowand water production

tern influence surface runoff and seepage in streams_ drain-

Some precipitation infiltrates the soil and percolates -ing the watershed. The steeper the slope, the greater the

through permeable rock into groundwater storage and

possibility for 0

recharges areas called aquifers. Natural ground water dis-

rapid runoff 0

charge is the .main contributor to streamflow during dry

and erosion. 0

summer and fall months. Without groundwater discharge,
many streams would _

Plant cover is 0
more difficult to O

dry up. .

establish and infiltration O

Pumping water

of surface water is

from an aquifer for

reduced on steep slopes. 0

industrial irrigation, or

Orientation of a watershed0

domestic use reduces

relative to the direction of O

the aquifer's volume.

storm movement also affects 0

Unless withdrawals

runoff and peak flows. A rain- O

are modified or

storm moving up a watershed

recharge inaeased, the

from the mouth releases water in 0

aquifer will eventually

such a way that runoff from the 0

be depleted. A drained

lower section has passed its peak 0

aquifer can collapse

. before runoff from the higher sec- 0

from the settling of the overlying lands.

tions has arrived A storm starting at O the top and moving down a water- O

Collapsed underground aquifers no longer hav.e as much capacity.to - - -accept and hold water. Recharge is diffiatlt, volume is less, and yields are considerably reduced. Springs once fed from

shed can reverse the process.

. _ Orientation of a watershed relative 0

to sun position affects temperature, evaporation, and

0

transpiration. Soil moisture is more rapidly lost by evapo- O

the water table also dry up.

_

ration and transpiration on steep slopes facing the sun O

Climate affects water loss from a watershed as well as Watersheds sloping away from the sun are cooler, and
providing water. In hot, dry, or windy weather, evapora- evaporation and transpiration are less. Slopes exposed to O

tion loss from bare soil and from water surfaces is high.

the sun usually support different plants than those facing 0

The same climatic influences that increase evaporation away from the sun. Orientation with regard to the prevail- 0

also increase transpiration from plants. Transpiration draws ing winds has similar effects.

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Soils and Geology
Soil is a thin layer of the earth's a-ust It is composed of mineral particles of all sizes and varying amounts of organic materials. It is formed from breakdown of parent rocks to fine mineral particles. This occurs by:

Freezing and thawing in winter

Heating expansion and cooling contraction in summer

Wind and water erosion

The grinding action of ice

Gravity rockfall and avalanche movement

Rock minerals in rain and snowmelt water

Chemical action of lichens and other plants

fi111

Soils are of two types. Residual soils are those devel-

oped in place from underlying rock formations and sur-

face plant cover. Transported soils include those transport-

ed by gravity, wind or water. Characteristics of residual

soils are closely related to the parent material from which

they were formed.

Climate, particularly precipitation and temperature,

strongly affects soil formation Rainfall causes l~ching-

movement of dissolved particles through soil by water.

Temperature affects both mechanical breakdown of rocks

and breakdown of organic material Soil bacteria, insects,

and burrowing animals also play a part in breakdown

and mixing of soil components.

_Soil often det~nes which plants will establish a

protective vegetative cover. Plants also modify and devel-

op soil Plant roots create soil spaces. Plant litter adds

organic matter to soil and extracts water and minerals in

solt,1tion through the roots. Plant litter slows swface runoff

and protects the soil surface from rainfall's beating and

1111 puddling effects. Soil depths and moisture-holding capacities are usually less on steep slopes, and plant growth rates are often slower.

IiiIT Forage, timber, a.nd water are all renewable resources. Water is renewed by cycles of climate. Forage and timber
j are renewed by growth in seasonal cycles. The availability
II I of these resowces is dependent upon soil Soil is; except

over long periods, a non-renewable resource. It may take

more than a century to produce a centimeter -0 soil and
to thousands of years produce enough soil to-support a

high-yield, high-quality forest, range, or agricultural crop.

Soil is the basic watershed. resowce. Careful management

!i 1 .and protection is necessary to preserve its function and

! I productivity.

Vegetative Cover

Grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees make up ,the major plant

cover types. All four types build up org~nic litter and

affect soil development They usually develop under dif-

fering climatic conditions and all are iniportant to water-

shed management

l

A forest usually includes, in additio'r to trees in

various stages of growth, an understory :of shrubs and a

low ground cover of orbs and grasses. While all plants in a forest have some effect on watet, trees'. are the most

important Tree-litter fall protects the soil's surface. Tree
roots go deep into the soil and help bin~ it, and tree
crowns provide the most shade. The effJcts of shrubs and I
grasses are similar to those of trees .inclttding increased
protection for soil against the beating ac;tion of rain and

drying action of the wind

!

Plant cover benefits a watershed 'Il1e canopy inter1
cepts rain and reduces the force with which it strikes the

ground The canopy and stems also red~ce wind velocity.

When leaves and twigs fall, they p~uce litter, which

decomposes and is eventually incorpor4ted into the soil

Litter protects the soil surface, allows inftration and slows

down surface runoff.

i

Stems and roots lead water into the '.ground Roots

open up soil spaces for water retention ~nd drainage as

well as add organic materials to the soiL The movement

of minerals from roots to canopy provid~ recycling. Windbreaks of trees and shrubs pro~ect crops and
reduce moisture losses from evaporatioti. Grasses, trees, and shrub stems along-riverbanks trap s~ments and

floating debris during high waterflows. Roots bind

and stabilize streambanks and slopes to reduce slides

I

and slumps.



I

.

I

MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS

Water quality is largely determined by the soils and

vegetation in a surrounding watershed. ~ccordingly,

human activities have pronounced impacts on watershed

quality. These activities include timber harvesting.

._liv~tock grazing. ~gricult:u:re, recreation and w:ban or

industrial development

1





Dmber Harvest
Tunber harvest opens and reduces plant cover density. Timber harvest does not negatively affect a watershed if slope and soil are carefully considered and plant cover rapidly restored. In snow zones, timber harvest can
-49-

0

0

improve sn9w catch and modify snowmelt rate. Oregon
and several other states have passed laws called Forest Practices Ads to ensure consideration of soil and water
resources during timber harvest

0

and water may remove the finer and more fertile soil paCJ tides, reducing land productivity. Agricultural operations

b~~ed o~ careful a~raisal of soil. slope, and climatic conO

ditions include erosion control and are compatible with

watershed management

0

Agriculture
Domestic livestock tend to concentrate in specific areas

Plant cover affects water through growth and transpiO
ration: Shade and mulch formed by plant litter reduce CJ

when gr~ing. Concentrated grazing impacts plant cover and soil. Grass cover can be improved by removing some of the annual growth, but forage productivity can be greatly reduced ifovergrazing occurs. Improperly timed grazing,
grazing too many animals, or grazing for too long a time
can change vegetation over a period of years to species of lower value. Overuse of rangelands by native grazing animals can also seriously damage plant cover.

evaporation of soil moisture. Plant roots can take up avait:J
able soil moisture to a greater depth than evaporation. 0
An example is accelera~~ brush encroachmen~ partic-
ularly juniper, on central and eastern Oregon uplands. O
Increased juniper stands have, in pa~ decreased summer streamflows. Juniper competes more successfully than 0
other vegetation for available moisture. This reduces O ground cover and may 0
LAKE NfERCE:b;.;; cause increased runoff anD

Excessive trampling by

less infiltration to ground-

grazing ani~ls can contribute to soil compaction, accelerated runoff, and erosion problems. Trampling can also help scatter seeds and incorporate them into the soil for regeneration.
Managementof livestock and grazing wildlife

,ghfglistens
cr::}i trikttan1

water storage. In addition~
juniper roots can tap 0

16

groundwater storage. 0

f!1tillffi Junipers high transpira- 0

tion rate leaves less water

for stream runoff as sum.mer progresses.

0

0

:):~>)~~~

Fire

0

species can enhance water-

Fire is one of the most 0

shed values, but is limited

widespread and destruc- 0

by the carrying capacities of the land and the forage species it will support. Management . must consider timing, density, and duration of animal use to capitalize on the positive aspects of grazing. Generally. recovery

live agents affecting plantO

cover. Under certain con- O

ditions, fire can nearly O

remove cover and organic
litter, and, in extreme 0 cases, sterilize and change 0

the chemistry of the SUI- 0

face soil. Burning converts

.

organic materials in plant 0

cover, litter, and topsoil to gases and soluble, readily

O

does not occur if vegetation is thinned to less than 70 percent of the natural cover. Without management practices -such as reseeding. degradatipn will continue.
Crop production usually involves removal of the. original plant cover and :tilling the soil for seedbed preparation. Crop cover is usually seasonal and less dense than natural cover. This provides less pro- tection for the soil. Erosion by both wind

leached ashes that can make acid soils alkaline. Damage to

soil varies, but it may take several seasons for soil condi- 0

-tions to rehml tonormal.

0

Without a protective canopy and litter, the soil sw:face O

is rapidly puddled and sealed by the first rains. Infiltration 0

is greatly reduced, ma.king runoff and erosion more rapid O

Debris-laden floods often occur within fire.denuded water-

sheds during only slightly abnormal rainfall Most of the 0

water falling on a burned landscape is lost by rapid ru~off. 0

Water that in61trates is probably lost by evaporation

0

-50- 0

0

Ill

Streams from burned watersheds at first carry a heavy

load of salts dissolved from ashes, floating debris, and ero-

sion sediments. Water quality may soon return to normal

except for sediment-laden high flows. Water levels fluctu-

ate and become less dependable. These conditions may

continue for several years until the plant cover becomes

re-established on the watershed.

Fire can be beneficial to a watershed when it is care-

Ii I fully managed. It can reduce available fuel and prevent

Imore destructive fires. Fire thins understoiy seedlings that compete with larger trees for available moisture. Open forest types such as ponderosa pine are maintained by fire.

I

.

Beavers

The effects of beavers on a watershed can be both positive and negative. Their actions change watershed hydrology
f111 as well as damage cover. A beaver dam changes energy flow in its immediate area by turning part of a stream 111 environment into a pond or swamp. If high beaver popu-
lations coincide with heavy livestock use, the results can be devastating to streams. On the other hand, their dams
1can be beneficial as sediment traps and fish habitat Water
f held behind a beaver ~m is released more slowly over a f longer period of time.

111 Mining
i; 1 Mining requires opening the earth to remove mineral

I! 1 resources. It is done by stripping off the surface soil
ii I and rode layers or by drilling tunnels into the earth to

11 1 reach minerals.

11 1 With either method, quantities of waste material are
left on the surrounding land This waste material is sub-

!! I

.

ject to erosion, adding to the sediment load ofstreams

11 1 draining the mined area. Surface changes include altered

11 1 topography and drainage. Drainage from mined areas

11 1 may contain toxic mineral salts harmful to the aquatic

11 1 habitat To prevent degradation of the watershed, waste material disposal must be controlled
Iii

11 1 Development
Ill Urban development involves: 111 Clearing. leveling and filling land surfaces

Constructing buildings with impermeabie roofs

Paving roads and sidewalks with impervious

f

materials



Installing sewage disposal systems

111 I Such development greatly changes infiltration and runoff. reduces recharge to underground water

and increases runoff to produce rapidly: fluctuating

streamflows.

I

High-quality water is described as cool, clear, dean,

colorless, odorless, tasteless. oxygenated.free of floating

and suspended materials, and cariying only limited

amounts of dissolved materials. As quality is degraded,

water becomes less and less useful for ~9st purposes.

Urbanization decreases water quality.

Point source pollutants enter waterways from a

specific point Common point source po'1utants are dis-

charges from factories and municipal sewage treatment

plants. This pollution is relatively easy to collect and treat .

Non-point source pollution, on the: other hand, is

really a new name for an old problem-~.moff and sedi-

mentation. Non-point source pollution ~ns off or seeps_

from broad land areas as a direct result of land use. It

comes from a variety of sources such as :agriculture, urban

construction, residential developments, timber harves~

roadsides, and parking lots. Sedimen~ fertilizers, toxic

materials, and animal wastes are major non-point source

pollutants. The diffuse source of these pollutants makes

them more difficult to quantify and con~ol than point

source pollutants.

Non-point pollution causes more tWin half the water

pollution problems in Oregon The impact of non-point

source pollutants on water quality is variable. Some are

potential health hazards or harmful to fuh and other I
aquatic organisms. Streams do have an a,bsorption and

disposal capacity for limited amounts o(pollutants, but

these limits are too often exceeded :



Urban air pollution, especially photqchemical smog

caused by internal combustion gasoline engine emissions

and industrial smokes, has contributed to acid rain. This

has had a subsequent effect on vegetation, streams, and

lakes within watersheds, especially on the east coast and
in Canada. The problem continues to grqw, however,

and the Pacific Northwes~ is not immune to the effects of

acid rain.

Communication and transportation ~evelopments I
include roads, railroads, airports, power lines and

..pipelines. All of these may inv.olve distw:ba.nce of plant

cover, soil and topography. Road and hi@lway networks,

with their impermeable paving and rapid drainage sys-

- terns may radically change the runoff chacteristics of .

their immediate area. They also require changing the nat-

ural topography and drainage, and movfug huge amounts
are of soil and rock. Often these networks responsible for

extensive sediment production and may become the

source of other water pollutants.

-51-

Railroads and airports have similar effects. Power lines
and pipelines require open paths through the water:shed
and access roads for construction and maintenance.
Impoundments
Flood control dams, lined stream channels, dikes and levees to restrict the spread of floodwaters, and channel bed stabilization techniques are all installations that modify channel capacity as well as the rate and volume of streamflo~. All are the consequence of human efforts to modify water yields to better meet seasonal needs.
Many dams are built and operated to be multipurpose. They can do the following:
Control floods -
Store water for irrigation or other consumptive use
Reg{ilate flow for navigation
Provide power generation
Effects on streamflow and aquatic habitat are ;similar regardless of pwpose. Impoundments, if shallow, allow water to warm, and, if deep, preserve cooler water. As
streamflow peaks are reduced and low flows increased,
streamflow generally becomes more regular from season to season and year to year regardless of climatic variations.
In many cases, reservoirs have added water-based recreation and new fisheries, although their construction may have destroyed stream habitat used by wild fish. A wateished under good management-where water storage occutS in the . soils and riparian areas-lessens the need for reservoits, partiailarly small headwater impoundments.
Water is often seasonally diverted from impoundments and :streams for irrigation in agricultural areas. This reduces streamflows during the warm growing season. Some water is returned to the stream by drainage from the irrigated fields. These return flows are warmed and may contain soil salts, fertilizers, and pesticides leached from the fields.
MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES The objective ofmanaging a water:shed is to maintain a useful vegetative cover and soil characteristics beneficial to regulation of a quality water yield The usefulnessand productivity of the land will be enhanced

0

0

0

for other resources and uses. When the non-renewable 0 soil resource is protected and ~intained in good condi- 0

tion, the dependent renewable resources, wildlife habita~ 0

and recreational opportunities can be supported

0

Timber, forage, minerals, food, and wildlife represent O

important considerations. Problems arise when develop-

ment and use of these resources conflict with th~ primary D

objective of regulating water yield and maintaining water 0

quality and watershed integrity. These must be considered 0

as part of watershed manag~Jnen~ and their use and

O

development must be integrated with management that O

produces and protects water supplies.

Ownership is the principal institutional control of O

watersheds. A private individual or public management 0

agency may be free to apply whatever measures believed 0

necessary or desirable on their own land They may

O

regulate access and prevent use and development of 0

associated resources.

0

Many watersheds are in public or state ownership.
Unless segregated and protected by specific legislation or. O

agreemen~ most are used and developed to take advantageD
of all resources available for the general public' benefit It is 0
in these multiple-use watersheds that management may O
f.ace the most serious conflicts and challenges. Here it 0
becomes necessary to attain a balanced use and develop- O

ment to provide maximum benefits with the least disrup-

tion of the water resource.

0

Legislation and govern- 0

ment edicts also provide 0

controls that can aid water 0

resource management

0

These laws may include:

0

I.and use planning

0

Zoning
Permitted and prohibit- 0O

ed land uses or types of

development

0

Resbictions on water 0

use

0

Limitations on water 0

development

0

Pollution control

0

Wate~hed user.; need to 0

~ be aware that private

0

-=-
~

actions have public conse-

0

. quences on water quality

~ and quantity.

0

E

-52- 0

0

Ill

SUMMARY

Rivers, hillsides, mountaintops, and flood-formed bot-

tom-lands are all part of one system All are integrated

with each other. Hillside shape controls the energy expenditure rate of water flow. All biotic elements in

the watershed interact with and modify the energy flow

ii) through the system. So it follows that the shape of the
i watershed is a function of what lives there. The combiI nation of climatic conditions, soil types. topography, vegetative cover, and drainage system define the particI ular character of each watershed.

ImostIn an unaltered state. a watershed is in a state of

I equilibrium This equilibrium may or may not be the

I

suitable for the overall quality and contribution of

i. the watershed to the entire picture. Rivers do not stop at state lines. The effects of natur-

' al and human processes in a watershed are focused at its outlet wherever it may be, even if it crosses another state or country's borders. Each watershed is a part of a

larger watershed whose downstream portion may suffer

from upstream influences.

ACllVITIES

A first step in understanding watersheds is to explore your own local watershed. Since everyone lives within one, outline the boundaries of your watershed. Check with your local library for topographic maps if you cannot determine the boundaries visually.

a. On a map, trace the lines along the high points that separate your aeek or river from the next

b. Map the land use in your watershed (e.g, streets,
forests, farms. yards, etcJ

c. List all possible places rain goes in your watershed.

d Go outside the school building. What happens to the rain when it falls on the school roof? Does any of it get to a stream or river? How?

e. Are you ever anywhere that is not in a watershed?

f. Collect newspaper clippings on watershed management problems in -your area.

g. In small groups have students design their own

watershed Each design should include the location,

climate, uses of, abuses to, human impact on, and

group perceptions of what a watershed should and

ill

should not be. After preparing visuals to depict

lI

their watershed. groups present their design to the class. (Contributed by Mary Roberts, 1989)

I

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Borton. Wendy et al Otan Watt,; Stnams, and Fish: A Holistic View

ofWatuslmls, Seattle: Municipality of Metro~litan Seattle. no date

available.

I

Brown. George W. Forrstry and Watu Quality. 2ndf ed. Corvallis: Oregon State University Bookstores. Inc.. 1985.

Cany. Robert. "'Watershed Form and Progress-~e Elegant Balance."
Co-E110lution Quartaly. Winter 76177. pp. 1517.
I
Dunne. Thomas and Luna B. Leopold. Watu in E~viranmtntal Planning. San Francisco: W.H Freeman &. Co. 1978. j

Environmental Education Project. -Understandirig Watersheds." Ouzring: Environm~ntal Education in tht Padflc NorlhllltSt. Spring. 1983. pp. 8-10.

Horton. R.E. "Erosional Development of Streams ~nd Their Drainage

Basins: Hydrophysical Approach to Quantitative Morphology."

Gtologir.al Sitty

of Amm'r.a

Bulldin.

Vol

56.

1
1945.

pp.

275-370.

I

Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet,

A Fidd Guidt to Kmtucky RJl'ffl and Strtams, Water Watch. Division of

Water. May 1985.

j

MacKenzie Environmental Education Center. Strt11m lnlltStigation~ Poynette.
I
Wisconsin: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

no date available.

I

I

Rude, Kathleen. "'Watersheds: The World's Biggest Bathtubs." Ducks

Unlimiltd, September/October, 1985. pp. 62-63.



I

State of Oregon Water Resources Board. "Mid-Oi>ast Drainage Basin

Map." Salem. OR. 1964.

!

I State of Oregon Water Resources Board, -UmatiUa Drainage Basin Map." Salem. OR. 1962

State of Oregon Water Resources Departmenl]~hn Day RJ= Basin Rtporl,

Salem. Oregon. 1986.

j

Strahler. AN. "Quantitative Geomorphology of Drainage Basins and

Channel Networks." Section 4-2 in ed. Vent~, Chow, Handbook of

Applied Hydrology. New York: McGraw Hill, 1964. I
Sullivan, Peter l. What is Happening to Our Watu? jWashington: National

Wildlife Federation, 1979.

j

Toews, DAA., and MJ. Brownlee. A Handbook for Fish Habi141 Prattdion on
fOf'tSI Lmds in British Columbia, Government of Canada Department of
! Fisheries and Oceans, Vancouver; B.C. 1981.

US. Department of Agria.tlture, Soil and Water Coikmztion Adivititsfor Sa,utr,

PA-978. Washington, D.C: U.S. Govemment!Printing Office. 1977.



I

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wata lntakt by Sort PA925. Washington.

D.C: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1963. [



U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Forests and T1it Natural

WaterCydr. FS-99, Washington. D.C. 1970. I

I

.

I U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, forrm and Wata; FS-48, Washington, D.C. 1968.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. ~ater Investigation." lnrdigating Your Etwironmtnt Sai~ Washington. D.C, 1978.
Your . U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Water Supply and
furtsts, PA-305, Washington, D.C.. 1972.

War:shall Peter. "'Streaming Wisdom."Co-110lutioti Quan~. Winter 76m.

pp. 5-7. 8-10.

I

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Loazl Watmhtd Prob/an Studits, Viclci K Vine. Project Director and ~des Brauer. Editor. 1981.

Young. Carolyn et al Orrgon Enlliranmmta/ At1'zl Oregon Department of

Environmental Quality. 1988.

I

-53-

0

0

0

From Discovering Your Life Place: A First Bioregional Workbook

O

0
Finding Your BioregioJi

:,,:Jf;::~~'7'.i~;,;::.:::co;!~~

by Peter Berg, Planet Drum Foundatio':J

A EFFEOlVE WM to begin acquiripg. a sense of your own bioregion is by making a simple map that shows some of the basic natural characteris-
tics where you live. The map-making process will be an abso~ing exploration, bufit is also personally empowering because it describes an immediate area for practicing rein.habitation and becoming native to your life-place. Since this
map is your own personal view, it shows a tenitory that has
n~ver been drawn with these particular features before. All you need is a fairly large piece of blank paper
and several pens or pencils that ca_n produce at least six colors.
Put an X in the middle of the piece of paper. This represents the actual dwelling place where you live. Depending on the scale that you choose for this map, it can be as large as a city or as small as your house or apartment building.
In the upper right-hand comer of the paper write the letter "N" to represent the north direction. ff you don't know which direqion is north try to remember where the sun rises (east) and then visualize what lies 90 degrees or a quarter turn of your head to the left from there. You can . also find north by remembering which way the sun sets (west) and shifting your ~ental picture 90 degrees to the right of that direction.
Knowing C(?mpass points is important for determining major characteristics of the place where you live. For example, you'll want to know which ~ction ge~_the. most sunlight and is therefore warmer because plants and animals respond to this phenomenon in many different ways. The warmest .direction is also essential information for positioning a new house so that it Ccfn absorb the niost heat during short winter days when the arc of the sun can become extremely low on the horizon depending on how far you are from the equator.

0

0

0
Compass points are also necessary for building up aC)

dependable store of information about your life-place.
Using the letter "N' to orient you, draw a few arrows on 0 the side of the paper that matches the direction from 0

which wind and rain usually come. This may actually b~O

a different place depending on the time of the year, or O

there may be several places at any season. (Hint: If you 0

h~ve~'t thought about this bef~re and don't know this O

d1rect1on, try to remember which doorstep gets wettest in

a storm, which window sill inside the house gets damp, 0

or which windows rattle when the wind blows.)

0

0

0
Next draw in the body of water that is nearest to theCJ
X that marks the spot where you live. It may be a creek, O
river, lake, pond, or even a marsh or swamp. In some
cases it could be the shore of an ocean. This is the time 0 when the scale of your map will become evident If you 0 are fairly familiar with a large area around the place you 0
marked X you may want to show a very.large body of O water such as a major river, a very large lake, or an ocean 0 bay. If you aren't comfortable with a scale as big as that, O
start with a creek or pond that you know is nearby. If you

can, show how it connects to a river or marsh. Most of theO
land in cities has be<:n covered over with streets or build- 0 ings, so if you are a city dweller show the nearest river, or O a lake or creek in a nearby park Clue: The direction that 0 rain runs in the street _gutters may point to a body of O

water. Use a particular color such as blue for this so that

the water system stands out clearly. and other colors for 0

each of the parts of the map that follow.

