CONSERVATION EDUCATION

CONTACT CHRISTINE HANNEN FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR CONSRVATION EDUCATION PROGRAMS
(276) 628-8187 x 116  OR  christine.hrswcd@gmail.com 
 

Christine Hannen and Blue Ridge Corps SGA leaders conduct water cycle lesson. Photo courtesy of William Fields

THE HRSWCD EMPLOYS A FULL TIME CONSERVATION EDUCATION SPECIALIST

The Conservation Education Program serves all Washington Co. (and surrounding areas upon request) K-12 schools, home schools, local colleges, and youth/adult community organizations.  Watershed education is a major focus of the program with activities ranging from "What is a Watershed?" to water quality monitoring. 

PHILOSOPHY

On November 29, 2005 the Chesapeake Bay Executives adopted the Chesapeake Watershed Education Agreement.  This agreement refers to the significance of education to the efforts being made to "Save the Bay."  The VA Department of Education put the goals of this agreement on-the-ground when new Standards of Learning (SOLs) were added that included topics like watershed, non-point source pollution, and natural resource conservation.  Although we are not located in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, these new standards do apply to our students and teachers.  The HRSWCD employs professionally trained staff to assist the Washington Co. Public School System in not only teaching the conservation oriented SOLs but to provide Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences for all students before they graduate high school.  The Conservation Education Program also assists scouting groups with conservation projects/badges, VA Master Naturalist and Gardeners with water conservation workshops, and faith-based youth groups with rain barrel fundraisers.  We believe conservation is for everyone.  There is room for conservation education in everything we do and we're here to help you with any related events, activities, and questions. Through education, people have the ability to make choices that will reflect a respect for our natural resources and the future generations still to come.    

CONSERVATION EDUCATION IN VIRGINIA SOLs
These are just a few examples of what VA students are expected to learn:
*K - Water & energy conservation at home & in school helps preserve resources for future use
*1 - Factors that affect air & water quality
*2 - Plants prevent soil from washing away (erosion)
*3 - Patterns of natural events (water cycle)
*4 - Watershed and water resources
*5 - Karst geology
*6 - Major conservation, health, and safety issues associated with watersheds
*Life Science - Environmental issues (water supply & waste management)
*Earth Science - Identification of the major watershed systems in VA
*Biology - The effects of natural events on human activites on ecosystems

WE ALL LIVE IN A WATERSHED!

Have you ever noticed any of these bumper stickers on vehicles while driving around SWVA?  This sticker lets people know that you live near the Holston River.  In fact, if you were on a road trip, let's say to California, and you happen to see this sticker, then you would know that this person lives in SWVA, maybe even in Washington County!  Pretty cool!  Everyone lives in a watershed, which receives its name based on the body of water that the surrounding land drains into.  When it rains in Damascus, the runoff makes it way across the trails, farms, lawns, and roads to Beaver Dam Creek which is a tributary to the South Fork Holston River.  The South Fork meets up with the Middle & North Forks to form the much larger Holston River...

WATER FLOWS DOWNSTREAM.  WHERE DOES THE HOLSTON RIVER FLOW FROM HERE?
Holson River - Tennessee River - Ohio River - Mississippi River - Gulf of Mexico
 

IT'S A TEAM EFFORT!
So, this means that how we treat the Holston River watershed affects everyone downstream of us, all the way to the people in New Orleans at the mouth of the Mississippi River and the dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico.  We all live downstream of someone and we can protect their waterways simply by protecting those in our backyard.