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DRBC Teaches Kids About Watersheds

DRBC was once again pleased to participate in the 16th annual HydroMania, a fun-filled water festival attended by over 1,000 elementary school students, teachers, and chaperones at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa. earlier this month.

This educational event, which is organized by the Lehigh Valley Water Suppliers, Inc., aims to generate curiosity, excitement, and understanding about current water issues, resulting in a lifetime of watershed-friendly water-use habits.

The third and fourth graders spent their time on campus in hands-on classroom activities and visiting various outdoor exhibits under a huge tent as they tried to answer various water-related questions posed to them on a scavenger hunt form. DRBC staff helped the students to be able to answer the question, “Do we live in a watershed?” using a map of the Delaware River Basin and the commission’s Enviroscape watershed model. This model teaches the students about different sources of non-point source pollution found in runoff especially after heavy rains and what we can do to help keep our waterways clean.
DRBC's Denise McHugh poses with Dewey, the mascot of HydroMania. Photo by DRBC.DRBC's Clarke Rupert uses the Enviroscape model to show kids about various sources of non-point source pollution. Photo by DRBC.DRBC's Denise McHugh has an attentive audience as she demonstrates how runoff from a factory can affect water quality. Photo by DRBC.Part of the DRBC display at HydroMania includes a large map of the Delaware River Basin so kids get an idea of how large the watershed is and understand that we all live in a watershed. Photo by DRBC.DRBC's Denise McHugh asks the kids if they've ever seen fencing around a construction site; if so, what does it do? Photo by DRBC.Denise then makes it rain on the construction site, showing what happens to the dirt if it is not properly contained on site by fencing; it goes to the river! Photo by DRBC.HydroMania mascot Dewey is learning a lot about preventing water pollution from DRBC's Clarke Rupert. Photo by DRBC.After the demo is complete, DRBC's Clarke Rupert asks the kids what do they think they can do to keep the river clean. Photo by DRBC.