0

0

0 The water body you drew is surrounded by high 0

ground that causes rain or spri~g water to flow into it .by 0 -54- 0

0

Ti

the force of gravity. This elevated land might be hills if the
scale of your map is small or a mountain range if the 11 scale is very large. High ground sheds water, so the term
watershed is used to describe all of the land that surrounds a particular body of water.
Draw in the hills or mountains that create the watershed where you live. Clue: Watersheds can be huge such as that for the Mississippi River with the Rockies on one side and the Appalachian/Allegheny Mountains on the other, or as small as the rise of ground that separates two creeks and the low hills around a pond in a park Use a different color than the previous one showing water.

ill
f The next element to include in this map is soil. Use
'1 your memory of visits to different parts of the bioregion to draw in different types of soil such as sand, clay or black
i topsoil. Usually the highest ground is rockier than lower

places because the lighter soil blows or washes away. If

you remember seeing exposed rocks on hilltops, draw

them in. The light soil that blew or washed away settles

in valleys or other low places that are usually near bodies

of water. Think of where this type of soil probably lies

. and draw it in. Clue: Farmers prefer nutrient-rich topsoil,

so it can probably be found wherever you've seen fields

and farm houses. Is there also sandy soil where you live?

How about hard red clay? Use a new color (or colors) to

draw these in. Add any other geological characteristics

. such as lava beds, granite cliffs, coral rock, caves, or salt

---beds that are unique to your bioregion
Iii=

.

I Next draw in some examples of plants and animals that are native to the place where you live. Native means that these are wild animals rather than domestic ones like

I

dogs and cats or horses and cows. It also means plants

I! 1 that are indigenous rather than most of the ones that are

grown for food or were brought from other places for

some other reason For example, oak trees are native to

North American bioregions but apple trees aren't Hint:

Types of animals range from.insects to.fish.and from.birds

to mammals. Plants include grasses, herbs, and shrubs as

well as trees.

fit In order to focus your map in the present situation, draw in just two aspects of the human relationship to whatever other features you've drawn. The first one is a visual representation of the worst things people are doing. Hint: It could be a source of wastes that threatens to pollute all of the water. It could also be bad farming practices that are eroding soil, mining that is crea:ting hazardous dumps. or dams that block the passage ~f fish in a river.
I
~~4.,~,....,.,:":i~",.-....,,.
~...., -~"'~......._,,.,~i4,.

Now show the best thing people are doing to try to I
harmonize with the natural elements in the map. Hint: .

These may be organic produce or permaculture farms that

maintain good soil, or recycling projects that reduce

wastes. Some other beneficial activities could be renew-

able energy projects, efforts to restore forests or rivers, and

other attempts to improve the balance tjetween human

needs and those of natural systems. Of ~ourse, this will b~

a matter of your personal opinion at th~ particular time

but that's an important aspect of knowing how you per-

ceive the place where you live.

i '

I

~ _ ~ _,~ _

I
t

,... ....._..,,,,

I

This map is a view of your bioregihn, and it is also a

kind of flag for the place. It's a record ofwhat you know

and don't know at this moment, and it tan be added to or

.

.

I

redrawn as more information is gained.lYou've shown

your home base in terms of the natural ~elements that

ultimately support life there, These ele~ents need to be

restored where they have been damag~ and preserved

where they are still intact Some of them should be seen
as sources for supplying basic human deeds of food,

water, energy. and materials as long as this is done in

ways that are sustainable for humans a~d other life. Your

map shows a territory that needs suppor and defense.

You many want to join together with other people who

live in your bioregion to start finding out more about it

and developing ways to live there that y.rill be

ecologically appropriate in terms of the unique

I

of that place.

,

So far there haven't been any signs of human beings
in this map. There are usually so many of them in all of
the places where people live that most of them wouldn't
Ill

'

Dedicated to Carl 0. Sauer whose i .

ew

MAN TN NATURE served to enhance his Au&us rontributions

to

the

study

ofgeography

i

~

and'?~d

this

effort.

..4~~

- 55-

Teaching Poetry and Art
"If you, who are valley streams and looming mountains, can't throw some light on the nature of ridges and rivers, who can?" ::
-Gary Snyder From 'We Wash Our Bowls in this Water"
j

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ,0
0 0 0 0 -56- 0 0

11!1

I! t ~------=-.:.+: --a_.:~ - . . r = - s - - - ~
My Philosophy of Teaching Poetry in the
Classroom
~ ' - " '....-w-____, zzrtilaus---.'--1~
by Sheryl Noethe From Poetry Everywhere
1\r
1I

. VER SINCE FIFfH GRADE. writing has been my better world, Ea refuge and solace where imagination is king. This is the
opportunity we as teachers of poetry have b~fore us in the I
classroom. We can offer thi.s sustenance, this self-creaItion, to children making their lives richer and happier and giving them more alterna-
1
lives. Writing is a grip on existence, an empowerme~t. and a way to

listen to the inner truth of the self. The poet enters a ~ialogue with all

previous poets, singers, and writer.;. You keep great c6mpany.

When I read a poem to the class I read it as thdugh it were the

most important and only poem in the world. I use th,e opportunity to
I
hook the students up to the heart of the poet I use the poem as a force
I
to pull our imaginations into the associative world o( words and ideas.

I read the poem aloud and make it real for them Ina~vertently. some-

thing rare happens when we begin to anticipate hearing a poem; we

settle into a dreamy concentration, to sit back and h~r the poem in a

sort of reverie. Ask the class to daydream and let their minds fill with
I
the images that the poet gives them. Put the world on HOLD for a I
while and pay attention to your inner life by letting the poem inside.
I
Eventually. you will find a different poem for eJeryone. If you
I
per.;ist in selecting and then learning wonderful poer;ns to read aloud

to the class, you will find that different students will respond to differ1
ent poems, finally connecting with an idea or a phr~e that touches
I
them, _and they will appreciate that singular thing th~t poetry does so

well ~ r the mind says, wonderfulr Besides the inherent miracle of I I
the poem, imagine teaching a subject where no one can faiL where the
I
student will achieve some success and then crave mqre! Turn a child's
identity into a respected position-a writer-and have ':him or her know

there is noJhing like success. Your job as a teacher is ~o tell every stu-
fo* dent what is right about his or her work This calls ' wit, compassion,

and a huge frame ofreference! Relatioiiships develop~ with the

exchange of history and imagination. Trust and em~thy are aroused

when yo'-!-.hear someone else's WS)rds echo yo~ own1 feelings, in sur-

prising ways and common ways, and you cannot stay stranger.;. When

you point out to your students where they are at their best in their
I
work-the tinniest or the most imaginative or the trub;t to their
I
vision-you give them success and they in return giv~ you their trust

They write in the only way beautiful things are creat~-from the heart,

without censorship or fear. That's when you get the p~try

-57-

0

0

0

From Poetry Everywhere

0

0

Tips on Leading Poetry SesSions~

by Jack CollomO
0

0

IN WRITING THESE TIPS, we have opted to take nothing for granted and to be as detailed as possible. We realize that some of our advice may repeat, or

,o Our hint categories are organized around the actual 0
classroom Mhour":

1. Preparation

0

depart from, basic teacherly skills and wisdom you have

2. Manner of presentation and general tips

0

all known thoroughly and practiced throughout your

3. The session itself

0

teaching careers. We feel the contradictions are appropri- ,

a. Lead-in

0

ate, since the learning process in a poetry-or other art-

b. Writing time

0

workshop is quite different than that in, say. chemistry or

c. Reading the results aloud

grammar. And the repetitions are the price of care. We

4. Afterwards

0

simply hope that anyone setting out to use our sugges-

5. Remarks on the poetry of it

0

tions will find our inclusiveness useful

0

In our experience as visiting poets, ,..
these suggestions all work and are all

1. PREPARATION

0

Planning can be thorough or not, . 0

important to successful sessions. But there's plenty of room for individual styles to modify or even to go against some of the following ideas.
The tips that we feel are especially important are marked with asterisks,

fl!FALLS.
itiFjiiJi#,ll i~I~~~~rwriggles in the

according to the teachers style. It O usually works best when the main O
points to be made, examples to
give, and timing of the session 0 have been carefully worked out 0 beforehand, but some poets and 0

but we don't mean to be dictatorial For

teachers do well winging it All O

example, we say. "Never tire of pound-

teachers should be alert to unex- 0

ing home to your class the happy use

peeled and serendipitous veerings 0

of details, as opposed to generalities~
This does not mean that language

off from the plan

0

You might try making up poems O

should sound like a seed catalogue when it's poetry time. It's just that it's good to get kids writing intimately of what they know-and this certainly includes their wildest dreams and their
imagination of the moment as well as

yourself according to the exercise

you've chosen-if possible, just

0

before the session. This may pro- 0

vide you with good example

0

poems, and certainly helps get you 0

into the writing.

0

the color of their pet dogs'. eyes. Dream

Props are sometimes helpfu.L but O

is made of detail too. If the students

aren't necessary. Writing to music 0

work in an atmosphere of easeful ener-
oe gy, they're likely to themselves in

can be good also. So~etimes with O younger students, decor-such as O

their poems, in ways that will surprise

hanging up streamers-can make

even them

for a special poetry time mood. 0 . -58- 0

0

."1

Try different ways at different times (for example, com-
bine two exercises, or try an entirely new warmup). Let the students know why you are taking a new tack
You c.an use pre-writing (days before the poetry session) and various warmup activities at the beginning of the session to immerse students in a given subject A caution: there can be too much brain-storming. leading the kids to regurgitate info and use the same chalkboard vocabulary.

It's helpful to admit your own erro~. l>lankouts, and ignorance. This helps create an open mood in the classroom
Presentation of sample material on ov~rhead projectors can help students' visual comprehensipn (but the reading voice should always "carry the work).: !
When you know a kid, you c.an criti_cize his or her poem if you include encouragement (and if ~t's one-on-one, not
public}. "This part is full of great energy, but down here it
just kind of falls apart-you need an i~ge.

Sim.ply reading good books to students is a good prepara- Sometimes a little edge of sarcasm or ~harpness in a

tion for writing.

general sea of kindness and warmth will help the

2. MANNER OF PRESENTATION
AND GENERAL TIPS

students realize We're really trying to ~o something

here. It's not goof-off time.

,

I

* Be yow:self. You needn't arid shouldn't show reverence for poetry by means of

At any time, you ca'.n, if inspired;
simply read or recite a good poem to

1lil!~l,J!~iii,- an artificially dignified atmosphere.
Walking around while teaching.

sharing. and especially reading orally

. -.~. -- ,.

grabs all the students' attention, involves

the class-and that ~em needn't

have an obvious connection to what

you're doing.

I

.

* Maintain cheer and confidence if a

them as a community (Chris Casterson,

student reacts negatively. Try to avoid

third grade teacher). It also helps lend a physic.al sense to the poetry.
* Energy is the key-but it shouldn't be forced It c.an be quiet9 energy.

I confrontations; often the best approach ,., is to ignore that stud~nt for the moment and concentrate on the rest of the class. i t Your positive attitude:and the peer influence of the maj~rity's participation

In some ways, you c.an be less in

will probably bring l4e recalcitrant

charge:' Much of the learning in poetry

student along.

\

comes from the inside out

If your students seem to have trouble

It's probably best not to push your

getting going. tell thetn to flap their

beliefs about the beauties of poetry, but

elbows and just start ~aibbling. Urge

to let them emerge through examples
and practice.

spontaneity in different ways. Work it
tJ, out on paper, don't to think it all up

Don't overexplain

in your head firs( it ~ be messy.

* Avoid abstractions. When you speak
in concrete terms, it helps bring out better poems. However, stressing detail,9 imagination," and originality repeatedly will tend to
unify these words with their examples in the poems.

shows you're thinking; this is a work-

sheet We11 make thehi pretty later.

,

I

0

i' Perhaps suggest that ~ey can copy

topics from other kids, if their own treatment is original
I
* Never tire of pounding home the happy use of details,

* Read ~try aloud with energy, expressiveness, and
of rhythm (this can be the variable rhythm everyday
speech). For example, read or tell the Greek myths as if

.. as opposed t? ge_neraliti_es. _ _

j

_

. A brisk pace is good, energizing. as lopg as you're will-

ing to be flexible and slow down whe~ the situation

they happened this morning.

needs it

i

Make a conscious choice as to whether to read with pauses at the ends of lines (which tends to emphasize the breath, the connection of poetry to the body) or not (which can emphasize the flow of sound and ideas).

* Don't worry. Decide thoughtfully wha,t you're going to
do, then let 'er rip. Relax and concentr~te. Have fun
Freely intersperse humor and seriousn~.
I
* Be open to children's visions-they really have them.

-59-

3. THE SESSION ITSELF A. Lead-in

A good division of time is one-third lead-in, one-third writing time, one-third reading their pieces aloud (with you or them as readers), with quick comments.

Except in special cases, let them know right away what your plans are for the whole session.

A little smalltalk (such as about their names, if you're new to them) may loosen things up and help direct their attention toward the everyday. A familiar, factual base is good for. poetry.

The warmup need not be tightly organized-an off-task" ice-breaker or poemread-aloud may fire up finagination, which can then be pointed toward the day's exercise.

Read many examples aloud (and then simply tell students not to copy). Point out the ...poetic goodies in the example poems, especially when they channel the students' attention in the direction you want To focus attention on language, you can ask students for their favorite words in what they've just heard.

Get them involved orally by means of questions (based on, or related to, examples) and by working out sample poems or lead-in information.on the
board with them.

Say 1 you get stuck on one thing, go
to another:" Even advise them to do the
beginning last or to scribble any old
thing just to get goirig (a~d scratch it out later if it doesn't work for them).
Tell kids not' to erase things-they may want them later.

Have them sound out difficult words and not worry about it Tell them not to avoid a word because they're afraid of misspelling it

Sometimes you might want to give them a word, sound,

or idea on the board (or on tape) and ask them to medi-

tate on it before beginning to write.



Often it's counterproductive to let them use the names
of other students in their writings. If necessary, simply
advise them not to, unless they're positive no embarrassment would result Allow no cheap shots.

0

0

0

0 Hthey want to use titles, have them write them after 0 their poems are done. A title can be a word or phrase O

from a poem, or be something related to the poems sub-

ject, or be anything at all-even something seemingly O

unrelated, or playfully wacko. Titles work as parts of 0

poems, and students should consider how a title idea O

affects the readers take on the poem. Titles give a per- O

spective to every word in a poem.

0

It helps the flow of their writing if they start writing just 0

after the sample poems are read.

0

Let your students know it's 0

okay to close their eyes and
think, visualize, let the.poem 0

swim in.

0

;:.?ft?::,' \;:

B. Writing time

0

Let students talk quietly while 0

they're writing. If any of them 0 seem to be too off-task, you 0
might advise them to "get that 0

verbal energy down on paper 0

before it blows away.

O

* While they write, you can O

walk around the classroom and
help them with their questions. 0

-Sometimes toss in added hints orO

nudges to the class at large- O
sometimes just quietly let them 0

write.

0

Early or midway in the writing O

time, you can ask anyone who's O

just written something good if

you may read it to the class. and 0

and do so. This often inspires

0

encourages the other kids.

O

If youre not too b~ write with them. Jot something on O

the board. Perhaps read funny sample lines to the class as 0

they occur to you. If they're d~ing collaborations, join in. O

g When it's time to collect the pieces (maybe twelve to fif-
teen minutes along in the writing time), tell them they

can, keep writing a few minutes, but if they've finished

they can hold their poems in the air (or bring them up) 0

for collection.

0

Stress the idea that they should reread their work before O handing it in. We all sometimes omit words inadvertent- CJ
ly. And an instant revision is Ukely to be good since one O

is still in the flow and feeling of the poem

-60- 0

0

You can start reading the kids' work aloud (and tell the class to be quiet and attentive) when a11 but a few papers are in (N'o harm if a few are still working).

I '

4. AFIERWARDS

I

* Typing up student poems preserves aqd honors them
We and makes them available to others. strongly recom-

C Reading their works aloud
Again, read the poems expressively and rhythmically (if you read them).
If the kids don't want their names read aloud, respect
this, but in time try to lead them out of their shyness-as long as it doesn't deter them from writing freely. Younger students sometimes like the option of raising
hands or standing after their poems are read
* It's a definite plus if studen~ practice reading their poems aloud, especially older kids. But use your discretion-the virtues of the poems may get lost in poor renditions. If the students do read, urge pizazz. Tell them to read so the termite eggs embedded in the far wall can hear it, or something. It's okay if some of them volunteer to read and others don'l
* It's best not to criticize student work when its first read; respond with cheer to each kid's piece. Discrimination can
be exercised by selective
intensity of praise. They11 note this and learn from il
as Never give false praise. Be
concrete as you can in each bit of praise. Repeat good words or phrases they've written. You can often praise

me.nd typing up a selection. Kids love tbI see their work

in prinl"

.

I

When typing up, correct spelling routinely (unless it

has some special charm) but take gramr,ar on a case-

by-case basis. Poetry is always creating its own voice,

so correctness is relative. In regard to P,Unctuation, suggest-but don't insist- that it be consIistent within a

given poem

I' .
Often it's hard to tell
I
whether a student piece is

written with! linebreaks or
I
nol If there's tinie you can
check with th.e author. I
Otherwise, look each piece

over before typing and

decide the apparent intent,

then type ascordingly.

Sometimes, even if paper-

width seerd to have dictat1
ed the shap~. the poem will

"feel right, a~d you should

type the poe;m up they way

the student y.,rote il
I
If a poem Of piece is off-task

but good (int~resting), take il

It helps students care for their work if:you have them keep it in SJ>Fal folders to which they have free access.
I
Then you t:4n have the students bring 9ut, reread, and illustrate their words.
: '
* In any case, student poeis should be ~ept and can

rhythm or energy or spirit or originality when it's hard then be typed up, put on bulletin boa~. published

to find anything else to praise. But don't let your com-

schoolwide, sent to pen pals, individually published

ments get so long as to impede the flow of ~~-wo~k A hearty Aft rightr will often suffice

by the students themselves, and distribu~ed in the

.... oomniwiity. - ~-

,

When students read collaborative poems aloud, try having them do choral read~ngs-divide the. class in various ways (blue eyes, brown, even or odd rows). Have them read in different voices-scared, baby. latyngitic, as The PrincipaL etc.

-61-
111

0

0

0

5. REMARKS ON lHE POEIRY OF IT.
Give your students a sense of options when they write. Make it clear to them that they are the authors of their poems, the ones who will ~ke decisions concerning tone, voice, rhythm, etc. And remember, in many cases kids will invent their own variations on the exercises

0

Point out that speaking of emotions by nam~ is abstraO

and risks cliche and superficiality Make it concrete 0

("Write ten things you fear"). The clarity of good abstractO

writing begins with a mental acuity grounded in

0

the c.oncrete. . .

0 .

and poetic forms you give them.

*":ell your :tudents that ~heir poems d~nt_ ~-II have to be O

* When you choose adult poems; to read in class, as much as possible try not to censor shocking imagery, harshness,

important or about a Big Idea. Real s1g01ficance is every,:-

.where and, in poetry, often arrives on its own.



negativity, "weirdness; low4ss language, and so forth. * Encourage experiment Praise it when it comes.

0

Encourage students to . ",,,,,.

feel free to invent their t; ,

?

own syntax at any

...

. s~;~,~if,, *Emphasizelan- O

guage. It's their 0

11L

working material; 0

point, to discover their __ {;(

it's a living thing, O

own ways of handling- /{ words. That is, they

'.,..:,: ,,.. ._,.. ' My landing goal ,,c/',)i

. full of surprises. 0 When the focus O

should be able to decide, "Do I write standard here, or could

is on language, all
the personal will 0 shine through _0

it be effective to make up'r You might point out how certain example poems you like use offbeat syntax.

* Approve playful- 0 ness-as a way of 0
learning and explo(J
ing. Students benefit)
immensely when O

* Initially. it's best to welcome all content

encouraged to play
with language. 0

and all attitudes (except "dirty words not atlowed in school), no matter how gruesome or radical or sad or mundane.
. Any idea is all right in a first draft-or in a
journal or in free writing-or, in fact, in a finished poem.
* In many cases, you can advise students to write like they talk, to base their writings on natural speech patterns. You can demonstrate in many concrete ways how "real speech is rich. in rhythm, metaphor, etc. Pick an example off the classroom walL or out of their mouths. <Rq>eating a common sentence several times can show surprising syncopation)

Speak of the

0

mechanics of poetryCJ

as naturally as you'(J
speak of fixing a O
broken shoelace O

(though with a
greater sense of O optionsO. "You've 0
rhymed up her~. 0 but not down here. O That makes this 0
word stand out, but O

do you really want

it tor

0

Always "go for the 0

poem That is, the charms of the language should.not.be 0

subverted by a larger philosophic urge. If patriotism, say. 0

is the subject, insist that it be expressed concretely or 0

lyrically-not in the same old generalizations. Good 0

poetry does not consist of generalizations.

O

-62- 0 0

Ill

'V,'Basic Creativity

~ ~ ~ ~ , - ~ - - ~...,,.!!dpa:,~-

W E CHERISH the myth that kids are unfettered

creative souls. In reality, even in the earliest

_

grades, they are already burdened by intimida-

by Hannah Hinchman

i

.

I

classrooms devote time to drawing from l.ife. A book like

Drawing on the Right Side ofthe Brain (enthra'~ling reading even

if you don't consider yourself an artist) will help you lead

tion and uncertainty when it comes to the mystery of arl Too many students, too early; lose the vital confidence in

students towards realizing that they can draw what they see.



I

And so can you.

'

their own eyes and hands that would allow their creativity

The link between the eye and the h~nd is really so

to blossom. Instead, they resort to repetitive or formulaic pic- simple-think of the hand as a kind of seismograph, record-

ture-making, or learn to copy whatever looks accomplished" ing the movements of the eye in the ad ~f observing. Once

from another student Without skillful deflection from an alert teacher. many of them will get mired there, until they

a child experiences that link. whole worl~. open up. Many children, especially at certain ages, don't want to

bore themselves out of any continuing interest in arl

draw things around them They'd rather bring inner pictures,

I consider creativity-that nebulous and highly charged

dramas, events, and situations out onto th;e page. Respect

word-to refer to several basic instincts or urges, common to this, but keep in mind that drawing from Hfe develops a

everyone. The trick is in figuring out ways to keep students visual vocabulary-of shapes, spaces, textures, expressions.

in constant touch with those fun~mentals, to keep their

gestures-that will add potency to the inn~r vision.

desires aflame, but hooked to tangible skills all along. Here

And drawing from life helps the st~dent get past sym-

are some of my observations about how creativity works in bol drawing. the stultifying stick with the: ball on top that

art, and ways you can keep it working.

means tree, done the same way every time (occasionally

Remember the simple joy of stuff_'.The urge to play with smaller balls for apples, as a variatioh). Slowly; actual

with materials comes before the desire to make specific

observation is replaced by a set of symbols that stand for

images or shapes. Just the tactile, visceral act of moving

something. and a creative door closes. Ma1ny students get

brush, pen, pastel over different kinds of paper holds a satis- sucked into that eddy and never get out \

faction all its own Shaping and molding a yielding sub-

Help students accept that art requires patience. It

stance is pure fascination. Pay attention to the tools, and find doesn't spring complete and perfect from ~e mind to the

out everything they can do. Find out what they want to do. page. Creating something has much more to do with false

Some of the most common tools, like wax crayons, can be starts and scazy moments, when the marks you've made so far

frustrating to a child who craves dense, brilliant, dazzling col- look like nothing recognizable. That's whezi you need to say,

ors. Point her towards pastels, oil pastels or Prismacolor pen
cils if you can. If crayons are all you have, help her find ways of using them that begin _to come close to her yearn-

1iold on. things are going to get weird for awhile, it will come
out okay in the end" A lot of fumbling. fixing, re-visioning, re1
sean::hing goes into the creation of anything of integrity. It can

ing. Try to help her find the right surface to use them on-it get frantic and desperate sometimes, but you can help reinter-
might not be construction paper. And there's a boy who has pret those feelings as excitement rather ~ d fear. If your stu-

visions of intricate, complicated patterns, but he's using a fat dent is stuck with a certain approach. bran91 out laterally;

marker on newsprint! Introduce him to the glories of a sharp, bring in new materials. Or _ask him to dos~ his eyes for a

really sharp pencil (brought to perfection with an X-acto

moment to go bade to what it was that oriiinally moved him

knife and sandpaper}, and then maybe a variety of fine-

Art can require a daunting amount pf time and

tipped penS:. Don't lose touch with the physical act of mak- patience. It's not simply a matter of making a picture, then

ing arl Remind students of that basic-pleasure and help -you're done.-foartschooL we were pushdi to take one idea
I
them explore and use il It's one of creation's primary fuels. through what seemed like endless pennu~tions-bewilder-

Encourage the hand-eye link as early as you can. Though copying nature came to have a bad name in the

ing and irritating to many of us. But that's one of the ways

we

learn

what

it

~

to

create:

it

doesn't

I
j~

happen.

