Water Wise II
Jenna Cummings, Assistant Director of Marine Studies
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As part of two funded grants in the amount of $10,000 from Southwest Florida Water Management District and Tampa Bay Water, students have been learning how to be "water wise." The objective of the Water Wise II project is to continue to enhance students', educators', and parents' understanding of the importance of local water quality and water conservation with sustainability in mind.
Each grade level in middle school has been involved in one or more parts of the project. Tthe goal is to continue the project each year, building on previous year successes.
Fifth grade students are studying the importance of wetland ecosystems and water quality. The students toured the South Cross Bayou Water Treatment Facility to learn about the water reclamation process and the important role freshwater conservation plays in our future. Studentswill be creating their own commercials and podcasts to promote water conservation, which will be shared with the community to increase awareness.
Sixth grade students have been tending an organic garden and learning about the importance of sustainable food production with water conservation in mind. This week, students will complete assembly of a hydroponic gardening system, which uses 50 % less water than traditional gardening. As part of their preparation, students visited Sweetwater Organic Garden in Tampa to learn about organic gardening and ways to reduce negative impacts on watersheds.
Seventh grade students have been learning about environmentally responsible food production. They are preparing to raise tilapia on campus in an aquaculture system. Students visited the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory to learn about the aquaculture process. In order to keep water use down, waste water from the aquaculture system is used to water the organic garden. The Florida Department of Agriculture is coming to Canterbury for a site inspection of the aquaculture system. Once permitted, students will be able to add and maintain the tilapia "nursery.".
Eighth grade students are helping maintain a solar still, which works by inputting brackish water from the creek and distilling it with heat from the sun. This provides freshwater for the native and organic gardens. The students learned about large scale desalination of water from a visit to the Tampa Bay Water Desalination plant in Gibeston, FL. Students will also help maintain rain barrels to capture rain water, which is utilized in the native and organic garden. This helps reduce storm water run off into the watershed and conserves water.
Marine Studies Club members have also been an integral part of the Water Wise projects. Club members in grades five and six hosted a Water Wise fair at the Hough Campus, and invited peers from Academy Prep to the Knowlton Campus for the fair. Students worked diligently to prepare for the big "Water Wise Fair." Club members researched and created their own stations such as Fish Guts, Beach Erosion, Wetland Protection, Florida Water Pollution, Wetland Watchers and Florida Fishing.
Club members in grades 7-8 are currently creating educational videos about each aspect of the project. Students are writing scripts and designing backgrounds. Topics range from water conservation to alternative freshwater resources to aquaculture and watershed protection. These videos will serve as a great educational resources.
Water wise grants have also allowed for the purchase of several classroom kits which enhance the science curriculum. The Enviroscape Coastal Model is being used in fifh gradeand at the Water Wise fairs. The table top aquaculture system is a great model for upper school students to observe and learn about the project.
Canterbury students across all grades are learning how to protect water as precious resource. Because the Tampa Bay Region continues to experience below normal rain fall with regional water supplies strained, everyone is encouraged to consider conserving freshwater.
