By Natalia Bayona, Watershed Educator
Our education team enjoyed one of the most successful spring semesters yet! Some major milestones were met—we welcomed volunteers to the program for the first time ever, expanded our stormwater pollution curriculum, and facilitated nearly 100 school programs in just one semester! In total, we reached over 1,300 students this school year, with the majority of programming taking place in the spring. We engaged students across 14 communities in learning about local biodiversity and solving problems like stormwater pollution and extreme heat in the classroom, at sites along the river, and at local parks.
In alignment with Next Generation Science Standards, we expanded our stormwater pollution curriculum by using the engineering design process to develop local solutions to stormwater and trash pollution with students. Students created PSAs about ways to solve stormwater pollution at their school and designed storm drain models using recyclables. Some students also surveyed their school to find ways to reduce flooding and extreme heat. Through new partnerships with schools in Everett and Cambridge, we facilitated multi-part engineering programs with over 300 students!
Students from Ammon Lewis’ 5th grade class at the International School of Boston in Cambridge test out their storm drain model
PSAs designed by 7th grade students in Frank Zizzo’s Global Scholars class at Andrews Middle School in Medford
A PSA designed by 7th grade students from Patrick Sullivan’s 7th grade engineering class at Lafayette Middle School in Everett
We visited the Mystic Lakes Dam with students from new partner schools in Somerville and Cambridge who, like many local youth, have never visited the dam or seen the diversity of wildlife in their own backyard. Some students from the Unidos Program at East Somerville Community School were surprised to learn how much wildlife the river supported after visiting Blessing of the Bay Park in April:
“Gracias Señora Bayona, yo aprendí que en las aguas hay muchos animales chiquitos viviendo en el agua. Yo nunca sabía eso también cuando lo vi se miraba bien raro porque no se podía ver de lejos y a veces te bañas en los lagos y no vas a saber que hay animales en el agua. También yo nunca había usado binoculares y se miraba bien bonito.”
Thank you, Ms. Bayona. I learned that in the waters there are many small animals living in the water. I never knew that too when I saw them, they looked very strange because you couldn't see them from afar, and sometimes you bathe in the lakes and won’t know that there are animals in the water. Also I had never used binoculars and (everything) looked very nice. - 7th grade student
Students from the Unidos Program at East Somerville Community School in Somerville sample water at Blessing of the Bay Boathouse for aquatic macroinvertebrates
We thank our many volunteers who show immense support for this program and look forward to expanding our reach next year. We recently received grants from Boston Scientific, the Cummings Foundation, and the United States Forest Service (USFS) that will allow us to offer more programming and develop partnerships in new communities with help from interns and local educators. If you are interested in bringing the Mystic River to your classroom or youth group, contact our Watershed Educator Natalia at natalia.bayona@mysticriver.org.