And

the

era of abstract-dominated art, it's one of the most vital episodes in developing creativity. For a student to discover

wge to get it right should be honored and aided
I
Yes, sometimes it appears as a swntaneous. fresh

111 that she can place a leaf, a nutshell a bone on her desk. real-
II ly look at it, and translate its nature onto the page is almost alchemical in the excitement it generates. Surprisingly few
I.

sketch...but other times, we're required to!dig. grope. and

wait And ask more of ourselves and our tools than we ever

thought they contained.

-63-

0

0

RESOURCE PEOPLE

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Chapel Hill, NC 27514-1168 A student-run network that advocates

0

working for the environment Chapters 0

located at high schools and colleges

0

throughout the U.S. and other countries. O

Three Circles Ce~ter publishes ~e ]ouma/O

ofMulticultural Environmental Education. To

order call: 415-331-4540 or Email:

0

circlecenter@igcapc.org.

0

OTIIER ENVIRONMENTAL

0

RESOURO:S.

0

R.ivm Institute Study Guide

0

10 interdisciplinary lessons/activities; O

river trivia and excepts from literature

complement hands-on activities.

; 0

Center for Global Education

O

15.36 Hewitt Ave.

0

St Paul, M'155104-1284

Tel: 612-659-3105

0

Fax: 612-641-2489

0

R.ivm ofLffe

0

Interactive adventure learning project O

with links to schools. universities, research

scientists, policy experts, historians,

0

archeologiests and anthropologists,

0

among others. Opportunities include data

collection. wildlife monitoring. workshops. 0

bulletin boards and more.

0

Center for Global Education

0

15.36 Hewitt Ave.

St Paul, MN 55104-1284

0

Tel: 612-659-3105 Fax: 612-641-2489

0 -64- 0

0

Ill

The Strozm Sane: Watmhtds, Wildlife L Peopk Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Office of Public Affairs PO Box 59 Portland, OR 97207 Tel: 503-229-5400 x428
Disa,vering Your Life Place: A First Biongional Workbook by Peter Berg Planet Drum Books POBox31251 San Francisco, CA 94141 Shasta Bioregion USA Tel: 415-285-6556
SaJ1t Our Streams Isaac Walton League 1401 Wilson Blvd., Level B Arlington, VA 22209 Tel: 1-SOQ-453-5463
Gean Wata; Streams &. Fish Washington State. Office of Environmental Education 17011 Meridian Ave. N~ Rm. 16 Seattle, WA 98122 Tel: 206-542-7671
ART RESOURCES
Center for the Book Library of Congress Washington. DC 20540-8200 Tel: 202-707-5221 Fax: 202-707-9898
Kennedy Center for Alliance for
Arts Education Network Kennedy Center Washington. DC 20566-0001 Tel: 202-416-884.5 Fax: 202-416-8802 Email: artsedge@kennedy.center.org http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org
Nafl Art Education Association 1916 Association Dr. Reston.VA 22091 Tel: 703-860-8000 Fax: 703-860-2960
National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies 927 15th St Washington. DC 20005 Tel: 202-371-2830 Fax: 202-371-0424

National Writing Project 615 University Hall UC Berkeley Berkeley, CA 94720 Tel: 510-642-0963 Fax:510-642-4545
Teachers and Writers Collaborative 5 Union Square West New York. NY 10003-3306_ Tel: 212-691-6590 Fax: 212-675-0171
BIBLIOGRAPHY
This bibliography was compiled ~ the hdp of Oiristian McEwen and Carol Murphey.
ESSAYS, ETC.
A Natural History ofthe .s-c,_, Diane Ackennan (Vintage Books. New Yorlc 1990). Filled with amaz-
ing details about all five senses that kids (and grownups loo) will love.
Sistm aJthe Earth: Edited by Lorraine Ande1SOn
(Vintage Books. New York, 1991). Poems. essays.
stories, and journal entries by a wondetfully wide range of women writetS. from Willa Cather to Joy Harjo, from Emily Dickinson lo Adrienne Rich.
The Norlon Boole ofNaturr Writing: Edited by John
Finch and John Elder (:W.W. Norton. New York and London. 1990). Superb range. probably the best of all the many nature anthologies available.
The Go,graphy ofC1u1Jhood, Why Gi,tdrm Nm/ Wild
Plaas: Gary Paul Nabham and Stephen Trimble
(Beacon Press. Boston. 1994). Two fathers and natu-
ralists collaborate to malce sense of their children"s relationship with the outside world.
findias-Homc Writing on Nature and Gllturtfrom Orion Magazine Edited by Peter Sauer (Beacon Press. Boston, 1992). Indudes excdlent essays by Scott Russell Sa.ndea. John Elder and Gary Nabham.
Orildrm's Spial Plaas: bploring fhe Role of~ Dau and Bush Houses in Middle Ori/Jhood, David Sobel a'.ephyr Press. 1993). Helps grownups remember
the role of "place" in children's lives.
POEMS
Podryfor the f.a,th, A Cd1tion ofPoans From Ammd fhe Wo,(J That Cddnrzta Nature Edited by Sa.ta Dunn
with Alan Scholefidd (Fawcett C.Olwnbine, New York. 1991). A truly comptdiensive collection. use. - -folly-divided aa::ording1o emotional taponsc.
F.a,tl, Prayas From Ammd the Wo,(J, Edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon (Ha~ San Francisco. 1991). A boolc.of n:adings for the turningyear. It includes some unusual selections (Rumi, Native American chants. Neruda, Thich NhatHanh).
Water Music: Jane Yolen and Jason Stemple <Boyds
Mills Press. Honesdale, PA 1995). A lovely
children's book of poems and photos about river.;.

TEOINICAL
I
11ie Pod,y Wnnng Handbook:: Neil Baldwin <Scholastic Books. 1981). A modest and informative primer; a
useful introduction to tht teachi~g of poetxy.

Podry Emywhcrt: Tmching Podry Writing in School and

in the Communi~: Jack Coliom and Sheryl Noethc

ITeachers & Writers. 1991).' One of the liveliest

I



of the many teaching guides put out by T&W.

Contains 60 writing exeicises and more than

450 example poems (for ~excerpt see p. 25).

A Crow Doesn't Nd a Shadoiv: Writing Podryfrom Naturt: Lorraine Ferra (Gibbs Srriith. 1994). lots of good writing exercises for lei~ with student examples too. and some excellent (llustrations. Genuinely
i fu:sh and inspiring.

11ie Podry Conntdion: An Anth~ ofContanponzry Poans

lllilh !dMS lo Stimulate <J,ilJifn's Writing: l<inercth

Nyha~ Gensler and Nina

ITeachers &. Writers

Collaborative, 1978). A crisp, well-oiganized hand-

book with many imaginative examples. I .
ROS( When: Did You Gd ThatI R,.cd.?: Kenneth Koch (Vintage Books. 1973). One of the classic hand-

books for teaching great ~ry in th~ classroom.

Tt11diing Kids wL"' the f.arth, Shoring a Sense ofWonder, I 186 OutdoorActitlilusfor Pq~ts and Other Tt11dim:

Marina lachecki Hennan. Joseph F. Passineau.

Ann L Schimp( Paul TICl.ler (Pfeifer-Hamilton.

1991). A compendium o~ ideas. most geared to
small groups of children ,i~ the outdoors. Excellent

book lists and usable ind~r teaching ideas, too.

I .
The Act ofSciara Writmg: Dale Worsley and

Bernadette Mayer Ueachb & Writers. 1989). This

is geared primarily to th~ writing of essays. but

includes a terrific bibliogtaphy and a wide variety

of examples. Some poetry assignments, too.

I
RIPARIAN ENVIRONMENT I
~ Gcotge Ancona ;<Maanillan. New York.

t 990). This tells of the wodc of John Cronin, who
lceeps environmental watch on Hudson luver.

Text a[td photos illustrat~ his day-to-day activities.

(Upper elementary and mi~dle schooO

Where the Fortst ~ the Sttz:1Jeannie Balcer

(Grecnwillow Books. N~ Yod, 1987). A father

and son think about the history of plant and I
animal life in the ripacia':1 ~vironment in the

Australian rainfOlCSI environment. one of the

old~ in the world. and ~e real life. threat it faces.

(Primary)

I ,

I

11ie Wand That ]odt Built Ruth, Brown (Dutton

Oiildren"s Books. New Y~ 1991). The story is set

in the English countryside. where a cat goes from

the beautiful grounds of the house that Jade built

lo the polluted stream and valley where Jack's

factory resides. (Primary) :

A Riva Ran Wild: Lynne ~erry (A Gulliver Green Book. Harcourt Brace Jovknovich. Publishers. New York. 1992). Set in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. this is an enirirorunental history of the Nashua River from its ~ecy by Indians to its death by industrial pollution and its subsequent revitalization. (Upper elementary)

-65-

I.d's &pion a lo-. Donald Ctump (National Geographic, Washington. DC. 1988). Photo essay of the many aspects of a rivet._
Angd Falls, A Saud, luntriam}ou"'o/' Martin and Tanis Jordan {Kingfisher. New York. 1995). A beautifully illustrated description of the rainforest riparian environment of the Carrao River in the Venezuelan Highlands and the subsequent fall of the river (Angel Falls) from the mountain top. Auyantcpui. (Upper elementary and middle school)
\tlhar the Rivm Go Home: Ted Lewin (Macmillan. New York. 1992). Set in the Pantanal a huge macsh in Brazil this book describes the life of the animals and plants as well as the worlc of the vaqueros (Brazilian cowboys). (Elementary)
Whm the RilJtT Jksins: Thomas Loclcer (A Puffin Pied
Piper. Penguin Books. New York. 198-0. A beautifully illustrated dcsaiplion of a journey of two boys with their grandfather over meadows and up foothills lo where the river begiiis. This unnamed river is reminiscent of the Hudson River in New York. (Elementary)
Hudson RMr and Adllflltun from the Mountains to the Scz:
Peter Lourie (Boydes Mills/Caroline House, New York. 1992). Features photos of the 315-mile coucse of the Hudson from its source in a pond in the Adirondadcs to its mouth at the southern tip of Manhattan. (Upper elementary and middle schooD
Sand R.ilffl: Peter Matthiesscn <Bantam Press, New York. 1982). The true story and photogiaphs of a safari into the Selous Wildlife Reserve in Tanzania after that country gained its independence and became a socialist state. Good descriptions of an East African riparian environmenl as well as the complexities of human interactions. <High schooO
The Unfolding Ri11a: Sally MacEachem. Senior Editor (A Quarto Book. Running Press Book Publishccs. Philadelphia. PA. 1992). The book is a large foldout of a generic river from source to sea. It is a beautifully illustrated guide lo the life of a river. the habitats through which it Bows. and the wildlife that depends on it. (Upper elementary. middle school and high schooD .
~ ~ on tbt lo-. R~hatd Michel <Barron's Educational Series. Inc. Hong Korig. 1985). The
story is about the authors ycuth growing up at the mouth of the Danube in Lower Bavaria. It tells. in pictutcs and wotds. of the river in the early 1950s and ends with its death at the present lime. <Upper elementary and middle schooO
Tht Paddodc. a Story in PraM oftht F.artb: Lilith Norman (Boaoi Book. Alfred A Knopf. New York. 1993). A patch of ground in Austtalia. formed millions of
ycatS ago. endures constant changes. outlasting the clements and the plants. animals and people that come and go around it (Bcmentaty)
*RM:r Through the Ases: Philip Steele <Eagle Books. Troll
Associates. U5A...i994). This boqk takes ycu on a
time journey through a fictitious riparian environment in northern Europe. It examines how people living along the river develop and change their environment over time from the Stone Age into the future. (Upper elementary and middle school)

Ldting Swift R.irltr Go: Jane Yolen (Little Brown and Company. Boston, 1992). This is the story of the damming of th~ Swift River in Massachusetts and the flooding of that riparian environment to create
the 0uabbin Reservoir to supply Boston with water. (Elementary)
ProJroing Rivm and Seas: Ka mini Khanduri (Usbome Conservation Guides. Usbome Publishing..Ltd. London. 1991). This book contains interesting fads from around the world about how we have destroyed and now must protect our water resources. (Elementary and middle school)
RIVERS AS ROADS
&:ploring Rillffl: Derek Cullen and John Murray-
Robertson <Schoolhouse Press Inc. Needham. MA.
1988). The story of the exploration of some of the major rivccs of North America. South America. Asia and Africa are included in this book. (Upper elementary and middle school)
Timmy O'Dowd and the Big Ditch: Len Hilts <Harcourt Jovanovich and Brace. New York.1988). Stories of the glory clays on the Old Eric Canal. (Upper elementary)
Minn efthe Mississippi: Caney Holling Holling
(Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston. 1951). The book documents the journey of a turtle through the riparian environment of the Mississippi River. starting in the North Woods of Minnesota and ending in the Gulf of Mexico in New Orleans. (Upper elementary and middle school)
Paddle lo tht Sm: Caney Holling Holling (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 1941 and 1969). The book documents the journey of a small canoe, carved by an Indian boy. that malces a journey from Lake Superior all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. (Upper elementary and middle school)
"Sacmi Rl,,er. Ted Lewin (Carion Books. New York. 1995). The most sacred city. Bcnaccs, on the
Ganges River in India, is the highest destination of all Hindu pilgrims. This book documents in beautiful watercolocs the journey of boats and people on this sacred road. (Elementary)
Biognzphy ofa R.irltr: Tht Mmissippi: Edith McCall
(Walker. New York. 1990). This book explores every aspect of life on the Mississippl from i~ history to commerce. It is a good introduction to
Ad""'1um ofTom Sas,,yeror other Twain classics.
(Upper elementary and middle schooD
On the Go: Ann Morris Clothrop. I.cc and Shepard Boolcs. New Yotk. 1990). A photo essay for young chilmen of transportation around the world; many
are river tra~ti<?": photos. CPrimaty) __
Tht Em Cana! Peter Spier (Doubleday. New York. 1970). An illustrated vccsion of the song. Tht frit Canal (Elementary)
yangtzi: Oiina's l.anp RMr. How Man Wong
(Cllina Boolcs and Periodicals, San Francisco.'1989). The people. the environment and the journey on the Yangtze is doa.tmented in photographs and text._ (Middle school and high schooO

0
0
0
Rnm in dtt Daat. w_illiam Mulholland and dtt lnPrnling=:)
ofLos Angda. Leslie Margaret Davis <Haq,er
0 Perennial Harper Collins Publishets. New.York.
1994). The political and engineering struggle of creating a "road" lo bring the water of the OwensO
River 250 miles to Los Angeles. (High school) Q

RIVER PEOPLE AND IBEIR EFFECTS 0

ON lHEIR ENVIRONMENT

0

Rivtr-gods. E>ploring tlu \t!orld's Crrat Rivm: Richard

0 Banss and Christian Kallen <Yolly Bolly Press

~k. Sierra Oub Books. San Francisco. 1985). Th(J
IS a pho!? essay and in-depth text about the peo
0 pies and terrains of rivecs such as the Omo in

Ethiopia. Bio Bio in Chile and the Euphrates in O

Tuckey and Iraq. to name a few. <High school)

Oiildrt:n oftht R.wer. Linda Crew (Bantam DoubledayO Dell Books for Youns Reader.;, New York, 1989). Q

This is the story of a young girl who flees the
0 Khmer Rouge from her river home in Cambodia

and her experiences trying to fit in the high school,

on another river place in Oregon. (Upper elemen~....J

tary. middle school and high schooO

Q

Bitttr Melon. Inside Amtrica's Last Rural Orintst TOIPII: Jeffo Gillenlcirk and James Motlow (Heyday Books.
Q Berkeley. CA. 1987). The Sacramento Delta was

one of the few western sites where Chinese immi-
0 grants escaped violence against them by whites.
0 The Chinese reclaimed the flood lands of Locke rc
agrirulturc. Many of these refugee farmers were

from the Pearl River region of Oiina. The book fe(J

tur~ blade and white photos and interviews withQ residents of Locke who either immigrated there or~
were born there. (Middle school high schooD Q

Whm the RM:r Ruru, A Portrait ofa &Ju~ Family.
0 Nancy Price Graff (little Brown and Company.
Boston. 1993). The book describes in.words and Q

photographs the experiences of a Cambodian fam-

ily as they !cam to adjust to a different way of lifeQ

living on the Oiarles River in Boston. (Upper cle-o
mentary, middle school and high schooO
0 The Motlier Dik:h: Oliver Lafarge (Sun Stone press. 0 Santa Fe. NM. 1983). The text is in English and
Spanish and describes life along the "Mother"
0 irrigation ditch coming from the Rio Grande in

0 New Mexico. (Upper elementary, middle school
and high schooO

0 "Sacmi R1,,e,: Ted Lewin (Oarion Books, New York.

1995). The most sacred city. Benares. on the

0

Ganges River in India. is the highest destination of

all Hindu pilgrims. This book documents. in beau-O
O liful watcrcoloz:s, the journey of bo.lts and people
on this sacred road. (Elementary)
0 Sand RiPtrf: Peter Matthicssen (Bantam press. New Q York. 1982). This book of text and photographs is
the true stoty of a safari into the Sclous Wildlife
O Reserve in Tanzania after that country gains its

independence and becomes a socialist state. Good
0 descriptions of an East African riparian environ 0 ment as well as the complexities of human inter-

actions with each other. (High schooO
0

0 -66- 0

0

Amaz.on Basin, Vanishing~ Jan Reynolds

Oiarcowt Brace and Company. New Yotk 1993).

The Yanomami live in the Amazon River basin.

the largest tropical riparian environment in the

world Dramatic photographs and a simple nana-

tivc invite readers to experience the daily life of a

vanishing culture. (Elementary)



Dt.afMasgie l.tt Say,t', Photographs ofa Riva- Lifo- Maggie
Lee Sayre" (University Press of Mississipp( Jackson. MS. 1995). In 1930. Maggie Lee Sayre' began taking pictures with a camera given to her sister. Maggie was born dea( She began to usc film to rca:mi her life in a fishing family, on a houseboat along the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. The camera became a way of communicating her identity and of engag-
ing in a dialog with a hearing world (Elementary.
middle school and high schoo0

Vani:shingl'a,pla. Y ~ PtopkaftkAmaz.un: David M Schwartz .othrop. Lee and Shepard. New York, 1995). The Yanomami people live whcic Brazil meets Venezuela. Gold minctS arc presently poisoning their river and destroying their way of life This book documents their daily ways in hopes that it will enc:owagc people to preserve. not destroy, their way of life (Elementary and middle school)

"Riva-Through tk Apo Philip Steele (Eagle Books, Troll Associates, USA. 1994). This book takes you on a lime jomncy through a fictitious riparian environment in northern Europe It examines how people living along the river develop and change their environment over timcfrom the Stone Age into the future (Upper elementary and middle schoo0

Whot arc yau going Marryani?-. Catherine Stock (Morrow Junior Books. New York 1993). The book dcsaibcs the long walk to school of a child in Zimbabwe During the coui:se of the walk we become acquainted with African life in a rural area along the Limpopo River. (Elementary)

"Natirle ~ The Peaple 411d tk Land: Dana Walker
(Frank Schaffer Publications. Carthage. IL. 1993.l
lntetadive, cooperative lessons about conflict over land bctwccn the US government and the
Ouinault. Taos. Flathead. and Salish Indians.
yangtzr. Ou111ls LangrsJru-: How Man Wong
(Oiina Books and Periodicals, San nancisco. 1989).
The people arc explored in this book. as well as
the environment and the journey on the Yangtze. All of these arc documented in photographs and text. (Middle school and high schooO

RIVERS AS BORDERS
Across tk Great Riva, Irene Beltran Hernandez <Arte Publico Press. University of Houston. TX. 1989). This is a .novel documenting the trials-of a family that aosscs the Rio Grande illegally. with a coyote. to enter the United States at Eagle Pass, Texas. (Middle school)
"Exploring RMn: Derck Cull~ and John MurrayRobertson (Schoolhouse Press. Needham. PA. 1988). The stocy of the exploration of some of the major rivca of North America. South America. Asia and Africa arc included in this book. (Upper elementary and middle school)

..
"A Day on tk Riva, Reinhard Michel <Barron's Educational Series, Inc., Hong Kong. 1985). The stocy is about the author's youth growing up at the mouth of the Danube in lower Bavaria. It tells. in pictures and words. of the river in the early 1950s and ends with its death at the present time. (Upper elementary and middle school)
"Nati11t: Amm'az,u; The People and /ht Land: Dana Walker (Frank Schaffer Publications. Carthage. IL 1993). Interactive, cooperative lessons about conflict over land between the US government and the Ouinault. Taos, Flathead and Salish Indians.
Frimdsfrom the Otlra Sidt, Am~ dd Otro Lada: Gloria
Anzaldua (Oaildrcn's Book Press. San Francisco, 1993). This book is in English and Spanish. A young boy has aosscd illegally to Texas from
Mexico and rcccivcs help from a brave MexicanAmerican girl (Elementary)
RIVER AS A METAPHOR
Paralld Myths: J. F. Bierlein (Ballentine Books, New York. 1994). This book explores myths from around the world in depth. Among the many sections presented arc an international collection of creation myths and a similar collection of flood myths. (High schoo0
Haw tht Fannt:r Tridr.tJ the E,,,1 Danan: Alice Lucas (Paciic Asia Press. A Grccnshower Corp. Covina. CA. 1994). This book is written in Hmong and English. It is a classic Cambodian storyteller tale
about a clever rice farmer. (Elementary)
Talesfrom tk Amazan: Marin Elbl and J. T. Winik
(Hayes Publishing Limited. Ontario, Canada. 1986). This book has three talcs told by the indigenous . people of the Amazon. (Elementary)
Lr.gends afFArth. Air, Fin and Water. Eric and Tessa Hadley (Cambridge Univcisity Press. New York
and London, 1985). This is a collection of stories from around the world (Upper clcmcntary)
The Riva- that ~ G{ts: Matgo Humphrey (Ou1drcn's
Book Press. San Francisco, 1987). This is an Afro.
American story about four children who make their own special gift to the beloved cider woman of the town. (Elementary)
The Riva- that Woit to tk ~ Macy Medlicott (Kingfisher. New York. 1995). Among the twelve talcs of African storytcllCtS in this book. some deal with riVCIS. (Upper elementary and middle schoo0
Haw We Gzmt t,, tk Ffth World: Harriet Rohmer (Oaildrcn's Book Press. San Francisco, 1988). The text is in English and Spanish and is a creation
myth from ancient Mexico. (Elementary)
Haw.Night Gnnc: Joanna Troughton <Bcdfrid:/Blackic, New York. 1986) This is a tale told by the Tupi Indians of Brazil The daughter of the great snake living in the river marries a mortal and night and daycomc into being. (Elementary)
Haw tk Birds OumgtJ Thor F-mthas: Joanna Troughton <Bcdfric:k/Bladcic. New York. 1986). This is a talc
told by the Arawak Indians of Guyana. A rainbow snake living in the river is captured and the birds, who are white. gain color. (Elementary)

The

!Aug/ting

Risa:

i
Elizabeth

Haze

Vega

(Rayvc

Productions Inc., Windso~ Canada, 1995). The

stocy of peace is incorpor;tted with scored music

and is intended to be performed with Orff instru-

ments. Instructions for ~king some of the instru-

ments arc included (Elementary) I
The Legend ofthe Rim- Li: M Jeanne Lee (Holl
Rinehart and Winston. New York 1983). This

ancient Oaincse tale tells!of a sea princess who

wishes to lessen the hard~hips of the poor laborers

employed in building the Great Wall of Oaina.

