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Marketing and University Communication UW-Green Bay, CL 815 2420 Nicolet Drive Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 (920) 465-2626 E-mail: hildebrs@uwgb.edu Last update: 9/27/07 |
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In
the News Archive - Year:
May 20, 2004 Watershed summit shows how students relate to science By Mike Hoeft
About 50 students from area high schools displayed posters Wednesday at
the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and discussed their projects with
fellow students and educators.
Megan Hokel, a senior at Markesan High School, responded with wide-eyed
zeal to a question about what exactly are benthos, and why would one study
them. Benthos, she said, refers to benthic invertebrates, animals such
as mudworms and clams that live on the bottom of streams.
"You dig them up in a D net. They have long lifespans — 1 to 3 years — and they don't migrate," Hokel said. That makes them good indicators
of a stream's quality. In a polluted environment, benthos would be replaced
by species more tolerant of pollution. Her group found the benthos critters
in an Omro-area stream.
Fei Yin Luk, a freshman at Green Bay Southwest High School, said her team
floated an orange down Duck Creek.
And the point?
"We learned about velocity over distance," she said. Fast-moving
water is less likely to have plant or animal life, she said.
"We also learned that rocks are slippery and not to fall in," added freshman Nicole Martin.
The first annual Watershed Symposium offered an opportunity for students
to display preliminary results of their hands-on research to the public
and to interact with water-quality experts, said program director Kevin
Fermanich, UW-Green Bay assistant professor.
Tim Ehlinger of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee told students that
when he was a kid, the Fox River was dead, with fish floating lifeless.
"Now it's much better," he said. But the river still faces difficult
challenges that will be up to the next generation to fix.
"You're able to be a part of the next step," he told them.
The monitoring program involved students and researchers from UW-Green
Bay, UW-Milwaukee, Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District, U.S. Geological
Survey and Oneida Nation. Schools included Green Bay Southwest, Appleton
East, Luxemburg-Casco and Markesan.
Each student team chose a sub-watershed in the Fox system for conducting
sampling and stream monitoring.
The monitoring program was financed by a $1.5 million grant from Arjo
Wiggins Appleton, a paper company, and is meant to provide long-term data
for predicting impacts on the ecosystem.
"We're proud of what the teachers and students accomplished in one
year," said Arjo Wiggins Appleton spokeswoman Christine Mangi.
UW-Green Bay emeritus professor Bud Harris said the program should provide
data that will help in making resource management decisions.
"But I'm more excited to see the kids integrating with the university.
Part of the goal is to help kids relate science to where they live,"
he said. "It might inspire some to become advocates."
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