She seeks help from the Goddess of Mercy and
I
the beauty of th:. River Lil~ the result (Elementary

TEOINOLOGY RESOURCES

Amazon Trail (MECC Mac4t~ Disks). Students

learn about plants, animals and the rainforest

environment while tcying to survive an expedi-

tion lo find a Peruvian Icing.



I

Dmsions. Dtt:isions, The Etltliroti;mtnL (Tom Snyder.

Macintosh. IBM Apple). $tudents interact with the

computer to make decisions about the cleanup of

a polluted pond The Mayor. with the advice of his

advisotS, an environmen~list. a campaign manag I
er. a scientist. and an economist. must set priorities

for the cleanup as the Mayor faces an upcoming

election.

I

Stdlar Schools: Projm Rillf:1l. Prr,fed Riim is a combined

effort of the Stellar Schools initiative of SIEM-Net I
and Cable Atlantic. alongwith the Friends and

Lobbyists of.the Water~ River and the Ouidi

Vidi/Rcnnics River Devc!opment Foundation. It

brings together the rcsout'ccs of all these groups to

provide the basis of classrpom projects that will

usc the latest in communications technology to

help_ classes appreciate ri~arian environments. 710.

http//www.stcmnctn(ca/Projcds/Stcllar/stelriv.ht

ml(Excitc)

'

Oparztion Watershed. CD-RO~ (Windows & Mac). A computer environmental adventurcthat involves teams of playca in a mission to solve environmental problems. Playcis use collaborative decision making as they attempt to solve cases. National 4'-H Council Stlpply Service c/o ucstar Bank POBox79126 Baltimore, MD 21279-0126 Tel: 301-9612934 Fax: 301-961-2937

SOME INTERESTING WEBSITES:
California Academy of Sciences htp://www.calacademy.org
ploratorium http://www.exploratorium.edu/
John Muir Exhibit http://aldo.dcs.ucdavis.cduJohn_Muir/John_ Muir_Ehibilhtml
Radar Images of Earth http-.//www.jplnasa.gov/sircxsar.html
U.S. Geological Swvcy . http://info.er.usgs.gov/
<An indicates a book listed more than ona: because ii fits in more than one category.)

-67-

0

0

0 ,0

0

0

Now the rain is falling, freshly, in the intezvals between sunlight,

0

0

a Pacific squall started no one knows where, drawn east as the drifts of warm air make 0

a channel;

0

it moves on its way, like water or the mind,

0

0

and spills this rain passing over. The Sierras will catch it as last snow flurries before

0

summer, obsezved only by the wakened marmots at ten thousand feet,

0

. and we will come across it again as larkspur and penstemon sprouting along a creek 0

above Sonora Pass next August,

0

0

where the snowmelt will have trickled into Dead Man's Creek and the creek spilled

0

into the Stanislaus and the Stanislaus into the San Joaquin and the San Joaquin int~ 0

the slow salt marshes of the bay.

0

That's not the end of it: the gray jays of the mountains eat l~rkspur seeds, which

0

cannot propagate otherwise.

0

0

To simulate the process, you have .to soak gathered seeds all night in the acids of

0

coffee

0

and then score them gently with a very sharp knife before you plant them in the

0

garden..

0 0

You might use what was left of the coffee we drank in Lisa's kitchen visiting.

0

0

There were orange poppies on the at.able in a clear vase, stained n~r the bottom to the c~lqr of sunrise;

0 0

the unstated theme was the blessedness of gathering and the blessing of dispersal-

0

;1,";,

0

it made you gl.{cijJor beauty like that, casual and intense, lasting as long as the

l'" poppies last "~s:!:'::::_,_

.

:

' .

0 0

iJi~~,j}

-Robert Hass 0 "Spring Rainn 0
0 0

0

0

0

-68- 0

0

roETRY 3' ART rROJECT
1847 BERKELEY WAY Ill ERKELEY, CALIFORNIA
94703 USA TEL 510.848.1155 FAX 510.848.1008
E-MAIL: row@irn.org II I 7EB: http://www.irn.org
ROW Advirnry Board
ROBERT HASS,. CHAIR.MAN
RACHEL 8AGIY
GOii.DON T. 8EAHAM Ill
WENDELL BEi.RY jAMES BUCHANAN
J<HIN COLE OAKLEY H.,Ll GElllMAINE jUNAU ~1ALCOL~ ~fARGOLIN fETER ~tATTIIIESSEN
GAit\' SNYDER Rot: T1101tr MARI: WALTERS
fHILlf 8. WILLIAMS
INTERNAJ10NAI. ltlVERS lEWORK
----_.,,,,
-- r

River of Words: Developing a Sense of Place

Place, like nature, is particular-certain plants grow her~, but not there. In order to fully apprehend the significance of a place, and of our relationship to it, we must gather a volume of knowledge and ongoing experience and observation. Below are some ways of assembling a portfolio of information about a site.

Geography: Distinctive physical, social, political setting ofthe site

Include maps to show physical location (local, state,

country, world)

Note nearby physical characteristics (bays, buttes, valleys,

deltas, etc.) as well as parks, museums, other points of

interest

Be familiar with surrounding communities: rural, urban,

small towns and their social and economic components

Know major cities within 50, 100, 200 miles

. Know and define the boundaries of your watershed

List state and local capitals, county seats and other

governmental districts

.

Assemble maps and surveys of all kinds: topographic maps

showing mountains, rivers, lakes, caves and canyons;

vegetation maps; soil and geologic maps

Know all the creeks, streams and tributaries in the region,

underground as well

Determine which waterways are free-flowing and which

are dammed or channelized

Acquire reports from a variety of surveys concerning the

natural resources of the site

Keep track of weather data and climatic

information rainfall, flood and storm patterns, etc~

Ecology: Interrelationships of physical and biological aspects

Notes from walks, lectures, talks with experts in the field~

of botany, geology, zoology, forestry

Field notes from personal exploration of the site

Lists and pictures of flora and fauna, noting which are

rare, endangered or threatened



Know which birds are migratory, which are resident

Know where wildlife and birds rear their young

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~-------------,--------------------~

Scientific reports, studies, readings from naturalists' journals Books and specific field guides
Cultural history: The human influence on and response .to the site past and present
Interviews with long-time residents and others involved with the site Archeological and anthropological reports and studies Historic routes (trails, waterways, etc.) Settlement patterns Economic development of the area, land use history Specific site histories Historic photos Newspapers, local library and county records Environmental issues today that affect the site, including scientific opinions and local sentiment Books by local authors (past or present) in which the site plays a role Poems, songs, movies or plays about the area Art that depicts the site or its denizens
. FQlkways and crafts of the region (basketry, boat building, etc.)
Adapted from "A Sense of Place for Environmental Education and Interpretation," by Jeanie & Richard Hilten

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October. Rivers in the far north are also highly seasonal, with minimum flows during ~e frozen winter followed by huge floods during the summer melt.
The great milestones of human history took place by the banks of rivers. Fossilized remains of our earliest known hominid ancestor were found by Ethiopia's Awash River. Evidence of the momentous change from mostly nomadic hunting and gatheri~g to sedentary farming first appears in the narrow river valleys of the mountains of the Near East at archaeological sites between nine and ten thousand years old. The first civilizations emerged in the third millennium BC along the Euphrates, Tigris, Nile and Indus, ancl a little later along the Y~llow. Much later another momentous turning point in human history occurred along the rivers and streams of northern England which powered the early industrial factories.
Rivers, and the rich variety of plants and animals which they sustain, provide huntergatherer societies with water for drinking and washing, and with food, drugs and medicines, dyes, fibres and wood. Farmers reap the same benefits as well as, where needed, irrigation for their crops. For pastoral societies, who graze their herds over wide areas of often parched plains and mountains, perennial vegetation along the banks of rivers provides life-sustaining food and fodder during dry seasons and droughts. Towns and cities use (and misuse) rivers to carry away their wastes. Rivers also serve as roadways for
commerce, exploration and conquest. With the exception of a few maritime societies, 'all
the great historic cultures; writes technology historian Lewis Mumford. 'have thriven through the movement of men and institutions and inventions and goods along the natural highway of a great river.'
I
The role of rivers as the sustainers of life and fertility is reflected in the myths and beli(?fs of a multitude of cultures. In many parts of the world rivers are referred to as 'mothers': Narmadai, 'Mother Narmada'; the Volga is Mat' Rodnaya, 'Mother of Ute Land'. The Thai word for river, mae nan, translates literally as 'water mother'. Rivers have often been linked with divinities, especially female ones. In Ancient Egypt, the floods of the Nile were
'
considered the tears o_f the ~odd~-~ Is~~-- ~-l~~.s Ri.y~r Boyn~, w~ch _is overlooked by the island's most impressive prehistoric burial sites, was worshipped as a goddess by Celtic tribes.
The rivers of India are perhaps wrapped in more myths, epic tales and religious significance than those of any other nation. Environmentalist Vijay Paranjpye describes a
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sacred text which holds that 'all sins are washed away by bathing thrice in the Saraswati, seven times in the Yamuna, once in the Ganges, but the mere sight of the Narmada is enough to absolve one of all sins!' Another ancient text describes the Narmada River as 'giver of merriment', 'flavourful', 'of graceful attitude', and 'one who radiates happiness'.
Of the life sustained by rivers, salmon have perhaps been imbued with the most mythological significance. The 'Salmon of Knowledge', legend had it, swam in a pool near the source of the Boyne. Anyone who tasted the fish would acquire understanding of
everything in the world, past, present and future. Native Americans in the Pacific
Northwest b~lieved salmon t<;> be superior beings who ascended rivers for the benefit of people, diec("and then_ returned to life in a great house under the ocean where they danced and feasted in human form. Some tribes welcomed the first salmon of the season with the ceremony due to a visiting chief.
While rivers provided life, they also brought death. Settlement on the plains, which enabled people to take advantage of the rich alluvial soils, also exposed crops and villages to the risk of catastrophic floods. Gilgamesh, the earliest surviving epic tale, tells of a great flood unleashed by God to scourge the sinful in Mesopotamia. Myths and legends of huge floods are common to many cultures arou_nd the world, from the Old Testament Jews to the pagan Norse and the indigenous people of the Americas.
The damming of the world has brought a profound change to watersheds. Nothing alters a . river as totally as a clam. A reservoir is the antithesis of a river - the essence of a river is that it flows, the essence of a reservoir that it is still. A wild river is dynamic, forever changing - eroding its bed, oepositing silt, seeking a new course, bursting its banks, drying up. A_ clam is monumentally static, it tries to bring a river under control, to regulate its seasonal pattern of floods and low flows. A dam traps sediments and nutrients, alters the river's temperature and chemistry, and upsets the geological processes of erosion and deposition through which the river sculpts the surrounding land. .
Patrick McCully is International River Network's Campaigns Director. Silenced Rivers can be ordereaffom TRNby calling""510-848"-1 I55 or through "iiur website at http://www.im.org
ROW Fonn 1013 12/12196

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Tips for Writing Poems
by Robert Hass, River of Words Co-founder & United States Poet Laureate, 1995-1997

Two very famous teachers ofhaiku gave very different advice about writing poetry. Basho, who
many think is the greatest ofhaiku poets, had this to say; "Learn about pines from the pine, and
about bamboo from the bamboo." In other words, pay anention. And Buson, another ofthe great
haiku poets, when someone asked him how to improve the spirit oftheir work, said "Read
.Chinese poetry." In other words, ifyou want to write good poems, read good poems. It is an old debate: which comes first, art or experience? What ifyou have skill but no heart, or hear,t but not
skill to express it? Luckily, young writers don't ha.veto choose. So here are a few tips:

I. Get something down on paper. Or as the Irish short story writer Frank O'Connor said, "You
can't revise nothing." Waiting for inspiration is like waiting to be asked to dance. If inspiration comes, it comes. And it will come more often if you show you are interested.

2. Pay attention to what's around you. If you write nature poems, look at things. If you write. poems about people, notice them. There are ways to practice noticing: teach yourself the name of some of the birds in your neighborhood, the trees; learn the names of the stars overhead. Listen to the wind. Look at the way light falls on your street at different times of day.

3. Pay attention to what you're feeling. A lot of poetry has to do not with knowing what you feel, but discovering what you feel. Sometimes, if you notice what you're feeling, a phrase or an image for it will come to you out of nowhere. It will be a place to start and the result may surprise you. It's hard not to present to the world the feeling you think will please other people by having or seeming to have. Poetry ought to be the place where you don't have to do that.

4. Pay attention to your own mind No thought is too weird for poetry. And everyone has weird

thoughts all the time. Some people are just good at not noticing that they have them. Noticing is

what makes any kind of art fresh and interesting.



5. Say your poems out loud to yourself until you're pleased with how they sound Some thoughts are quick, some thoughts are slow and deep. Some skip, some pace slowly. The pleasure of ~try for people who write it a lot is mostly here, whether you write in rhyme with a definite beat, or write in the rhythm of natural speech. The poem isn't fini-shed until it's pleasing to your ear.

6. Read lots of poetry. It will give you ideas about what poetry can do, techniques you can try. And real feeling will put you in touch with real feeling. Someone else's originality will make you feel yours.

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S P I RA T I O N S
The Poetry of Science
Children around the world use art, writing, and a "River of Words" to discover their connection to place.

by CANDICE STOVER

Gather a few thousand children at the river, give them a new way to see what's in front of them, and

you just might change how the next

generation cares for the planet.

'

That conviction drives the current

behind River of Words (ROW), an

annual environmental poetry and art

competition for children worldwide.

Co-sponsored by a consoniurri of arts

and environmental groups, the 1998

competition drew four thousand entries

from fony-four states and eight coun-

tries and is spilling over into local

channels of ROW committed to helping

children discover, interpret, and care

for their ecological addresses.

Since that's an address most kids~

and adults--don't carry in their mem~

ory's hip pocket, learning how to locate

it through science and express it

through art and poetry is one way

ROW combines this international con-

HOPE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER l 998

test with an innovative classroom curriculum. ROW's Teacher's Guide2,000 copies went out in 1998, though it's not required to enter-provides a "What's _Your Ecological Address?" quiz, plus tips on how to find your bioregion, run poetry writing sessions, and create a watershed in your hand. None of the guide's individual and field activities is grade-specific; instead, they're .designed to piggyback onto existing curricula to help teachers and students of all ages "Discover the geography of your own place." ROW also offers occasional teacher-training workshops around the country. The contest and the curriculum can be used either together or s_eparately. and any child in the world can enter the contest, with or without a teacher's suppon.
Behind the curriculum stands an invitation to get kids out of the classroom and down to the river--or. if not

the river, to the puddle in the schoolyard, the creek clogged with shopping carts, or the cracked bed where the water once ran. ' ROW's sponsorswhich include International Rivers Network (IRN), a'Berkeley-based nonprofit that links human rights and environmental protection in promoting sound river management, The Library of Congress Center for the Book, and former U.S. Po~t Laureate Robert Hass-believe getting kids closer to the worlds in the watershed gets us all closer to ecological survival. As Hass says in the guide'~ introduction: "The idea of River or Words is to ask our children to educate themselves about the place wher~ they live and_ to unleash their imaginations. We need both things-a living knowledge or the

Above: Untitled by Shane Correia._ fourth grade. New York City.

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ASPIRATIONS
WaterWorld by seventh grader laura Badovinac
of Marietta, Georgia.
land and a live imagination of it and our place in it-if we are going to preserve it. Good science and a vital art and, in the long run, wisdom."
Call this combination of art and science "The Key to the River," and see it inJennifer Brisson's painting by the same name, which won the thirteen-year-old from Clarkton, North Carolina, a grand prize. During ROWs third annual awards ceremony-at the Library of Congress lastMay, someone asked Brisson what the number twelve on her geniallooking turtle's key meant. The . transparency of her answer fits ROW's philosophy, linking fact and imagination without a jiggle or a hitch: "I had a key with the number twelve on it."
Pamela Michael, ROWs whirlwind director, recalls early brainstorming sessions at IRN when a children's poetry competition encouraging that link and the name "River of Words" didn't exist. "We were looking for some hoopla around IRN's tenth anniversary [in 1996]," Michael says. "I woke up with the acronym for ROW in my head and knew we were on the right track." She met with Hass, who has a keen interest in literacy and the environment, and then a confluence of writers, activists, educators, and community partners who made ROW a reality. "ROW is centrally administered by us," Michael says, "but it's the teachers and park rangers and librarians an~ kids who make it happen."
.Grace Grafton's classroom at Lakeshore Elementary School in San Francisco is one place it's happening. On a sunny Wednesday morning, Grafton is passing out slices of lemons, carrots, and apples, urging nineteen first and second. graders to sniff and taste, reminding them to ~go slow for poetry" as they play with word patterns that could lead to poems. A teacher with California Poets in the Schools for twenty years, Grafton was one of the first teachers to respond to ROW's invitation for help in designing and sup-

po~g its curricuh.un; this year, ROW named her Teacher of the Year.
Grafton is passionate about the power of place and voice in the classroom; for her, ROW lets teachers take an environmental science question like, "Where does the rain go?," and use it to push boundaries and discoveries in language.
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"I ask kids what rain feels like on their skin, because it's important," Grafton says. ~The

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five senses are their avenues into life."

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So when Daniel Woo

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scrunches his face into a

lemon-pucker, then calls out, "Watch the lemon tingle into a

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Titan!c!," and another student

l::J

at the same table says, "No, it's like a shooting star; there's a

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solar system in my stomach!,"

~

Grafton knows the process she calls "appreciating the actual

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as the mystical" has begun.

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"Sometimes, I have to trick

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them into recognizing that

poetry can be a power tool,"

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she says. "But, really, what is

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science without love? Without a community of humani\y in

CJ

nature, what's the point?"!

0

One way that ROW extends !that community is by encouraging the

0

development of local ROWs through-

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out the country. Just two years old, Georgia's program has become a m'odel

0

for outreach and impact. Petey Giroux,

0

coordinator for the state's Project WET

0

(Water Education for Teachers), says a

tape of Hass reading at an environmen-

0

tal conference was her inspiration. "His

0

passion and feeling for children and understanding of the big picture of

0

what we 11eed to do to heal the Eanh

0

made this a perfect program to incorporate into our study of watersheds."

0

Giroux began by sending flyers to every

0

school in the state; today, Georgia's

lo

. ROW distributes regionally specific

!

resource packets and packs up a thirty-

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foot ~\ue satin "river" to exhibit stu-

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den~ work at schools, conferences, libraries, and environmental centers.

0

Over 8,000 students viewed the 1997

0

Georgia River of Words, which included one national ROW grand

0

prize winner and two finalists. "The

0

power of the arts works," she says. uwhen all the senses are engaged, chil-
'' My dren remember." training in river engineering was soulless," says one

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of IRN's founders, hydro-

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o logical engineer Philip B. Williams,
noting the limits of comi~g up th,

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Jl Ti
' I IWANTTOBE by Noah Frank
I want to be a dogfish and catch a leaping catfish with whiskers as long as a stream. And I want to be . the rain trinkling down on the world telling it it's springtime.
(Winner,-grades K-2)

Above: Key to the River by Jennifer Brisson, grade eighi;"Clarkton, North Carolina. Right: Holding the River by fifth grader Emily Glatter, of Barrington. Rhode Island.

an educational system that values nei-

ther sniffing a lemon nor putting your

feet in the puddle-much less using

science to convey how you felt about

either in a poem, or picture. "The

straight flumes of the hydraulics labs

we trained in are a metaphor for the

simplest mindset: straighten the river,

build a dam, exploit the resources.

Today, the danger is in thinking the

computer model is the river. It's not.

How can you work with your five

senses from just the neck up? Engi-

neering school gives you craft, yes. But ROW insists on between imagination lion. You need these observation skills

a river is an intricate, delicate, living and the natural world is crucial."

in science and ecology; you need them

system. Without art and poetry, how ROW is also a project he learns in poetry and an. ROW helps kids use

can you pretend to practice restoring it? from. The practicalities of administer- these slcills. We want kids to go beyond

That's metaphor, and that's where ROW ing an international competition for stewardship into kinship with where

comes in."'

children raise their own quirky ripples; we come from and where we are. We

Across the river from this engineer this translator of Basho, Buson, and Issa want them to learn .how to look, listen,

praising ROW for bringing poetry to now encounters haiku through chil- and feel connected to a place."

science, former poet laureate Hass dren in Missouri and metaphor from

That place might be a village on the

lauds this project he helped launch for the Florida Panhandle Watersheds. Ganges, a pane of water reflecting the

using science to deepen the teaching of Reading the poems submitted to ROW moon, the perfect fin of a fish-all in

literature and remind people we live in with a nationwide panel ofjudges and a prize-winning entries this year. It might

a place. "The job of the environmental group from California Poets in the lead a child to cross the bog on "hurri-

movement," Hass says, "is translation, Schools (the International Children's cane-fallen trees," drawn by the sound

and translation is what ROW can teach. Art Museum in San Francisco oversees of a real Sweetwat~r Creek, or inspire

On the one hand, there is this almost art entries), Hass says what they're the invented word "trinkling," also

religious idea of a river in American looking for is ."freshness of language. from a child's poem; to slip the music of

culture; on the other hand, there are local specificity. the quality of befog rain in your ear.

actual rivers~nalized, abused, pol- alive to the place. Just looking at their Talking rivers and their survival,

luted, much used and much denied. lf work educates me about all .of this."

ROW knows, you go to children as the

we say we love and respect the land but

Equally critical, says director source. Then, you listen.

.6.

don't follow through, that's our genera- Michael, is ROWs commitment to cul- Candice Stover is an award-winning poet and tion's broken treaty. The conn~ction tivating "the power of keen observa- teacher who lives in Mount Desert, Mainl!.

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HOPE NovEMBERIDECEMBER 1998

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Activities to Support Rivet of Wotds
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"Nature's Golden Window" Koichiro Tsuji- State Winner Atlanta Country Day School -Alpharetta, GA

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River of Words Curriculum Supplement:

What's Your Ecological Address?

What follows is an adaptation of a quiz on basic perception of place that was originally published in Co-Evolution Quarterly, now known as Whole Earth Review. The quiz is culture-bound, favoring those children who live in the country over city dwellers, but even questions difficult for urban kids to answer (like naming edible plants in their region, for example) provide interesting
possibilities for discussion and research (what kind of edible plants used to grow ~_my area?).
1. Where does your tap water come from?

2. Where does your garbage go?

3. How many days till the moon is full?

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' ' ' '

4. When was the last time a fire burned your area?
5. What were the primary subsistence techniques of the culture(s) that lived in your area long ago?
6. Name five edible plants in your region.

7. From what direction do winter storms generally come in your region? ,

8. How long is the growing season where you live?

9. On what day of the year are the shadows the shortest where you live?

10. Name five resident and five migratory birds in your area.

11. What is the land use history of where you live?

_12. What species have become extinct in your area?
no 13. What kind of soil are you standing on? (It's down there somewhere, matter where you're standing.)

14. From where you're reading this, point north.

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. 15. What river basin (watershed) are you living in?
16. What creek runs closest to your school? (Remember, it might be un9:erground.)
Quiz compiled by: Leonard Charles, Jim Dodge, Pamela Michael, Lynn Millman, Victoria Stockley

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ROW Form 1011 12/12/96

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-----------------:----:----~

from Silenced Rivers: The Ecology and Poliiics of Large Dams by Patrick McCully
A "SHORT HISTORY OF RIVERS
To write history without putting any water in it is to leave out a large part of the story. Human experience has not been so dry as that.
.. Donald Worster Rivers ofEmpire, 1985

All land is part of a watershed or river basin and all is shaped by the water which flows over it and through it. Indeed, rivers are such an integral part of the land that in many places it would be as appropriate to talk of riverscapes as it would be of landscapes. A river is much more than water flowing to the sea. Its ever-shifting bed and banks and the groundwater below, are all integral parts of the river. Even the meadows, forests, marshes and backwaters of its floodplain can be seen as part of a river- and the river as part of them. A river carries downhill not just water, but just as importantly sediments, dissolved minerals, and the nutrient-rich detritus of plants and animals, both dead and alive.

A Wc!-tershed starts at mountain peaks and hilltops. Snowmelt and rainfall wash over and

through the high ground into rivulets which drain into fast-flowing mountain streams. As

the streams descend, tributaries and groundwaters add to their volume and they become

rivers. As they leave the mountains, rivers slow and start to meander and braid, seeking the

path of least resistance across widening valleys, whose alluvial floor was laid down by

.

.

millennia of sediment-laden floods. Eventually the_ river will flow into a lake or ocean.

Where the river is muddy and the land flat, the sediments laid down by the riv~ may form

a delta, splitting the river into a bird-foot of distributaries which discharge into the sea. The

river's estuary, the place where its sweetwaters mix with the ocean's salt, is one of the

most biologically productive parts of the river - and of the ocean. Most of the world's fish

catch comes from species which are dependent for at least part of their life cycle on a

nutrient-rich estuarine habitat.

The diversity of a river _Ii~ not ofi:Iy in_the_various_ types_of country it flows ~ugh but also in the changing seasons and the differences between wet and dry years. Seasonal and annual variations in the amount of water, sediment and nutrients drained by a watershed can be massive, especially in dry areas where most of a yeai:'s rain may fall in just a few individual storms. On average 85 per cent ofthe annual discharge of the Limpopo in southern Africa flows from January through March; only one per cent from August through

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CREATING A WATERSHEDINYOURHAND

SUMMARY:

Students use crumpled paper to create a miniature watershed model that

demonstrates the basic geography of a watershed, how water flows through this

system, and the impact people can have on the quality of our water.



GRADES: K-12
TIME: 10 to 30 minutes MATERIALS: 8 1/2'; x 11" paper; one sheet for each student
3 different colors of water soluble markers several spray bottles of water
SETI1NG: classroom

BACKGROUND:
A watershed is a geographic area in which water, sediments and dissolyed minerals all drain into a common body of water like a stream, creek, reservoir or bay. A waters...'1.ed includes all the plants, animals and people who live in it, as well as the non-living components like rocks and soil. We are all part of a watershed, and everything we do can affect the surface and ground water that runs througlrthis system. When you create your miniature watersheds, be sure to use water soluble markers--as the markers 'bleed' they demonstrate how rain moving through the watershed affects soil erosion and urban runoff.

ACTIVITY:
1. To create the watershed, crumple a piece of paper up into a tight ball. Gently open up the paper, but don't flatten it out completely. The highest points on the paper now represent mountain tops, and the lowest wrinkles represent valleys.
2. Choose one color of water soluble marker and use it to mark the highest points on the map. These points are the mountain ridge lines.
3. Choose a second color and mark the places where different bodies of water might be: ~ rhcers, lakes, etc.
4.. With a third color mark four to five places to represent human settlements: housing tracts, factories, shopping centers, office buildings, schools, etc.

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From .The Kids in Creeks Manual, San Francisco Estuary Institute, 510-231-9539

5. Use the spray bottles to lightly spray the finished maps. Titls spray represents rain falling into the watershed. Discuss any observations about how water travels through the system.

DISCUSSION:

What changes do you observe in the maps?

..

Where does most of the 'rain' fall? What path does the water follow?

Where does erosion occur? What happens to the human settlements - are any buildings in the way of a raging river or crumbling hillside? How does the flow of water through the watershed affect our choice of building sites?
map How <!_oes this demonstrate the idea of watershed?

ExfENSIONS:
Look at a topographic map of the neighborhood to see if you can locate and mark the ridge lines, creeks and rivers that make up your school's watershed. Try to determine how a heavy rainfall and run-off might impact your neighborhood. (See the "Mapping Your Watershed" activity.)
Create an imaginary watershed. Map out the landscape, the creeks and rivers, and where you might place houses and schools. .
Discuss issues of land use and water quality. Play a simulation game that will illustrate different viewpoints on how we use water. (A good example is the activity, 1'Guilty or Innocent?" in Ranger Rick's J:iature Scope: Pollution -Problems and Solutions.)

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MAPPING YOUR WATERSHED: USING A TOPOGRAPHIC MAP

SUMMARY:
Students use atopographic map to define the boundaries of the watershed around their school.

GRADES: 3-12

TIME: 1 hour

MATERIALS: topographic map which includes your school site a road map of the area around your school clear sheet of plastic the size of your map (mylar or acetate is available at art and office supply stores) dry erase markers and eraser or tissues other topographic maps for comparison and for learning about reading maps (optional)

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SE1TING: classroom
BACKGROUND:

A topographic map has lines to help you determine the height of mountains, hills, and

valleys. These lines connect points on the map that are at the same altitude. By

cqnnecting the high points and ridges on a map you~ locate the boundaries of your

I I

watershed. Locating your school on a topographic map can make it easier for students to understand how they fit into a watershed, where their stream or creek gets its water and how their actions can have an impact on the fl.ow of water, for better or for worse.

I
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1bis activity is a good follow-up to the activity '1Creating a Watershed in Your Hand."
ACTIVITY:

1. Have stdents study different topographic maps to become familiar with the

'iI'

markings on the maps and what they can tell us. How do these maps help us to determine the highest and lowest points?

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2. Cover the topographic map with plastic and tack or tape it up on the walL (Covering
the map 'Withplasticwill allow-you to reuse the map for-0th~ classes, or for other activities. If you use dry erase markers you will be able to reuse the plastic covering
as well.) Locate your school and mark it with a dry erase pea You might need to use
a street map to help you locate your school, house, etc.

3. Find bodies of water (creeks, streams, reservoirs, marshes, bays, etc.) and mark them

in blue.

From The Kids in Creeks Manual, San Francisco Estuary Institute, 510-231-9539

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4. Locate the highest and lowest points around your school. Use the contour lines and

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numbers on the map to help you determine where these points are located. Mark the 0

highest points with a large 'X.'

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5. Startiftg at the 'X' marks, draw arrows on the map to show the direction runoff will flow. Water always flows downhill, and it usually takes the easiest path. You may

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find that water has carved out areas of the land. Try to find the places where the

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runoff will meet up with another body of water.

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6. A watershed is an area of land that catches and drains water into a particular creek.,

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stream or river. If you look at the way water flows from the high points to the low

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points on your map, you may find many small watershed areas. To define the boundary olyour school's watershed, use the 'X' markings on the map and draw a

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line through the marks to connect all the highest points around your school. Try to

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locate any creeks inside this line~ The area inside the line is your watershed because

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rain falling inside the line will drain down to the body of water near your school.

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7. Once your map is complete, have students take it outside to see if they can observe

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any of the landmarks they found on the map. How would they describe their watershed? What kinds of plants and animals Hve in it? What kinds of physical and

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man-made features do they see? Can they see the highest point of land...any bodies

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of water? What other things do they see that might affect the flow of water through

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the watershed? (hills.,_ buildings, power lines, ditches ~d culverts., etc.) You might

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want to add some of these features ~o your map.

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DISCUSSION:

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What are the natural features of the landscape that determine and affect your
watershed? What are some human-made features that might have an impact on

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the watershecl?

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How does what you do at school affect water quality beyond the edge ofyour

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~p?

.

.

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What materials might water pick up as it flows through your watershed? (dirt,

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leaves, fertilizers, litter, oil., etc.) Where will these materials eventually be

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deposited?
Where does your school's (or home's) waste water go? Locate your waste water treatment plant (or septic tank) on the map if possible and mark its location.

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Does anyone at school keep track of how much water the school uses? What could

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you do at-schooI-toconservewater and improve water quality?

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Are you _ever in a place that is not in a watershed?

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EXTENSIONS:
Contact your City's storm water representative and ask them to come in to show you how the storm drain system works, and to help you locate this system on your map.
Create a photo display or video illustrating your watershed. Follow the path of water through your watershed on a walking or driving trip, from one of.the highest points in the watershed down to where runoff would meet up with a larger body of water, and take pictures of the landscape, evidence of runoff, physical features that impact flow, etc.
Do some research on land use and management issues in your community that might affect rain and runoff in your watershed. Look for articles in the local newspaper-and interview city officials, farmers and gardeners, park rangers, etc.
Study the Native Americans that once inhabited your area. Where in the watershed did they live? How did their actions affect the quality ofwate:r?

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LESSON FROM NATIONAL PRQJECTWET (K-12) CU~RICULUM









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. .; r .,: ' ,: ,. '



Rainy-Day Hike

What do a puddle on your playground and a nearby lake or stream have in common?

collection site. Watersheds are separated from each other by land forms (ridge lines or mountain divides). Water falling on each side of the divide drains into different wafersheds and collection sites.

Surface runoff flows over a school's

grounds on its way to the collection site

(e.g., a river); therefore, schoolyards are

part of a watershed. (Puddles are the

Objectives
Students will: identify the watershed in which their
school is located. explain the role the schoolyard plays
in the watershed.

collection sites of mini-watersheds: land surrounding puddles are the mini- drainage basins that empty into the puddle.) When the puddles overflow or the soil becomes saturated, water is released.

Often, materials carried by water to the

Materials Maps of the local community, showing
streams, lakes, and topography
Drawing paper 2 sets ofcopies of the Legend Waterproof outerwear

school grounds (e.g., litter, twigs, leaves, oil) are left behind. Swface water leaving the school grounds may cany materials to the collection site of the watershed. These materials include soil, leaves, and twigs; litter; oil and gasoline from parking lots; and fertilizer from lawns.

Oipboards or sturdy cardboard with rubber band to se.cure paper (fape 2 pieces of cardboard to form a book; students candose map inside cardboard to keep it dry.)
Plastic wrap
Pencils

As water flows from the school grounds, it combines with runoff from other land areas within the drainage basin. Materials from these other places are added to the water. While some substances decompose, settle out, or are filtered by soil, other matter continues to travel long

distances downstream. Organic materials

Making Connections

carried by the water nourish aquatic life.

Students may be familiar with the idea of Some substances are toxic, however, and

a watershed, but unaware that they live can endanger organisms consuming or

and attend school within one. Observing living in the water..

water flowing through and collecting on their school grounds provides students with direct experience in their watershed.

Contaminants whose entry point into the watershed js difficult to lo~.te are classified as nonpoint source pollutants.

Background
Puddles, streams, and lakes all have something in common. They collect water that has drained from watersheds. Watersheds are like funnels; they are drainage basins where surface water runs off and drains into a common

Along with residential areas, agrirultural fields, and paved parking lots, school grounds can contribute nonpoint source pollutants. The schoolyard contributes point source pollution when the source of the pollutant can be traced back to a specific location on the school grounds (e.g., sewer, ditch, pipe).

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Procedure
TWarmUp
Show students a map of the community and identify local rivers or lakes. Ask the class if they think a connection exists between their ~hoolyard and these bodies of water. Tell the class they will take a fair-weather and a rainy-day hike, to study what happens to the w~ter that falls on and flows over their school property.
Although plans for a rainy-day hike will generate student excitement, the wait for a wet day IDaf prove discouraging. The lack of rain offers the opportunity to discus$ with students the idea that people do not . control the.rain or other aspects of the weather. Remind students that even if people cannot "control" the weather, they can often predict il
Have students listen to, watch, or read weather reports. When is rain predicted? Students can mark the calendar with the date and continue "preparations" for the hike.
T The Activity
Part I 1. In planning for the rainy day, have students create a map of the school grounds. Divide the grounds into sections and assign groups to

map each area. Orient students to which direction is north so a:ll maps face the same direction.
2. Remind groups to include the following: school buildings, park-. ing lots, designated playgrounds, natural areas (trees, grass, flower gardens), with emphasis on water features like streams, tempora.cy and perm.anent ponds, and constructed water features like bird baths and fountains.
3. After students have completed their initial mapping, if there is a school building in their are~ haye them consider the following questions. Can they determine where the water that falls on the roofs goes? Does it flow off the roof into gutters that lead to waterspouts or does it fall directly onto the ground? Have students place an "X" on the buildings to indicate the location of waterspouts.
4. Make two copies of student maps, one for the fair-weather hike where students make predictions of water flow and one for the rainyday hike when students check their predictions..
5. For the fair-weather hike, give each group a copy of their mapped section and the Legend. Have each

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group predict the direction water will flow through their section.

0

Where do students think water willO
be stored? Are there ponds or low 0

spots?

.

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6. Have students survey the

ground area of their section for posO

sible sources of point and nonpoinO
contamination (oil stains on park- O
ing lots, trash.. tainted soil near the
school aumpster). What materials 0 could_ be on the roof of the school 0

building that could be washed off

during a rain (bird and rodent dropC)
pings, insects, dirt, roofing materi- O

als, leaves, twigs, etc.)?

0

7. Assemble the map sections from the groups and post in the

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classroom. Have them summarize 0

their predictions. How do the

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predictions of individual groups

relate to each other? Where do

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students think water flows onto the O

school grounds? Where will it flow off the school grounds?

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1.

Part II On a rainy day, have students

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dress properly; take them outside 0

and begin a simple tour of the

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school grounds. Have students

identify pattems of water flow. 0

Discuss what influences the direction.:::)

water moves. Have students:

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Rainy-Day Hike

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Projcd WET Curri::t!um and Activity Guide

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90 Angle

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note slopes, depressions, cracks in the sidewalk, erosion trails, rocks, buildings, gardens, trees, etc.
compare how fast on;low water flows in different places.
identify ways water affects the surface of the school grounds (e.g., watering plants, eroding soil, piling up litter, washing away litter).
note water flowing from the roofs of buildings and waterspouts.

flow of water is slowed by landforms and vegetation, collects in depressions, and flows off school property. Have them compare the completed map on the rainy-day hike to the map indicating their predictions. How accurate were their predictions?
Referring to a community map, discuss the school's location within a watershed. Trace the likely course of runoff from the school grounds into a local lake or river.

2. Divide the class into their

City engineers or planners have

original groups and give each group information on storm drainage

a copy of their unmarked map

systems, or can identify destinations

section and the Legend. Have

of storm water runoff from streets

students indicate the following on

and parking lots.

their maps: direction and patterns of flowing water; natural and unnatural materials being carried onto and off their study area; and areas of standing water. Remind students to use pencils-ink runs. They can cover their note pads with plastic wrap or cardboard when they are not writing.

Have the class list uses of water in local lakes or rivers (e.g., drinking water, animal habitat, irrigation, swimming, fishing, etc.). Do any activities occurring on your school grounds affect, positively or negatively, the water moving across it?

3. When students have completed th"eir investigations, assemble the . map sections and posL Arrows of adjacent map sections should line up. If they don't, discuss reasons for discrepancies.

Some school property plans incorporate surface water treatment systems, such as detention ponds, to reduce materials carried by runoff. Ask the principal for a copy of the school site plan. Does the plan show the surface . water management system for the

T Wrap Up and Action
Have students summarize the general pattern of surface water as it flows across the school property. They should identify areas where the

school?
If students believe their school grounds contribute to erosion or to point or non:point source pollution, they may want to develop a plan _to

improve the area. They can plant trees or a garden, encourage parking lot patrons to keep their cars in tune, promote wise use of fertilizers and pesticides, etc.
Assessment Have students: predict the movement of water
and possible contaminants across their school grounds (Part I, steps 5 through 7). identify the school's location within a watershed or in relation to a body of water(Wrap Up). list ways the school grounds positively affect water passing through the watershed (Wrap Up).. locate sources of point and nonpoint source pollution on the school grounds (Wrap Up).
Extensions To increase the detail of their study area maps, students may include measurements of slope. Slopes can be classified as leveL gentle, moderate, or steep. How does steepness of slope affect rates of water flow, erosion, and sediment load? To measure slope, one student stands at the top of the study area (top of the slope) and another student, holding a meter stick, stands at the bottom. The run or distance between the two students is measured. The student at the top holds one end of a string at his ground level and the other end is

The Watercourse and Council for Environmental Education (CEE).

-91-

extended to the student at the bottom of the slope. A level is needed to ensure the string is held straight. The point at which the string intersects the meter stick held by the second student is the rise. Slope gradient is calculated by dividing the rise by the run.
rise =slope gr~dient
run (expressed as.a percentage)
On a community map, have students use pins to locate the school and their homes. Do students share the same watershed address as the school? They can observe surface runoff to see where the water goes. Topographic maps inay help locate ridge lines within the community.

Resources: Doppelt, Bob. 1993. Entering the Watershed: A New Approach to Save America's River Ecosystems. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.
Qt Dorros, Arthur. 1991. Follow the
Water From Brook to Ocean. New York, N.Y.: Harper Collins.
Qt Holling, Ganey. 1941. Paddle to
the Sea. Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Qt Locker, Thomas. Where the River
Begins. New York, N.Y.: Dial Books.
Miller, G. Tyler,Jr. 1990. Resource Conseroation and Ma1111gement. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

_@K-2 Option
Havestudents work in small groups to investigate sites of flowing water on the school grounds. They should observe what is in the water. Caution them not to touch the water, espe-
.cially if the water is running off a
parking lot. Children can search the area for natural materials with which to construct tiny boats. Have boat races to see how far and where the boats travel. Students can draw pictures describing what the tiny boat might encounter if it flowed off the school grounds. Discuss reasons why the school grounds.must be kept clean.

Project WILD. 1992. Activities "Puddle Wonders," "Where Does Water Run Off After School?" and "Watershed." Aquatic Project WILD. Bethesda, Md.: Western Regional Environmental Education Council.

Notes 'Y

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Rainy-Day Hike Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide

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. a...................

Legend

arrows indicate direction of

II

water flowing onto and away

from study area

a leaf indicates natural materials, such as leaves, soU, and twigs, that might have been carried onto study area
from another location

..;.,._ .........,_.__ -:) a puddle shows where water
C..,--------- collects in the study area

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I
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a crumpled ball of paper
indicates unnatural materials, such as litter, oil, and
chemicals, that might have been carried onto the study area from another location

a flower shows things that help slow the flow of water

a shaded leaf indicates . natural materials that are being or could be carri~d away from-the study area

a shaded, crumpled ball of

paper indicates unnatural

materials that are being or

could-be carried away from

lil

the study area

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SURF AND SAND

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,~~~-:~; ~--~.-:~i-:---,~ 0
A FUN PROJECT WET ACTIVITY DEMONSTRATING% OF:.

SURFACE WATER ON-PLANET EARTH
.
MATERIALS NEEDED: EARTH BALL

r ~( ..

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~ .

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.. .. ~:.'- . (; .

. ,. ,.. : ;'._ I .-:r~

g ASK STUDENTS WHAT PERCENT OF THE EARTH IS COVERE~ -- O
WITH WATER. (USGS STATISTICS ARE ABOUT 76%) YOU

WILL SEE STATISTICS FROM 70-80% AND THAT IS ALMOST

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ALWAYS WHAT THIS ACTIVITY WILL DEMONSTRATE.

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THROW THE EARTH BALL OUT AND HAVE A STUDENT CATCH

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IT. TELL THEM THEY ARE TO COUNT THE NUMBER OF

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FINGERS-TOUCHING OR PARTIALLY TOUCHING WATER. HAVE

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ANOTHER STUDENT RECORD THE TOTALS FOR SURF/WATER

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AND SAND/EARTH.. THEN HAVE THAT STUDENT TOSS THE

o

EARTHBALL TO ANOTHER STUDENT. THAT STUDENT COUNTS

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THE NUMBER OF FINGERS ON SURF AND SAND AND THE

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RECORDER PUTS THE NUMBERS DOWN. THIS CONTINUES

0

UNTIL TEN STUDENTS HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH 0

THE EARTHBALL. (GIVES YOU 100 FINGERS) YOU HAVE YOUR

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RECORDER OR THE CLASS ADD THE NUMBERS FOR SURF AND

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THE NUMBERS FOR SAND AND TOTAL THEM. IT WILL BE

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AMAZINGLY. ACCURATEH

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THIS IS A .FUN INTRODUCTION TO A DISCUSSION ABOUT

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WATER.

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QUESTIONS - CALL PETEY GIROUX OR MONICA KILPATRICK

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404-675-1638

. 404-675-1762

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STATE COORDINATORS/PROJECT WET

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NORTH CAROLINA

Project WET

Environmental Protection Division

15

30

Miles

FLoRIDA.
GEORGIA RIVERS AND LAKES
Map Produocd by GA EP0 Hazardous Wasr.e Maoag,cmcm BtllDCII. 19

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GEORGIA LAKES AND STREAMS
QUESTIONS
1. WHAT RIVERS FORM THE STATE BORDER BETWEEN SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA?
2. WHAT MAJOR RIVER RUNS THROUGH METROPOLITIAN
ATLANTA?
3. NAME THREE MAJOR RIVERS SHARED BY GEORGIA AND FLORIDA.
4. WHAT MAJOR LAKE IS NORTHWEST OF AUGUSTA?
5. THERE ARE TWO CHATTOOGA RIVERS IN GEORGIA. ONE IS LOCATED IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE STATE FORMING THE STATE BORDER. WHERE IS THE OTHER?
6. . NAME THE FIVE RIVERS WHICH DRAIN DIRECTLY INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN?
7. WHAT TWO LAKES ARE CONNECTED BY THE FLINT RIVER?
8. HOW MANY OF THE MAJOR RIVERS AND LAKES IN GEORGIA END IN - -EE?
9. WHAT COUNTIES ARE IN THE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER BASIN?
.
10. WHAT RIVER BASIN IS COLUMBUS, GEORGIA IN?
11. THE TALLAPOOSA RIVER RUNS THROUGH WHICH COUNTIES IN GEORGIA?
12. UNSCRAMBLE: UMENOSE - THIS LAKE IS SHARED BY TWO STATES.
13. THIS RIVER IS NAMED. FOR A TYPE OF STONE USED BY THE NATIVE AMERICANS TO START, FIRES. WHAT IS.THIS RIVER?

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14. WHAT RIVER ALMOST REACHES FROM THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF GEORGIA TO THE SOUTHWEST CORNER?
15. WHAT ARE TWO MAJOR RIVERS IN GEORGIA THAT FLOW SOUTH TO NORTH? (HINT: STRANGELY, THEY ARE ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE STATE.)
16. WHAT 1996 OLYMPIC EVENT WAS HELD AT SIDNEY.LANIER LAKE?
17. WHAT MUDDY RIVER IN GEORGIA DO PEOPLE OFTEN RAFT ;bOWN?
18. NAME ONE OF THE TWO MAJOR RIVERS WHICH HAVE A LARGE WATERFALL BY THE SAME NAME IN NORTH GEORGIA.
19. WHAT LAKE IS DOWNSTREAM OF ATLANTA?
20. HOW MANY RIVER BASINS ARE THERE IN GEORGIA?
21. WHICH MAJOR GEORGIA RIVER HAS IT~ HEADWATERS (START) IN THE HELEN, GEORGIA AREA?

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GEORGIA LAKES AND STREAMS ANSWERS

1. SAVANNAH RIVER & CHATTOOGA RIVER

2. CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER

'3. SUWANEE RIVER ST. MARY'S RIVER ALAPAHA RIVER WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER OCHLOCKONEE RIVER

4 .. CLARKS HILL LAKE

5. IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE AND PARTLY IN

ALABAMA.

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6. SAVANNAH RIVER ALTAMAHA RIVER SATILLA RIVER

OGEECHEE RIVER ST. MARY'S RIVER

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7. BLACKSHEAR LAKE AND SEMINOLE LAKE 8. SIXTEEN (THIS NUMBER MAY VARY IF ANOTHER MAP IS

111

USED)

9. THOMAS COUNTY COLQUITT COUNTY GRADY COUNTY

MITCHELL COUNTY WORTH COUNTY

10. CHATTAHOOCHEE

11. HARALSON COUNTY PAULDING COUNTY CARROLL COUNTY

12.. SEMINOLE LAKE

13. FLINT RIVER

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14. CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER 15. ST. MARY'S RIVER AND TOCCOA RIVER 16. ROWING
17. CHATTAHOOCHEE. (CHATTOOGA) 18. TOCCOA RIVER AND TALLULAH RIVER 19. =' WEST POINT LAKE 20. FOURTEEN 21. CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER

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Can you 6ad lbc mma of1hc:sc 48 Georgia riwrs. lakes and rc:scrwirs?

RIVERs:

Alapaha
Alco")'
Altamaha
ApaJachcc Broad
Canoochee
Chattahoochee
ChaUoog:a. Chattooga Conasauga Coosawaacc:

Ela"jay Etowah Flint Ochloc:konee Ocmulgee Oconee Ogccchee Ohoopec Oostanaula Satilla

,! I

Savannah Soquc
South
StMarys Suwannee TaDapoosa. Tallulah Toccoa Tugaloo Withlacoochcc:
Yellow

l.AKESAND RESERVOIRS:
Allatoona Blaclcshcar Burton Carten Clwugc Clad:sHiit Hanwcu Jackson

Oconee Nottdy Russell Seminole: Sidney Lanier Sinclair Walter F Gcocgc WestPoint

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RIVERS:

Alapaha Akovy
Altamaha Apala.cbcc
Broad. Canooc:bcc Chattahoochcc Chattooga Chattoogz Conasauga
Coosawatt=

Eh}ay
Etowah
Flint O:hlo:koncc OcmuJgcc Ocouc::
Ogcccho:: Oboopo: Oostanaula Satilla

Sav.mnah Soquc
South
StMaiys Suwannee
Tallapoosa Tallulah Toccoa
Tuga]oo
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Georgia River Quilt Project
Linking Our C.ommunities & Rivers through Visual Arts
A Partnership between Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning eenter & Georgia River Network

CREATING A VISUAL LEGACY lLLUS1RATING SUPPORT FOR 1HE RlvERS OF GEORGIABY1HE STA1E'S OTIZENS

THE GEORGIA Rlv:ER QulLT PROJECT LINKS OUR COMMUNITIES BY:
Creating-a permanent visual representation of the support for Georgia's rive~, streams, wetlands, lakes, ponds, estuaries, groundwater aquife~, and ocean by the people who live near
these water resources and depend upon them; Expanding the network of students, scouts, businesses, civic organizations & clubs,
environmentalists, historians, government officials, recreation enthusiasts & others who support protection of the water resources in Georgia; Exploring the challenges which face our rive~ and considering potential solutions; and Promoting the fonnation of new relationships among communities, citizens, schools, and businesses and helping to dissolve artificial governmental boundaries between communities.
f '
THE AIMS OF TiiE GEORGIA RlvER QulLT PROJECT ARE:

For teachers

- to provide a creative way to teach about our environment and water resources

For students

- to provide a wayto learn about nature & the impacts of our actions on the environment and our water resources

For communities - to instill awareness of our aquatic resources in the people of Georgia

- to provide a visual bond that illustrates the flow of water through our
lives

- to create an endless myriad of quilts that will blanket the state

- to display the quilts in gatherings with schools, scouts, clubs, civic organizations, government entities or businesses - at any place where citizens with an interest in our rivers a.re gathering

ENIRY DEADUNE: JANUARY 15, 2003

QulLTS WILL BE JUDGED INTI-IE FOLLOWING CA1EGORIES: ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, & HIGH SCHOOL .
FOR NON-SCHOOL GROUPS, CA.1EGORIES WILL INQ.l.JDE Yourn: ORGANIZATIONS, ADULT ORGANIZATIONS, INDIVIDUAL YOUIH, INDIVIDUAL NOVICE ADULT, AND INDIVIDUAL ADVANCED ADULT.

SELECTED QUILTS WII.L BE(X)ME PART OF A TOURING (X)Ll.ECTIONFOR 2003-2004 TO RAISE AWARENESS OF RIVER ISSUES AND DEMONSTRA1E PUBUC SUPPORT OF OUR WATERS.

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Georgia River Quilt Project - School C.Ontest Sign Up Form

D Yes! I, or my organization, want to participate by making !l panel for the Georgia River Quilt Project. D No! I, or my organization, cannot participate at this time, ~ut please contact us at a later date. D I, or my organization, am interested in displaying the quilts.

Name:- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - School: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Address: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Phone: - - - - - - - - - - - - - Fax:- - - - - - - - - - - - -

E-mail:------------

Mai/to:

--
Dr. BeckyCbampion

Oxbow ~~ov.is/C.Olumbus State University

4225 University Avenue



. C.Olwnbus, GA31907

Forinquiries about the schoolcategories, including specific instructions~ pleas~ contact:

'Dr. BeckyCbampion

Oxbow Meado'\ll.'S Environmental Leaming C.enter

Ph:

{706) 687-4090

Fax: {706) 687-3020

E-mail: champion beck.>@colstate.edu

Website: http//oxbow.colstate.edu/

Forinquiries about the non-school categories anda non-schoolregistration fonn, please contact:

Ellen Sutherland or Dana Poole

Ph:

{706) 549-4508

Georgia River Networlc

Fax: {706) 549-7791

1090 South Milledge Avenue

E-mail: info@garivers.oJ

Athens, GA 30605

Website: www.gariyers.oJ

GEORGIA'S 14 MAJORRrvERBASINS ARE VITAL To Us Au
Georgia is blessed with a wealth of natural resources, including fourteen river bas~ that support a rich diversity of native fish and mussel species. These basins include the Altamaha, Cllattahoochee, C.Oosa, Flint, Ocklocknee, Oconee, Ocmulgee, Ogeechee, Satilla, Savannah, St. Mary's, Suwannee, Tallapoosa, and Tennessee. A river basin consists of the entire geographic area from which water flows into the primary river. Rain falling within a river basin, or watershed, will run downhill until it reaches a stream. Small streams join other streams, growing in size and volume and forming an extremelyimportant network until they reach the main river. Nearing the coast, our rivers flow into estuaries, diluting ocean water to the perfect salinityto form nurseries for the young animals upon which our seafood indusnydepends, until they reach the Atlantic Ocean.
Rivers not only provide habitat for fish, aquatic invertebrates, ampluoians, and terrestrial fanna, but they are .used by people for water supplies, recreation, inigation for agriculture, and transpo~tion. Our quality of life is dictated bythe quality and quantify of water in our rivers. Unlike many-states, all of the ,:ivers in Georgia are born in Georgia. Thus, the citiz.ens of Georgia are both responsible for and have a vested interest in the protection and conseivation of the waters in our state.
L.EARNMOREA. .BourWHATYouCANDoToPR.OTEcrOuRRrvERSATWW, W.GA.RIVE.RS.ORG-. 104-

lnspitqtionq[ Stoties ftom
Geotgiq Teqchets
"Out Dream" Chansereyeratna Lim- National Finalist Avondale High School -Avondale Estates, GA -
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J.C. Booth Middle School Students Discover the Flint River W~tershed
I teach enrichment (gifted) science to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade middle school students. As a first semester major project, my students must select and complete a project to be entered in a national science contest Some ofthe projects the students have had to choose from were the NASA Student Involvement Pro~ Toshiba exploravision, and Craftsman Young Inventor. I am always seeking additional and diverse selections from which my students may choose so that each might tap their interest and creativity strengths. River of Words was brought to my attention at the end ofthe 1999-2000 school year.
I offered River of Words as a project choice in the fall of 2000. Approximately 20% of my students chose to participate in the contest. The structure ofthis project included background
research into oui watershed, a poetry entry related to their research, and an art entry related to
their research. Students of each grade level chose this option.
To get the project off the ground, we were fortunate enough to have Kristen Sanford ofthe Georgia Department ofNatural Resources meet with students who had chosen this project. She related information and answered student's questions, as well as offered them her email as a contact should they have questions throughout the project. Her talk inspired students to seek all they could on the Flint River watershed and to devise both prose and pictures in a creative fashion. Their research took them to the, internet for data and to the banks of the river for inspiration.
The project due date brought wonderful results. Students proudly presented their work to their classmates, told what they had learned about their watershed, read their poetry and presented their drawings or photographs. At each grade level, this project option tapped creativity not offered by the other contests, which was everso appropriate for the students who made this selection. Their enthusiasm was contagious and I was very pleased with the work submitted to the national contest.
In our first year effort, two ofmy students were state winners, one for ~etry, one for both poetry and art. With their success and what was learned by all involved, this contest will be a mainstay ofthe choices from which my students will select their first semester major project.
Jennifer Ritter J.C..Booth Middle School Fayette County Schools
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Lewis Elementary School

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Project WET School of the Year 2000-2001

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We were thrilled when we received the news that Travis Baker and Shannon O'Keefe were

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National Grand Prize Winners in the 2001 River of Words.contest. These students in the 2nd

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grade at Lewis Elementary School in Cobb County were eager and ready when the ROW contest

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was presented to them.

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Here at Lewis Elementary, the entire staff used "water" for it's year-long theme. Lewis Elementary School was the Project WET School for the Year for 2000-2001. Using the Project

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WET activities and Curriculum Guide, students K-5 were introduced to the many facets of water

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and were very prepared for the "Make a Splash with Project WET Water Festival" that kicked

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off the school year in September.

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Some of the student's favorite activities we used to further prepare our students for the ROW

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poetry and art contest were:

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Reading The River Ran Wild by Lynn Cheny, the students found out how pollution

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effects their daily lives. 'This activity caused the students to think about their own

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watershed and they decided to have a "clean-up" of our school campus, which includes a stream.

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The importance ofwater in the lives of people long ago was discovered through our long

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ago unit and field trip to the Tullie Smith House, and read the Atlanta History Center.

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We also included the Project WET activity, The Long Haul and read the Project WET

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story,.The Bath. Our study of the Water Cycle ta.ught students about water and how it flows.

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Discovering and discussing the importance of water in the lives of animals and their

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habitats.

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Walking through the ROW "River" display at school was an additional motivation for students.

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It was quite impressive. We feel the combination of the water festival and the ROW display inspired.students to participate in the ROW contest who might not have entered otherwise.

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The 2nd grade teachers at Lewis Elementary School use a team-teaching approach using the

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strengths from each teacher. Students received emphasis on art, language, geography, and other

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. areas that they could pull from during their ROW creations.

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As t~chers, we learned a lot from the students who entered the ROW Art and Poetry Contest.

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Seeing the value of the River of Words Contest, in the future, we have decided to make it a class

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project having each students in our classroom create their very own poetry and art to reflect what

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they have learned about their watershed.

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Debbie Ellington - 2nd Grade Teacher of Travis Baker, National Grand Priz.e Wmner-Poetry

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Stephanie .Maynard - 2nd Grade Teacher of Shannon O'Keefe, National Grand Priz.e Winner -Art

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Cobb County Schools

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Photography and River of Words
Why are photographs so compelling? What makes photographs so important to our life experience?
A photograph provides visual proof and confirmation of our experiences. Photographs supply the evidence of what happened or what was seen. Happy occasions like weddings, birthdays and anniversaries are re-lived over and over again with photographs. Travel and vacations are also remembered through photographs. Did you really see the Eiffel Tower? Yes! Look at the photographs.
And when there is a crime, there are always photographs. Photographs show exactly what the crime scene looked like, and they may be used as evidence or to provide proof in court.
I teach photography to 135 high school students. Thro1:1ghout the school year, each ofmy students will complete about 20 photography assignments. I already know that the assignments in which my students will excel are those that mean something to them. Photograph Your Best Friend, Photograph Your Family, and Photograph Your Neighborhood - these are deeply personal assignments to my students - and each student will produce a different result to these assignments. Because these are individually, intrinsically meaningful assignments, each student will also do well.
Therefore, River of Words is a perfect photography assignment. Environmental protection and conservation is important to my students, their families, and friends. Photography is evidence; photography is proof; photography is an accurate record of a moment in time. And, for my students, the daily assault on our environment is deeply personal- it's a community-based issue. Our own community has problems with overdevelopment and runoff. Our lakes are silting up, and habitats are being lost. We have spills near our school that kill fish in our local streams.
The River of Words assignment asks students to show what is happening in our environment. Students may use both positive and negative images. Essentially, camera in hand, students are asked to look for evidence that the environment is in trouble or that it is improving.
We do not start our River of Words assignment by studying the environment, however. We begin by studying photographer W. Eugene Smith who did work on mercwy pollution in Minamata, Japan. My students are fascinated by his work.
Then, we talk about watershed problems and opportunities. We are looking for ideas and concerns. We identify descriptive words about pollution and environmental damage. We talk about other photographers' images of the environment. We paint word pictures of images that come to mind. Frequently, these images come from things students have seen on 1V or in print. This reinforces the concept of photography as evidence. We discuss what comprises evidence, where evidence may be found, why it is important to
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photograph real evidence vs. staged, and how to photograph evidence - either positive or negative. Finally, students relate personal stories - involving themselves, their families, or their friends - in identifying and repairing environmental damage in their little.comer of the world..
A high interest level drives the River of Words assignment. Many families get _involved with their students in this opportunity. In our area, for instance, we have parents who are involved in trying to save a local lake from filling up with sediment from uncontrolled runoff. Other parents are active in neighborhood organizations whose activities have an environmental impact. This assignment frequently becomes more than the.sum of its parts. Students work collaboratively, with each other, with their families, with their friends, with their neighborhoods, to use photography to record environmental images of conservation or damage or protection accurately and compellingly.,
When Smith used photography to document the mercury poisoning in Japan, his photographic images changes a little part of the world. My students who participate in the River of Words assignment photograph the environment, and in so doing, change a little part of their world.
Dave Smiley ChambleeHigh School Dekalb County

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GEORGIA ROW RECEIVES RECOGNITION THROUGH THE NATIONAL RIVER OF WORDS PROGRAM GEORGIA ART TEACHER, PAMELA SEGERS IS NATIONAL RIVER OF WORDS TEACHER OF THE YEAR- 2000
Georgia River of Words was honored at the Library of Congress in April, 2000 with a National Grand Prize Winner and with the National Teacher ofthe Year for River of Words. We asked Ms. Segers to write about her experience with River of Words and the following is what she would like to share with other educators in Georgia.
When I first teamed ofthe River of Words contest. it was from a student who bad seen a poster advertisement and brought it in. This is important because if Angela Gil~ last year's Grand Priz.e Wmner, ~ not brought the opportunity to my attention, I would not have gone to Washington. D.C. to accept the awardofNatiooalRiverof Words Teacher ofthe Year. It is also important because it indicates how eager my students at Avondale High School, and others across this great nation, are for these opportunities. 1bey are thirsty for a chance to experience these aspects of life. One ofthese aspects is the idea ofa river. Making people aware ofour environment is an important issue in today's society.
By participating in this contest, students develop their creativity and gain a better awareness of their environment. More specifically, they learn the impact of water and how its presence, or in some cases, its absence, can directly and indirectly affect their lives. The River of Words gives students a way to express that awareness in a unique and creative way.'
The students at Avondale High School were honored at the Library of Congress because they have truly worked bard at developing their creative abilities. Creativity is believed by many. a gift given to a chosen few. I believe creativity is indeed a divine gift, but one that bas been given to us all. Anyone and everyone can be creative. Everyone can be more creative than he or she is currently. Everyone can because each of us possesses creative abilities that can be exercised and strengthened, just like our physical abilities.
of Psychologists have discovered that creative ability is distnout.ed more or less equally among all
us. The difference iii creativity solely depends on how effectively each individual uses his or her
inner resources. To be more creative, all you need to do is to flex and exercise your creative muscles. Children are widely recognized as being more creative than adults. One reason for this is that muscles~ physical or memal, atrophy with disuse. The child in us grows old and much of our natural creativity is ignored or repressed.
So, I challenge other teachers and students. Do not allow your creative muscles to be repressed. The River of Words contest offers a wonderful opportunity for a creative:wodcout. You will have to workout in order to improve your creativity and the only doors closed in your path are the ones you fail to open. You can be anything or do anything that you set your mind to do, although you won't be able to do it alone or without a good workout.
Pamela Segers Art Teacher Avondale High School Dekalb County
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Inspirational Story from Pamela Seger's Student, 2001

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Water!

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Water was the mother of the first life on earth. No matter what you

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are, who you are, where you are, you always need water. Water is the

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most important thing for living creatures.

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In my country, maybe because of the war, nobody cared about water.

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Everybody :Used water everyday, but no one appreciated it. The

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governors closed both of their eyes. One of the rivers is being spoiled by

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the mineral-searchers. The entire river was full of thick, brown water.

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All of the people that live in that area are using some chemicals to mix

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in the water in order to get clear (not clean) water for using. Most parts

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of the country, people use rivers, streams, and lakes as their garbage

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can. All the garbage is thrown into the Water. Even myself, I did the

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same as them. We didn't know how important the water was.

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When I arrived in Atlanta, my eyes were opened, my brain was washed. Everywhere I go, I meet clean water. Not only in my house, I can find clean water, but also in a tiny creek near my house. Everyday when I walk to school, and walk back, I always stop by the tiny creek

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and watch all the happy fish enjoy their home and their water.

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As I think of my friends that live in my country, I feel sorry for them.

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I can't predict when they could see and use clean water like my family

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and I. I'm s9 glad that I have a chance to see such beautiful water.

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Chansereyratana Lim .

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Avondale High School

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GEORGIA TEACHERS "ROW" WITH SUCCESS
For many. the year'2000 arrived amid much excitement and antidpation ofthe new millennium aooompanied by hopes and dreams along with renewed aspirations for the future. As an educator. I too pondered dreams ofthe future for the children under my tutelage. The opportunity to achieve one of those dreams while making a significant impact for an enjoyable and successful learning experience with real life applications had its beginning in the autumn of 1998 when my then principal, Tony Melton, handed me the River of Words (ROW} information. He was aware that as a ~ h and ~ t<:3cher: I was always searching for ways to highlight the talents of students. Moreover, Mr. Melton was cognizant of my intrinsic respect and appreciation for the environment as I spent many hours on horseback in the North Georgia Mountains. What a perfect avenue to facilitate a conscious awareness of a life giving force and its global impact!
To embrace the ROW program would allow me to utilize my unique teaching position to include
sixth. seventh, and eighth grade students in poetiy writing since my ex:ploratoiy course was taught on a six
weeks rotational basis. As I planned for this project I requested and received collegial support. Mike Poore. an eighth gmde science teacher, geoerously loaned me wateished information. internet s i t e ~ and an incredibly large map of watershed and environmental factors that impact water quality. Janet Newman, a sixth grade language arts teachCl" and subject coordinator, gracioos1y aoswm:d a plethora ofquestions about
poetty styles and provided me with supplemental poetiy materials. 1be ROW Teacher's Guide was perused as I forged ahead in sometimes "murky" waters." Oh. the drama that unfolded as the students and I brainstormed, talked about watersheds. looked at maps. shared stories, played out skits. and learned together!
In our classes, we incorporated creativity and imagination with facts as we navigated through personal
awaking awarenessofa valuable natuI3l resouroe directly undec individual influence. Success! Later, imagine the thrill of learning that two of my students were chosen as poetiy winners for Georgia!
My first experience with the ROW project was so fulfilling and notable that I believed it was time to enlist other teachers and incorporate the process into an interdisciplinaJy format for the 1999-2000 school year. Along with Mike Poore and Janet Newman, Jennifer Ross committed her seventh target science class to the ROW project The c,ilmiriating experience for Jennifer's class would be a field trip to Tybee Island Before the trip, Jennjfer utilized suggestions from the ROW Teacher's Guide along with analysis and problem solving activities for the classroom taken from a Council for Environmental F.ducation (CEE) resouroe text. In addition. art teacher Pam Acitelli and I spoke with Jennifer's class regarding art and poetry respectively. A1 the conclusion of the field trip, each student would decide on an art or poetry selection. Excitement filled the air as Jennifer's class returned from Tybee and worked on their individual projects. Also, this class taught the basic ecological concepts to other science classes. Again, success for many students with the added bonus that one ofJennifer's students was selected as a National Merit honoree for her artwork!
After evaluating two years ofincredible results, I decided the program should be expanded throughout the school Furthermore, the Environmental Oub would be invited to participate for the 20002001 school year. EVCIY teacher I approached expressed excitement and an eagerness to participate in this most worthy endeavor, as did the Environment:al Oub sponsor. This year will begin with a oommitmeot to
ROW from language arts. science. and select target teacheruepresen<ing the sixth. sevmth, and eighth
grades. F.qually important, the Environment:al Oub will pursue the educational and ecological objectM:s and stme for cnmmnnity involvement. Working together in this way will inwlve every student at our school Achievement through team effort is the underlying foundation ofa shared dream whereby children assume responsibility to proactivdy nurture and perpetuate the life giving force which must be respected and shared byall.
As I reflect on past accomplishmmts and look ahead to the upcoming school year. I am again consumed w i t h ~ and anticipation. For this I thank Georgia Project ~ for providing the opportunity and the requisite learning tools necessary for building a firm foundation for our children's future.
Likewise. please allow me to include my personal appreciation to Petey Giroux and MonicaKilpatrick,
Georgia Rn,er ofWords Coordinators, who have been enthusiastic and an integral resource as my colleagues and I strive to include every student in this partnership for a better tomorrow.
Reba Welch Pine Mountain Middle School Cobb County. ~rgia
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Georgia Teachers ""ROW"' With Success
As a second year teacher. I am always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to present material to my classes. As a result. I was very excited last year when the science co_ordinator for my county suggested ..River of Words." I requested a ..ROW" Teacher's Guide from Georgia _Project WET and received it just as my earth science classes were beginning to study the earth's fresh water supply. I was thrilled when I opened the resource book and found several activities that were fun, easy to prepare, inexpensive, educational and taught objectives included in my county's curriculum.
I am fortunate to work with a team of gifted teachers who are both creative -and very
supportive of one another. When I told our language arts_ teacher. Nikki Bolton. about the project. her eyes lit up. Nikki was thinking along the same lines as me - "'River of Words" fit the cun-iculum. sounded interesting and provided an opportunity for an interdisciplinary unift
Together wc..got busy. The National ROW Teacher's Guide. provided through Georgia Project WET. was critical to our start. I introduced the topic of the earth's fresh water supply with the activity er-eating a Watershed in Your Hand." My classes spent time outside in different types of weather exploring our very own watershed and then mapping it using rinding Your Bioregion." Using our senses of sight. hearing, touch -
and smell, we sensed" our watershed. In language arts, Nikki used the information
we gathered outside to aid the students' in a poem writing exercise. She guided the students in the development of collaborative poems and artwork where students gained insight from pictures of water. Being the creative soul that she is. Nikki went one step further and played water sounds from a CD while reading ..Song of the Chattahoochee... She then facilitated a discussion of our own watershed.
You can imagine my delight when our students walked in bubbling over with excitement about their language arts efforts. They loved seeing their collaborative poems on display in the hall and were bringing their individual work to me for approval." While Nikki wa.s guiding students' artistic efforts, I was teaching lessons about our valued water resources. A wonderful thing was happening in our school - our eighth grade students were developing an appreciation for their environment. having fun and learning the objectives set forth by our school system. Nikki and I were ecstatic. We even got caught up in the buzz ourselves.
More excitement was soon to follow. One of our students was selected as a National Finalist in Art. Additio~lly. four more of our students were selected as poetry winners for Georgia!
As I write this article. Nikki and I are getting excited once again preparing to launch this year's River of Words" project. We thank Georgia Project Wet for coordinating ROW in Georgia and adding Georgia specific information and we thank the International Rivers' N,etwork for deve_loping s~h a ~user friendly.. and innovative resource guide.
Brittany 0.arron Haynes Bridge Middle School Fulton County

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Why River of Words?
Colorless, tasteless, and odorless, water is essential for life and learning. It has shaped history, inspired artists, and transported civilizations. Used for religious rituals, water has been feared and respected. Everyone needs and uses water. As the demand for water grows, education is essential. As a teacher, I feel strongly that it is my responsibility to teach the value ofthis limited resource.
Water can be used as a theme for an interdisciplinary unit at any grade level. Learning to monitor water quality, students at Henderson Middle School have participated in the Adopt-A-Stream program. They are also regular participants of the Rivers Alive Stream Clean-Ups. In addition to classroom instruction, these experiences bring water conservation into focus. Students with diverse backgrounds, abilities, and experiences witness the condition ofcommunity streams on a personal level. As a team, they attack a problem to better their community and the world.
The River of Words program provides an opportunity to address water education in art form. Students are given the chance to express themselves in ways other than the traditional paper-pencil assignment. Many students must be taught to look and listen to the world around them. A trip to the local park, nature center, or stream clean-up can provide the perfect setting for such an experience. Used in conjunction with Project WET or as a culminating activity for water education, River of Words can be utilized by an individual teacher, department or entire school. Office walls or PTSA meetings can provide the occasion and location to display final products. As a result, student recognition and public awareness regarding water conservation is improved. We must make every effort to address water quality at a local level. The Rive_r of Words program can impact many in a creative way!
Dr. Linda McCuen Henderson Middle School DeKalb County
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Students Flow with River of Words

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The River of Words Program has offered us a wonderful avenue for helping our

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students develop in areas of creative thinking and personal expression. The lessons

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provided in the manual supported our focus for the year, and the contest became an outlet

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for developing their creative writing and artistic skills.

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Last year we developed a yearlong unit called "A River Runs Through." Our
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third graders adopted a creek nearby the school in Chimney Springs. After gaining

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knowledge of stream ecology and training in water quality testing, teams of students ran

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monthly assessments on the creek. The visits included chemical, visual, and biological

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assessments, velocity tests, temperature readings, and litter clean up of the area. As

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teams completed their assessments, they would sit by the creek and begin reflecting in

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their journals. These reflections included personal thoughts, responses to a prompt given

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in advance, poetry, and sketches. The students became passionate about their

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responsibility to the creek ~d their need to protect our water resources.

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Based on their enthusiasm, we saw the River of Words contest as an opportunity

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to help them further pursue their passion through creative writing and art. We began

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teaching them styles of creative writing such as using similes, metaphors, and

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personification. Our students absolutely loved using personification in their writing..

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This year every student proudly entered the River of Words contest. Using their

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newfound skills, many students entered poetry while others chose to submit artwork.

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Although the majority of our students were not state or national winners, they had the

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personal satisfaction ofknowing they had made a difference .in this world. The

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certificates they received were a confirmation oftheir commitment to the environment.

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Wendy Limerick & Tamera Neal

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Tritt Elementary

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Cobb County

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River ofWor~: A palette for inspiration

For the past three years my art and photography students have participated in The River of Words International Environmental Poetry and Art competition. I usually avoid "poster" contests like the plague and was reluctant when in November of 1999 an exuberant and wonderful first year teacher and coworker, Lynn Giroux, told me about River of Words. (Actually when I saw the word "poster" the flight instinct almost J:iad me out the door.)

Lynn was excited and had great ideas. She succeeded in convincing me that we should provide this opportunity to our students. We sat down together and designed a lesson plan. It took me about two seconds to begin to see the wonderful teaching opportunities that this program could offer to our students. That first year we focused on the elements of art, specifically pattern and repetition. The students' images revolved around ecosystems, wildlife, and flora and fauna indigenous to the state of Georgia. Lynn and I taught the students about the 52 Georgia watersheds, focusing on the metro Atlanta area. The results were wonderful! Beginning art students received state and national recognition. I was hooked. I expanded my horizons by developing units for my photography and Advanced Placement classes.

The project has proven to be successful on all levels. Not only are my students completing assignments that are aligned with my art curriculum, they are creating images that are addressing an issue that is becoming more and more relevant as our drought continues. Each year the sophistication of my students' work inspires me. They create relevant and moving imagery that communicates the importance of water in all aspects of our lives. They also create imagery that illustrates what the not so distant future may hold if we destroy our watersheds. Each year my students participate I am more excited about the possibilities.

I am hoping to expand River of Words. at Druid Hills to include an ESOL

class. ROW is a perfect venue for teaching English to non-native speakers. There

is the wonderful opportunity to utilize maps, photographs, pictures and realize to

teach concepts and new vocabulary. And, more importantly, ROW would provide

the opportunity to teach ESOL students about the new environment in which

they live.



ROW is a wonderful palette with which to inspire your students. Three years ago I was inspired to utilize ROW in my classroom. I was inspired by a first year teacher with the skills of a veteran. That inspiration has been like a drop of water on pond. The light continues to catch on the silent ripples traveling in a wide arc.

Betsy Eppes Druid Hills High School

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INTRODUCTION

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Is this river safe to wade in? That vine sure is growing fast-is it supposed to be there? Where does

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this drain go?

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These are some of the questions that the Rivers Alive program is designed to address. Every October,

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groups and individuals work together to perform a statewide cleanup of the streams, rivers, lakes, and

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wetlands which we all use and enjoy every day. Under the program's supervision, volunteers pick up and dispose ofthe litter which clogs our waterways, remove invasive species of plants which threaten

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native species, and stencil neighborhood storm drains with messages and symbols reminding others

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that garbage dumped in the drain flows directly into local waterways. In October i00l, 18,763

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volunteers cleaned a total of 662 miles of Georgia streams, collecting 15,525 bags and 117,999 pounds

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of garbage. ThaCs a lot of trash!

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Many people believe.that businesses and industries are responsible for most of the water pollution in

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Georgia This is not true. Since the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972, industrial and commercial

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dumping ("point sources" ofpollution) have been strictly regulated, with enforced standards for

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environmental impact. Far more extensive and harder to control is what is known as nonpoint source pollution. Nonpoint source means pollution that comes from all over, not just a single pipe or drain.

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Rainwater runs across the surface of a road, carrying brake dust and motor oil into the nearest stream.

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Sprinklers wash lawn fertilizer into the gutter, where it joins soapy water from washing cars on its way

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to the storm drain and the river. Candy wrappers, cigarette butts, and drink containers are carried in by 0

wind or water, or are deposited directly on the streambank alongside unwanted cars and appliances.

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All ofthis pollution takes a toll. Litter fills stream channels, chokes municipal and industrial intakes,

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injures wildlife, and endangers human swimmers and boaters. Chemicals may kill wildlife

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immediately, or it may be stored in plant and animal tissues and pose a threat to higher consumers such 0

as birds and humans, as was the case with DDT. Soil and sediment, arguably the greatest source of

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water pollution in Georgia, clog the gills of aquatic organisms and destroy habitat.

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You can help. By organizing a cleanup of your local waterway, you can remove garbage that is

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already present By publicizing your cleanup and ge~g the community involved, you can educate

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others about the impact their actions have on the environment and reduce future pollution. Won't you

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help us keep our Rivers Alive?

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Acknowledgements

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This manual would not have been possible without the assistance of the many organizers of cleanup

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events throughout the State ofGeorgia Some ofthe material in this manual was taken from the Tennessee Valley Authority booklet, Organizing and Conducting a River Clean Up On Public Lands

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and Waterways, Water Quality Series Booklet 3.

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Writers/Editors

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Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Staff

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GETTING STARTED

Organizing a cleanup takes a great deal of planning and preparation, but it is well worth it in the end. The information in this manual is designed to walk you through the process, making the best use of your time, effort, and resources fora successful event. Here is a sample 'checklist to get you started:

a Organize a suitable planning Group
a Select an appropriate site a Register your event a Line up support a Have a detailed action plan a Arrange for disposal and recycling Publicize the event Recruit volunteers Coordinate your volunteers Collect data Publicize your accomplishments Recognize participants Evaluate your efforts

Organize a suitable planning group

The average cleanup event involves a wide variety of tasks, from publicity and financing to parking

and sanitation. Luckily, a community is made up ofpeople with a wide variety of skills, and in a well-

chosen planning group you will almost always find the perfect person for every job. Choose members

from local government, civic organizations and clubs, homeowner associations, churches, and

chambers of commerce. Invite people with knowledge of cleanup campaigns, such as park and

recreation officials and members of local, state, and federal environmental and health agencies, to

assist you. Because community campaigns live or die on publicity and promotion, enlist the local

newspaper editor and radio or TV station managers. Once you have your group, write out your

specific objectives. Outline what will be done, who will do it, and the specific results you want to

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achieve. By dividing the work among committees, you will allow each person's skills a chance to

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shine. It may also be helpful to list those who will benefit from specific tasks. A written list of objectives helps planners stay within goals, and helps in recruiting people by allowing volunteers to relate to something concrete. It also provides a yardstick for measuring progress and success.

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Select an appropriate site Choose a site ofworkable size within a convenient distance for volunteers. The site should be large enough that volunteers will have plenty ofwork to do and small enough that they can complete the job and see their accomplishments. Evaluate access roads to see if traffic routing or directional signs will be needed. Make sure you have adequate parking. If no sanitation facilities are nearby, arrange for portable toilets. Volunteers will also need to be able to wash their hands, especially ifrefreshments are provided, so look for running water or plan to provide il

Depending on the size and location of your cleanup, you may want to divide the site to be cleaned into

workable areas or zones. To make zones, :first obtain or create a map of the site. www.topozone.com

provides excellent topographic maps, and www.mapquest.com or www.mapblast are good sources for

street maps. Outline the area to be cleaned on the map, then visit the site. Determine the natural

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boundaries or breaks in the landscape such as rivers, roads, ravines, and cliffs and note them on the

map, then divide up the site. It may be useful to lay a grid over the map to make sure zones are of

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equal size. Mark the zones clearly on the map and determine where you will need to put zone markers.

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Be sure when you plan your zones that they are easily accessible from a road or trail.

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One technique that has worked well in the past for coordinators oflarge projects is to print a small map 0

of each zone, along with directions to reach it from a central point. As volunteers register, each group

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is assigned to one of these zones and given a map. This elimin.ates confusion over who is to clean

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which areas, allows volunteers to familiarize themselves with the site ahead of time, and speeds the registration process.

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Once you've.selected an appropriate site, Rivers Alive urges you to:

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REGISTER YOUR EVENT

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By filling out a registration form online at http://www.riversalive.org/Registration.htm your cleanup

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will become a part oT our statewide program. Information about your event will be placed on our

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website, providing instant publicity. You will receive a variety of promotional materials, including T-

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shirts for all volunteers that register before July 16, posters, and for eligible groups, a 3' x 6' banner, a

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template sponsorship request letter, and local press release and radio Public Service Announcements (PSA) to distribute to local media. Finally, you will be placed on the Rivers Alive contact list and will

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be notified as further information and resources become available. Those groups that register after the

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July 16 2001 deadline may still receive Rivers Alive T-shirts, only if extras are available.

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On the ~gistration form, you will be asked to provide your contact information, so that Rivers Alive

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will be able to get in touch with you and to provide potential volunteers with a place to direct inquiries. For publicity purposes, you will be asked for the names of any and all organizations participating in the

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cleanup. You will also be asked for the name and location ofyour waterway, the watershed of which it 0

is a part (a map is provided on the website), and the d.ate(s) and times of your cleanup. If you are

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requesting free souvenir T-shirts, we will need an estimate of the number of volunteers you expect to

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participate and a break out ofthe T-shirt sizes requested.

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Line up support

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Community campaign.s, cost money, so line up ~equate support early. Get at least a rough estimate

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early ofwhat you'11 need in the way ofpromotional materials, rental or purchase ofspecial equipment and supplies, and prizes for participants. Prizes may range from certificates to souvenir caps, Rivers

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Alive T-shirts, and trophies (for most unusual piece oftrash removed, etc.). Contact business people,

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club leaders, and government officials. Ask them to give what they can: cash, equipment, supplies, or

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services. When approaching potential donors, use the Rivers Alive template sponsorship request letter 0

as a guideline, http://www.riversalive.com/organize.htm. Depending on the size and nature of your

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cleanup, you might need trucks and buses to move volunteers to work sites and take them back to a

central point or maybe even take them home afterwards. A print shop might contribute special

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letterheads and envelopes. Trash bags are a must and can often be obtained as "in-kind" donations

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from grocery or supply companies. Trucks to haul the waste to the landfill and recycling center will be 0

needed. Often times the county or city municipality will offer a local waste hauler to help remove

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debris. Food and-drinks for the workers are essential and can usually be obtained through donations. Restaurants might give you refreshments. And don't forget first aid. The local fire department, Red

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Cross, or other emergency medical personnel may be willing to donate first aid kits and supplies, or

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they may even be interested_ in volunteering to serve as trained first aid administrators during the

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cleanup. In addition to direct appeals, groups may be asked to stage fund-raising activities like bake sales, raffles, flea markets, and auctions.

Have a detaiied action plan Attention to detail cannot be overemphasized; Here are a few things that must be taken care of ahead
of time: Contact appropriate government officials to arrange litter pickups_ by sanitation trucks. Arrange special pickup services for heavy items like stoves, furniture, and refrigerators. Get necessary approval to use municipal or county waste disposal facilities. Special approval is often required ifprivate vehicles are used to transport trash. Ifthere's a dumping fee, seek a
wmver.
If the sanitation department can't work in a particular area, plan alternative assistance. Arrange with police for any needed traffic detours or other assistance at work sites. Prepare a zorie map ofthe community for assigning cleanup crews. Determine the size of crew needed for each area and select zone captains. Ifyour proposed cleanup area is not easily accessible or you have several widely scattered sites,
consider providing transportation. Have a central meeting location for volunteers and arrange a shuttle system to transport crews to their designated sites. Have a backup plan in case the weather doesn't cooperate on the day ofthe cleanup. For example, if possible, choos~ a backup date (rain date) and include it in your promotional
materials.

Arrangefor Trash Disposal, and Recycling

Locate a permitted sanitary landfill for disposal of the collected waste. Then select an area near the

cleanup site for separation ofrecyclable items for which there is a market, such as glass, aluminll;ID,

plastics, and tin. Recycling will decrease the amount of waste going to the landfill and may help

defray the expenses of the cleanup. Be familiar with what recyclable materials your local recycling

center or "drop-off' sites will accept and how they want the materials prepared. For example, will

they accept broken glass? Do caps need to be removed from plastic containers? Will they accept

aluminum cans that are filled with mud? Some recyclers prefer clean items, while others don't have

requirements. The coordinator or zone captain needs to make arrangements for transporting recyclable

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materials to the nearest available recycler if your community or county does not have a recycling

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center or "drop-off' site. Money raised through recycling can help cover cleanup costs, be donated to local charities or schools, or used as "seed" money for future cleanups. See page 16 for information on finding your nearest recycling center.
Used automobile tires are a common problem in cleanup projects. It is illegal to dispose of whole tires in city and county landfills, though many landfills do collect them for later recycling. Check with your

local sanitation department for regulations regarding tire disposal, or contact the Georgia

Environmental Protection Division's scrap tire program at (404) 362-2537. A list ofapproved scrap

tire processors is available on the EPD's website at http://www.state.ga.usldnr/environl.

In your cleanup, you may encounter large objects such as junked cars, sheet metal, or wooden loading

pallets. It is tempting to remove them, but this should not be done without careful consideration and

observation. Does it look like the material has been there for a long time? Is it embedded in the

stream bank at all? Ugly as this type oflitter is, it may be doing more good than harm. The number

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one problem in Georgia waterways is erosion of stream banks leading to muddy water and sedimentation or "silting-in" of streambeds. Heavy objects on the bank can help prevent erosion by

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slowing the flow ofwater and protecting the bare soil from being washed away. If you have helpful

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but unattractive litter at your site, contact the Natural Resource Conservation Setvice or the U.S. Army

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Corps of Engineers about bank stabilization. They can inspect the site and help you choose an

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appropriate method of dealing with the problem.

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Publicize the event

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Good publicity is the best way to attract volunteers and reinforce the idea that everyone can do

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something to help-from donating supplies and equipment to contributing money or physical labor.

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Work with your local newspaper, television, and radio stations to help get your message out. Every

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year the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division creates a radio PSA that is distributed to most

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stations in the state. Check the event organizer section of the-Rivers Alive web page for a list of these

stations, http://www.riversalive.com/organize.htm. Contact your local station; they may be able to

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include a blurb about your local cleanup. Don't forget newsletters, church bulletins, schools, and

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speakers' bureaus. Local press releases are posted on the Rivers Alive web page in the organizer

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section. These can be easily adapted to help promote individual events. Many civic organizations

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have newsletters and welcome speakers at their meetings. Displaying posters and other printed materials in busy locations is also a good way to reach and inform the public. Choosing a theme or

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slogan for your event can evoke community pride and spirit and provide focus. Because cleanup

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events are usually repeated annually, a continuing theme provides lol!g-term name recognition.

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Recruit Volunteers Volunteers should be recruited in the same way as committee members, with careful consideration of

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various skills and interests. In addition to general public advertising, you may wish to focus special

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attention on seivice clubs such as Lions, Rotary, and Kiwanis, environmental groups such as Sierra and 0

Audubon Clubs, schools and school groups such as PTA and sports teams, recreational special interest

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clubs for fishermen,-water skiers, horseback riders, and runners, and local churches and youth clubs

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like scouts; 4-H, FFA, and FHA. Your local chamber of commerce may also be helpful with volunteer contacts. Recruitment can take many fonils. Personal phone calls, talks to civic clubs, discussions

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with elected officials, and appeals at public meetings can all be effective. Tailor yoi.if message to fit

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your audience; for instance, the local fire and police associations could be recruited to handle safety

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and parking.

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Throughout your preparations, communication is key. Ifpeople are going to help, they have to know

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what's going on and what they're expected to do. Local news media can help. Provide a phone

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number people can call for information. Urge residents to get in the spirit ofthings and clean up their

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own property and/or businesses even if they~re not volunteering for community cleanup assignments.

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As the cleanup event approaches, publicize times and locations for trash pickups.

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Coordinate your volunteers

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It is vital to the success ofany cleanup project that you have some type of site coordinators or zone

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captains. The planning group should select volunteer zone captains very early in the planning process.

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Since these volunteers play a key role in the success ofthe event, it is useful to choose zone captains that live near the area to be cleaned:

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The zone captainjs the link betw~ the pl~l!g group and the cleanup sites. Zone captains help

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identify the sites and select the sign-in areas, and will have many responsibilities before and after the

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cleanup. Make sure potential zone captains understand this and are willing and able to devote the time

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required.

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Several months before the cleanup, zone captains should work with the committee chairpersons to distribute posters, brochures, and other promotional materials, recruit volunteers, work with the local press, arrange for first aid stations, secure donated refreshments, and arrange for local trash haulers to arrive immediately a_fter the cleanup to take away the trash collected.

Just before the cleanup, zone captains should make directional markers and signs to help volunteers find the sign-in area. Numbered signs or color-coded flags are very effective. Zone captains should prepare the sign-in area in such a way that volunteers can collect necessary materials when they arrive, and leave without mass confusion. Easy-to-read maps of the cleanup site showing the zones should be available for volunteers.

To help volunteers easily identify the zone captain, you may want to provide each zone captain with a

special T-shirt, annband, or hat. Some zone captains may want to use walkie-talkies to communicate

with other volunteers along the beach or more remote river shorelines. Walkie-talkies can come in

handy if voiunteers need extra trash bags or if someone needs first aid.



Recycling takes extra coordination. Special coded bags can help volunteers sort items as they collect them, or trash can be sorted after the cleanup. Experienced cleanup organizers highly recommend that specific individuals be designated to collect only recyclable materials, while other individuals should collect only litter and debris during the cleanup for proper disposal. Using reusable mesh bags to collect recyclables can help with post-cleanup sorting because sorters can see the contents more easily.

ZONE CAPTAIN CHECKLIST
1. Work with event coordinator to identify area to be cleaned. 2. Recruit hard-working people to lead groups ofvolunteers ~d to assist you. 3. Arrange training meeting with people who will lead volun~r groups onsite. 4. Recruit volunteers to clean area Contact groups such as scout troops or civicTu>suciations
to get large numbers ofvolunteers. 5. Work with the local press to publicize the event. 6. Distribute posters and brochures locally. 7. Select convenient sign-in site for area to be cleaned. 8. Arrange for first aid assistance during cleanup. 9. Contact local trash haulers and recycling centers and arrange for the trash to be hauled
away or recycled. If you are weighing trash, select method and coordinate getting trash weighed. 10. Make and install directional signs and site markers. 11. Prepare maps ofthe area to pass out to volunteers at the cleanup. 12. Make volunteer assignments onsite.

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VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENTS

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Assign Crews to Work as Close to Their Homes as Possible

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Be sure volunteers know where to assemble, what equipment will be there, and who will supervise

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them. See that each zone captain has a grid map with the assigned cleanup areas clearly identified.

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Supply Each Crew With Large Trash Bags

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A volunteer should be assigned to distribute bags. Zone captains should make it clear where

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volunteers are to leave the bags for pickup after they're filled. Schedule trash pickups so that neither

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trucks nor crews are kept waiting.

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Make Transportation Arrangements in Advance

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Volunteers may be needed to transport other volunteers. Spell out arrangements for crew .

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transportation so volunteers can be moved efficiently from site to site as needed.

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Provide Volunteer Equipment Assign a volunteer to distribute equipment. See that volunteers wear heavy gloves and are adequately

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supplied with rakes and shovels to handle compacted trash. To weigh trl3Sh onsite, make sure each

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_location is provided with a fish or bathroom scale and instructions on how to weigh the trash.

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Weighing the Trash One important measure of success is how much litter and debris was removed, and this is commonly

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expressed in pounds or tons. Volunteers will need to weigh the trash they collect to determine this.

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There are two options for determining the weight of the trash collected. Ifyou are trying to compare

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the weight of recyclables versus nonrecyclables, you may want to count and weigh individual bags

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using either a fish or a bathroom scale. Fish scales that weigh up to 30 pounds are preferred because they are lightweight, compact, and usually come in a carrying case. They can be purchased at most

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sporting good stores. Bathroom scales weigh up to 300 poup.ds and can also be used to weigh

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individual bags. For large cleanups, this may not be practical. You will probably need to count the

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number ofbags on the truck and weigh the entire load on either portable or permanent platform scales.

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A platform scale is a scale you drive onto with the entire vehicle. The total weight of the trash is

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determined by subtracting the weight of the vehicle. Most landfills and major recycling centers have platform scales. To get the weight per bag, divide the number ofbags into the total weight ofthe trash.

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Collect data

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Don't wait until after the event to decide what information you want to gather. Get your planning

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committee together ahead of time and develop a list. The official Rivers Alive tally sheet, available online at http://riversalive.org/final_tallyJonn.htm, asks for the following:

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The number of volunteers participating and the total number of volunteer hours worked,

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The number of trash bags, dump trucks, and/or pounds of trash collected,

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The most common and most unusual items collected,

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The amount of recyclable material salvaged, and The approximate size ofthe area cleaned (river/lake/wetland/coastland miles)

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You may wish to.create your own.data forqis to.collect extra information; for example, whether any

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animals are observed that have been injured by trash. Ifrecycling proceeds are given to charity, you

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may want to list the amount of money raised. Distribute your data collection forms to zone captains before the cleanup to allow them time to prepare.

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Publicize your accomplishments Everyone will be eager to see the results oftheir work, so compile your data as soon after the event as possible. Most importantly:

SUBMIT YOUR FINAL TALLY FORM

Rivers Alive wants to hear about your successful cleanup! Send us the information from your data

forms by filling out the on line final tally form at http://riversalive.org/jinal_tallyJorm.htm. We'll use

this information to document the statewide cleanup effort and to attract future sponsors. All data will

This be posted on the web site and a final report will created based on all river cleanup data.

report

will be made available by request for all participating groups. Groups that submit their final tally

forms may also qualify to receive a free watershed sign in recognition of their efforts.

Arrange for photos to be taken before, during, and after the event and publish them along with the

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totals. Contact the local media who helped you advertise before the cleanup and share your results; Be sure to recognize everyone in the community who made your success possible. Rivers Alive is happy to publish photos on our website; send them via email to barold_harbert@mail.dnr.state.gaus, or regular mail to:

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Rivers Alive C/O Barbara King DNR Environmental Protection Division 4220 International Parkway, Suite 101

Atlanta, GA 30354

Recognize Participants

Make your cleanup as enjoyable as possible for volunteers. Consider providing music-a local band

willing to play at the site or even a portable radio or two can lighten the mood and turn the work into

an enjoyable event. Locate a convenient shady spot where workers can rest, and provide seating &7.d

refreshments. Plenty of drinking water is a must, and local restaurants or grocery stores may be

willing to donate ice, juices, soft drinks, or snacks. Allow time at the end of the day for participants to

relax, socialize, and enjoy the fruits oftheir labor.



Ifpossible, give your volunteers a memento. Water-related buttons, stickers, or T-shirts are readily available (Rivers Alive provides free T-shirts bearing the official program logo to all groups that register before July 16, 2001), appropriate for almost everyone, and provide a sense of unity among workers. Recognize government officials, unions, businesses, and other organizations that cooperated with thank-you letters or certificates ofappreciation, perhaps including b~fore-and-after photos ofthe cleanup site so that they too can see what they helped to accomplish.

Evaluate your efforts

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When the event is completed, it is important to evaluate what you accomplished. It will help future

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planners to capitalize on your successes and avoid your mistakes. But you can't wait until the end of the event to thinkabout evaluation. An evaluation-committee should be chosen in the planning stage to monitor the entire sequence of events, noting what worked well and what went wrong. Poll your volunteers as they leave, either by providing a questionnaire or by simply having the zone captains ask their crews what they thought ofthe event. Within a week, get your committee together and make a

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list ofwhat went well, what needed improvement, and what, if anything, failed completely. What -127-

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problems did they have? What would they do to improve future events? The evaluation1committee

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should compile a final report ofwhat they've learned. With this report, you'11 be well on your way

toward an even more successful cleanup next year.

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RESOURCES

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The remaining pages of this manual contain checklists, sample forms, contact information, and other

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resources, which we hope you will find useful in planning your cleanup project.

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CLEANUP CAMPAIGN CHECKLIST (For Planners)

Contact Appropriate Local Government Officials for: Pickups by sanitation trucks o Permission to use municipal or county waste disposal facilities if all pickups are not being made by the sanitation department; if there is a fee to use the disposal site, ask that it be waived
for the cleanup period Traffic detoured if and when necessary a Police assistance with traffic if and when necessary a Special pickups for heavy items (furniture and appliances) a Police cooperation with junked car removal; if cars must be tagged before removal, follow
required procedure

Prepare Zone Map ofCommunity for Cleanup Crew Assignments Determine size of crew needed to clean each area a Determine transportation needs to get crews to and from their areas o Determine what additional litter pickups will be required in areas where sanitation department
will not be available Determine where crews will need portable sanitary facilities

Recruit Cleanup Volunteers a Where possible, assign crews to areas near their homes to eliminate need for transportation and
sanitary facilities a Be sure crews know when and where to assemble, and what equipment will be there Choose a"rain date" and define "rain" very precisely Ask college students or youth groups to survey outlying or sparsely populated areas to locate
items that may need to be trucked out

Secure Cooperation ofBusiness and Industry a Ask for donations oftrash bags, refreshments, and other equipment and loans of trucks and
buses. a Be sure that contributors get adequate credit for their donations in cleanup publicity.

Publicize the Event . List time and locations for trash pickups Give a telephone number where people can call for information, to volunteer, or to report
heavily littered areas Urge residents to clean their own property and/or businesses at the time the community event is
taking place

Coordinate Volunteers

Appoint zone captains for each crew and see that they have a grid map with their assigned area

clearly marked, a schedule of pickup times, and a written description of transportation

arrangements

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Supply each crew member with several large trash bags and make it clear where each crew is to

leave filled bags for pickup

See that volunteers wear heavy gloves and are adequately supplied with rakes and shovels to

handle compacted trash

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Follow-up

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Write thank-you letters to all cooperating government officials, unions, businesses, and

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organizations

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If possible, reward all volunteers with a button, decal, or other small item showing they helped

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in the cleanup

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The information for this checkl.ist was provided courtesy ofKeep America Beautiful, Inc, Mill River

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Plaza, 9 West Broad Street, Stamford, CT 06902.

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VOLUNTEER SAFETY GUIDELINES (For Planners and Zone Captains)

What should volunteers bring? Some simple tools can make a volunteer's job safer and easier. A trash poker, ~sed for picking up paper and aluminum cans, alleviates much of the bending over to pick up trash and reduces the amount of handling. One can be made by partially inserting a nail into the end of a wooden dowel or broomstick handle and then cutting off the head of the nail with wire cutters. Instruct volunteers to be careful when using the poker and always hold the sharp end towards the ground. Also, be careful not to puncture aerosol cans with the poker, as they may explode or emit harmful chemicals. Another useful tool is a pair of long tongs, such as barbecue tongs. These can be used for picking up pieces of broken glass and other objects.

What should volunteers wear?

High-topped work b6ots with non-skid soles will help prevent slips and falls. NO TENNIS SHOES!

Long pants are a must, and a long sleeved shirt is advisable. The coordinator should have several pairs

of heavy-duty work gloves available for volunteers who do not bring their own. During hunting

season, brightly colored clothing should be worn. Your local Department ofTransportation may be

able to provide orange vests for volunteers to wear. Sunscreen should be applied to prevent

overexposure to harmful UV rays, and insect repellant should be applied before going into the field

during certain times of the year. Ifpublic announcements are used for recruiting volunteers,



information concerning proper attire should be included.

Will there be poison iry?

ll

There will most likely be poison ivy at your cleanup site. Be aware that it starts losing its leaves in

,i' l

October in Georgia, making it harder to spot, but it is still possible to have an allergic reaction to the bare vines. Prevention is always the best policy. Gloves, long pants tied at the top of boots, and long sleeved shirts can help prevent exposure. Make sure volunteers are able to identify poison ivy {and poison oak, poison sumac, and stinging nettle if these grow in your area) and advise them to wash all

clothing and equipment as soon as they get home. Ifexposure does occur, flush the area with large

amounts of cool water as soon as possible. Poison ivy rashes can be treated with many over-the-

counter ointments.

What about ticks?

i[
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Ifyour cleanup site is in a wooded or brushy area, tick exposure is likely. Light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to spot, and pants tied or tucked into boots and commercial tick repellants will help to reduce the probability ofbites. DEBT, permethrin (Permanone, Duranon, etc), and sulfur powder are good tick repellents, but must be used with care, especially on children. Volunteers should be

advised to check themselves carefully for ''passengers" when they get hotne, paying special attention

to the scalp and using a mirror to check the back and any other hard-to-see areas. Clothing should be

shaken and washed immediately. If an attached tick is found, it should be grasped firmly with

tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pulled out. The area should then be washed with soap and

water, checking to make sure that no mouthparts remain embedded in the skin, and an antibiotic salve

applied. Ticks can carry disease, so if a rash or flulike symptoms appear within a month after the bite,

medical help should be sought immediately.

Can volunteers work alone?

It is best ifvolunteers work in groups of three or more. Ifone person is injured, one can stay with the

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injured person while the other goes for help.

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What ifsomebody gets hurt?

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In the case of severe injury, the first priority is to stabilize the victim. One person should go for help

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while another stays with the injured person. The coordinator should be notified as soon as possible. If

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a volunteer has a minor injury, the zone captain should be notified. The zone captains will have first aid kits. Ideally, each group of volunteers should have someone trained in first aid, preferably the zone.

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captain. To obtain training and certification in first aid, contact your local Red Cross office; which can

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be found at http:":Ww.redcross.org.



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What should be in the first aid kit?

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A good first aid kit should contain the following:

Telephone numbers of emergency personnel such as the police and ambulance service

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First aid manual which outlines diagnosis and treatment procedures

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Disposable gloves

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Bandages for minor .cuts

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Gauze pads 3 and 4 inches square for deep wounds with excessive bleeding 1 or 2 inch roll of adhesive tape for holding bandages in place, covering blisters, and taping

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sprained ankles

.

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Needle for opening blisters and removing splinters

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Tweezers

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Single-edged razor blade for cutting tape to size and shaving hairy spots before taping 12-inch roll of gauze bandage for large cuts

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Butterfly bandages for closing cuts

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Triangular bandage for large wounds, splints, or slings

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Large compress bandage to hold dressings in place

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3-inch-wide elastic bandage for sprains and applying pressure to bleeding wounds

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Antibiotic salve Hand sanitizer (may also be used to sanitize instruments before and after use; let dry between

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uses)

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Clean water should also be available for washing wounds;

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What about large drums or other suspicious-looking containers? Don't touch them. While most ofthe trash encountered can be safely removed by volunteers, there are

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items to be avoided. Large drum-type containers, which may contain hazardous wastes, and any other

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suspicious-looking containers such as hospital wastes or explosives should be reported to the zone

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captain, who should then inform the proper authorities. Workers should not attempt to lift heavy

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objects without sufficient help.

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What else should be avoided?

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Volunteers may encounter animals, for example dogs, bulls, or goats. The best policy is to leave them

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alone. Debris piles and vegetated areas may contain snakes, hornets, and wasps and should be

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approached with caution. Avoid trespassing on private property.

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WHAT TO WEAR AND BRING (For Volunteers)

What should I wear? o High-topped work boots with non-skid soles o Hat or scarf for sun protection o Long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. For extra protection against poison ivy and ticks, tuck pants into boots or tie the bottoms.
Tip: during hunting season, wear a bright orange vest or other brightly colored clothing.

What should I bring?

o Heavy duty work gloves

o Trash poker

Tip: make one by partially inserting a nail into_the end of a wooden dowel or broomstick handle

and then cutting offthe head of the nail.



o Pair oflong tongs (BBQ style)

o Insect repellant (DEET, permethrin or sulfur powder will help repel ticks)

o Sunscreen

o Phone number to call in case of emergency

o Completed medical information form

Signed volunteer agreement form

o Signed parental consent form for volunteers under 18 years of age

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Georgia River Cleanup

SIGN IN SHEET FOR RIVER CLEANUP

Please read these safety procedures carefully and sign below:

1. Never work alone. 2. Always wear work gloves, shoes, and protective clothing. 3. Know the location of the first aid kit at your site. 4. Be careful when handling broken glass, sharp objects, aerosol cans, and
containers with chemical residue. When in doubt, DON'T PICK IT UPI 5. Be on the lookout for snakes, wasps, and hornets in debris piles or
vegetated areas. 6. Look out for poison ivy and poison oak. 7. Do not disturb any large drum-like containers. Report locations of these to
the zone captain. 8. Use common sense about lifting heavy objects. Get help. Don't try to
remove objects that cannot be removed safely. If necessary, report location to the zone captain. 9. Stay clear of dogs, bulls, goats, and other animals. 10. Report any accidents or injuries to the zone captain immediately.

I have read the above safety procedures which I am to follow while participating in the river cleanup event. I acknowledge that I am voluntarily participating in this event and that I am responsible for my own safety. In case of an emergency, please contact the person listed on the form.

Note: Do not sI.an on the back 0 f th.Is sheet. Useadd1'f1ona cornes ofth1s ionn.

Name and Address (PRINT)

Person to call in case of an emergency (Name and Phone #)

Participant's Signature

1.

2.

3.

4.
-
Area: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Zone Captain: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Page _ _ Of
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G)

Georgia River Cleanup

RELEASE & WAIVER FORM

Please read this form carefully, and ask any questions that you may have before you sign it.

I understand that my participation in the Georgia River Cleanup may involve activities including (a) cleaning up stream and river banks that may be steep and hazardous, (b) canoeing in or wading in streams or rivers that may contain strong currents or uneven bottoms, (c) cleaning up near highways or roads that may have motor vehicle traffic, (d) cutting vegetation with sharp tools, (e) picking up broken glass, rusty cans, and other potentially dangerous trash, and (f) cleaning up in or near a stream or river that ll!~Y .contain harmful pollutants.

I understand and acknowledge that my participation in any of these activities is completely voluntary. I also understand that I will select the activities in which I will participate, and that it is my responsibility to choose activities that I can handle. I further understand that at any time during the Cleanup, I can choose to do another activity that I may feel more comfortable performing.

I acknowledge that I am in good health. I agree not to participate in any activities that are beyond my physical capacity. I agree not to engage in any activities that are in or near a water body at my cleanup site if I cannot swim or if I have any open cuts or sores.

I understand that the Cleanup is a potentially dangerous activity. Nonetheless, I

assume all risks associated with participating in the Cleanup. I understand that these

risks include, but are not limited to, those risks (a) that are listed in paragraph one, (b)

that are associated with travel to and from my Cleanup :;ite, (c} that involve natural

events such as the weather or conditions of the river or stream, and (d) that involve

Cleanup equipment such as canoes, waders, life jackets, or cutting tools. I assume

these risks knowing that during the Cleanup (a) I could suffer serious bodily injury or die,

(b) I will probably receive cuts and abrasions, and (c) I could easily lose personal



property such as watches or jewelry.

I waive and release the sponsors, organizers, Cleanup volunteers, and Cleanup site property owners from all actions, liabilities, damages, and claims of any kind that relate to my participation in the Cleanup. I understand and acknowledge that my release and waiver also binds my heirs, administrators, executors, personal representatives, and assigns; I also understand and acknowledge that my release and waiver applies to the following: (any and all present or future demands, actions, causes of action, liens of any kind, costs,expenses, debts, liabilities, judgments, sums of money, damages, or claims of any kind or character that in any way relate to my participation in the Cleanup) that I may have against the following: (any and all sponsors, organizers, volunteers, and Cleanup site owners involved in the Cleanup, as well as the affiliates, directors, officers, trustees, employees, representatives, or agents of such sponsors, organizers, volunteers~ and site owners).

-137-

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RELEASE & WAIVER (cont.)

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I further agree to hold the sponsors, organizers, volunteers, and site owners harmless and to indemnify them against all actions, causes of action, claims or

0

demands, liabHities, damages, expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees,

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judgments and costs with respect to any injuries, death, or other damages or losses,

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resumng from my voluntary participation in the Cleanup.

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I understand and agree that if I am injured during the Cleanup, the organizers or

0

other volunteers of the Cleanup may render medical or other services to me, or request

0

that others provide such services. I understand further that by taking such action, the organizers and volunteers are not admitting any liability to provide or to continue to

0

provide any such services and that such action is not a waiver by the organizers or

0

volunteers of any rights under my release and waiver. I acknowledge and agree that

0

should I require transport to a medical facility with respect to any injuries suffered as a result of my participation in the Cleanup, that I am financially responsible for such

0

transportation and medical treatment costs. I also acknowledge that if I am injured

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during the Cleanup, it is my responsibility to seek appropriate medical care and to notify

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the Cleanup organizers.

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I VOLUNTARILY AGREE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CLEANUP. I HAVE

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READ THIS FORM OR HAVE HAD IT READ IT TO ME. I UNDERSTAND AND

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AGREE TO ITS CONTENTS. I HA VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS

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AND MY QUESTIONS HA VE BEEN ANSWERED TO MY SATISFACTION.

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Participant's Signature

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Printed Name.

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Date: - - - - - - - -

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If participant is under 18 years of age, parent/leg~/ guardian must sign below:

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I am the parent/legal guardian of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Participant) and I hereby

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consent to his/her participation. I have read, understand and hereby agree on behalf of

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myself and the Participant to the terms set forth above.

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Parent/Legal Guardian's Signature

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_Printed Name

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Date: - - - - - - - -

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.,.138- 0

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WHAT TO RECYCLE AND HOW TO PREPARE IT

Glass: Bottles, jars, and jugs. Remove tops and rinse out. Separate by color

(green, brown, and clear). Labels do not need to be removed. Bi-metals: "Tin and steel" food cans in all sizes sho.uld be rinsed out for return.

Labels do not have to be removed.

Papers: Recycle by grade. Computer, office file stock, newsprint, and

corrugated cardboard.

Plastics: There are two common types of recyclable plastic. Containers need to

be cleaned and flattened. Tops have to be removed, but labels do not.

1. PETE (polyethylene terephthalate}-soda and other "soft plastic" bottles.

2. HDPE (high-densitypolyethylene)--plastic milk, water,juice, and some other

"hard plastic" bottles.

Metals:: Aluminum cans, radiators, appliances, and scrap metals (iron, aluminum,

brass, copper, zinc, lead, stainless steel). Higher prices are normally paid for

these materials when returned clean.



Auto Batteries: Batteries are a hazardous waste and are illegal to landfill in most

areas. Take old batteries to a buy-back center, service center, or auto parts

retailer. Do not ever throw batteries away!

Used oil: Used motor oil should be taken to a local service station or oil

collection center. Do not contaminate the oil with any other substances.

Organic wastes: Vegetable scraps, leaves, yard brush, and grass clippings can be

composted for soil conditioning or mulching instead of taking up valuable landfill

space. Contact your County Extension Office or Soil Conservation District for

more information about home composting.

WHERE TO RECYCLE IT
Recyclables can be returned to: buy-back centers, which pay current prices for materials, drop-offor convenience centers, where you can drop off your recyclables alongside regular solid waste, or various charitable organizations, which collect them for fundraisers.
To locate your nearest recycling centers, visit http://www.cleanup.org.

-139-

IMPORTANT CONTACT NUMBERS

Department of Community Affairs http://www.dca.state.ga. us/

404-679-4840

Keep Georgia Beautiful http://www.KeepGeorgiaBeautiful.org

404-679-4910

Pollution Prevention Assistance Division http://www.p2ad.org/

404-651-5120

Wildlife Resources Division http://www.ganet.org/dnrlwildl

912-994-1438

Environmental Protection Divis.ion http://www.ganet/org/dnr/environ/

1-888-EPD-5947 or 404-657-5947

Air Protection Branch http ://uam.air.dnr.state.ga. u s /

404-363-7006

Natural Resources Conservation Service

706-546-2272

http://www.ga.nrcs.usda.gov/georgia.html

U.S. Anny Corps of Engineers, Environmental Division http://hq.environmental.usace.army.mil/index. html

Hazardous Waste Management Branch

404-656-7802

Water Protection Branch

404-675-6232

Industrial Wastewater Unit

404-362-2680

Solid Waste Management Program

404-362-2692

EPD Emergency Response

1-800-241-4113 or404-656-4863

Sewage Spill

404-362-2680

Water Resources Management

404-656-3094

EPA Acid Rain Hotline

202-233-9620

Georgia Adopt-A-Stream

404-675-1639 or 404-675-1636

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a

Litter We. Know

Objectives
Students will (1) identify and evaluate ways that litter pollution can endanger wildlife, and
(2) propose ways to help eliminate these dan-
gers to humans and wildlife.
Method
Students collect and evaluate litter, making collages.
Materials
Large sheets of poster board for mounting collages, glue, different types of litter collected,
work gloves, trash bags
Background
Litter can be very harmful to wildlife that comes in contact with it. Discarded fishing line can trap the legs, wings, or beaks of waterfowl such as geese and herons. When the fishing line
wraps around its beak, a bird cannot feed itself

Fish, birds, and other animals may also get
trapped into the loop portions of plastic six_.
pack can holders. Many times animals will
become trapped in the loops and then cannot
feed themselves. If the animals get the loops tangled around their feet, they will not be able
to escape from predators.
Broken glass from bottles and other glass objects can injure people, pets, and wildlife. Half-open cans also can be a problem for some animals. Smaller animals in search of food often get their heads stuck inside such cans and jars. Plastic items and bottle caps may be eaten by wildlife, including fish, thus injuring or killing them. Cigarette butts, cellophane wrappers, and polyurethane cups, when eaten by deer and other wildlife, can cause internal problems.
In some cases, animals have learned to take advantage of litter. Animals will come into urban areas or areas with discarded food to feed on the litter and garbage. This intrusion puts the animals and humans in danger.
Much of the waste that is thrown away can be
reused or recycled. Improvements in product packaging can help reduce unnecessary waste, and proper disposal methods can help eliminate potential dangers to wildlife.
Contact your state wildlife agency, or other state agencies, for additional information about problems resulting from litter. Local cleanup campaigns, recycling organizations, and animal
welfare organizations may also be able to assist
you in considering alternatives for reducing litter problems.

p r O j e ct W I LO I( - 1 ~ Cu r r i cu I u m a n d A ct i vi t y G u id e
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o.

!-; Sustaining . Fis.h....a..n.d....W ...I.i.d..i.i.f.e....R..e..s.o..u.r..c.e..s.....................i"i t .r.. ;;,~. 1e .; "o~ 0
0

Procedure

Extensions

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l. Divide the class into three or four groups.

I. Research local and state laws reg~ding

0

2. Ask each.group to bring a collection of litter to class in a paper bag. Suggest the students

recycling. Determine how those laws affect wildlife.

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look in parks, camping areas, school grounds,

2. Is the~e a litter cleanup program in your

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or any other area where they will have per-

community? If yes, learn more about it.

0

mission to collect trash. Advise students to

If not, find out why not.

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wear work gloves. Caution them about haz-
ards such as broken glass and medical wastes. Aquatic Extensions

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NOTE: They should not take things out of

1. Focus specifi.cally on litter that can be

0

garbage cans.

potentially harmful to aquatic wildlife.

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3. Have the groups make and display collages of these items.

2. Consider what happens to garbage that is

0

dumped into the ocean. Where off the coast

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- 4. Discuss the effects of litter. OPTIONAL:
Ask a wildlife specialist to join the class for the discussion. If available, show a film or read brochures on the subject.

of the United States is this done? What

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towns and cities contribute to this ocean

0

dumping? Where does the garbage go? How

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are coastal towns .affected by this? How is

wildlife affected by this? When considering

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5. Ask the students to assign a numerical value

the impact on wilcllife, think about any

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to each kind of litter. The item potentially

possible effects on the wildlife's food, water,

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. most harmful to wildlife has the highest score; the least harmful has the lowest score.

. shelter, and space. Are there regulations affecting the dumping of garbage into the

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6. Have each group figure a total score for the collage using the numerical values of each-

seas? If so, are they enforced?
3. Plan a "Volunteers for Wildlife" cleanup

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piece of litter.

program.

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7. Propose and evaluate ways that people can eliminate litter pollution. For example, can

Evaluation

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manufacturers devise another method of

1. Identify four ways that litter can harm

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packaging six-packs? Could companies pro-.

wildlife.

.

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duce plastic six-pack holders that would
deteriorate? How could people fishing have more control over losing their fishing line?

2. Identify three things people can do to lessen

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the effects of litter on wildlife.

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well How can individuals be instructed aboqt
the dangers as as the unsightliness of littering? What progress has been made in

3. Propose what you consider to be one of the

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most effective ways to eliminate or reduce
litter. Explain why you think this proposal

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recent years? What actions still are needed?

would be effective.

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What can students do personally-as indi-

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viduals, as groups, and as family units-

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to eliminate or reduce their own litter?

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0

For Project WILD K-12 Education Activity Guide:

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1983, 1985, 1992 Council for Environmental Education. Reprinted with permission from Project WILD, Project WILD K-12 Education A~tivity Guide. The complete activity guide can be obtained by attending a Project WILD workshop. For more

0 0

information, contact the National Project WILD Office at 713.520.1936.

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0 C o u n c i I . f o. r E n v i r o n m e n t a I E d u c a t i o n 2 .o O 1

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