What are Washington students being taught about sustainability?

What does the term “sustainability education” mean? At a teacher workshop that I co-led last week, we explored the meaning and ways to accomplish environmental and sustainability education in the teacher's classrooms.The goal of our workshop was to get teachers excited about using tools in their classroom that would facilitate this learning by adhering to state adopted Integrated Environmental and Sustainability Standards. The key word here is “integrated”. It is not intended for a separate assessment of student learning in environmental and sustainability education to be created. In fact, environmental and sustainability education is required in Washington State and is required to be taught in an interdisciplinary manner aiding in the assessment of other core content standards.

Back to the sustainability question, the first definition came from the 1987 UN Brundtland Report, “Our Common Future”. Sustainability was defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”. Using this rule of thumb, teachers can more easily see the need for systems thinking in order to move toward the goal of satisfying the triple bottom line which recognizes the connected nature of ecological, the economic and social systems.

 Environment and sustainability education offers a rich and meaningful context for integrated teaching and learning. In 2007 The Washington legislature called for a report to be completed to assess the impact that environmental education has on K-12 students. The culminating  report indicates a strong correlation between participation in EE and improved academic achievement. Strong evidence is shown that EE increases math and science achievement. As a result of these findings, the Office of Public Instruction convened a committee of teachers, administrators, and community educators to develop the Washington Integrated Environmental and Sustainability Education Learning Standards which were adopted July, 2009. A corresponding Environmental and Sustainability Literacy Plan was created in July, 2011.

The standards indicate what students should know and be able to do in three areas of environmental and sustainability education. Teachers attending our workshop got to experience hands on activities that can easily support these three standards as well as move toward completion of core standards required in science and social studies. 

• The first standard builds on the interconnectedness of the three bottom line areas: ecological, social and economic systems. Ecological systems encompass the living and nonliving components of the environment.  Social systems refer to human interactions including culture and politics with the emphasis on fairness. Economic systems refer to the production, distribution and consumption of resources. An activity about comparing tap water versus bottled water gives an opportunity to examine all of the systems.
• Standard two gets students outside to observe both the natural world and the human built environment. Students are urged to think critically about how the human built environment can be designed or modified to promote ecological health while learning about relevant environmental issues. Students observing a wetland or a stream and assessing its ecological health will make this a real experience.
• Standard three gives students an opportunity to act upon knowledge and experience referred to in standards one and two. Students should be able to envision a sustainable world and articulate the changes needed. They will achieve habits of mind which includes flexibility, commitment, appreciation, humor, confidence and determination. These habits of mind are built by  "on the ground experiences" such as planting trees near a stream or teaching others about what they have learned.

Since 1990 when legislation first created the WAC stating that environmental education would be included as part of basic education to all grade levels in an interdisciplinary manner, Integrated Environmental and Sustainability Learning Standards have been needed. As teachers learn about these standards and incorporate them into their school curriculum, our students will move toward becoming citizens with the habit of mind to create a more sustainable world.

Fascinating Critters in the Buck Lake Beaver Pond

Who knew that squinting through a tiny toy microscope could be so much fun?
North Kitsap fourth graders got to learn how to see the critters that live in the beaver pond up close during their field trip to Buck Lake this Spring.

Fourth grade science girls

I just wound up my 17th or 18th (lost count) year helping with these field trips organized by Ken Shawcroft from Hansville Greenway Association. The students brave the weather (although never dressed for it) and tromp out almost a mile to the Quiet Place on the Buck Lake nature trail.

Buck Lake Nature Trail

You can imagine how awed they are as they turn a corner on the trail and this avenue of trees opens up for them. Feeling like they are in a storybook, they follow the hushed trail. Turning another corner, they reach the Quiet Place platform where they are greeted by the scene of floating islands. My group of hikers spent a few minutes just gazing at the pond.  They picked out wetland plants that they could identify. Cattails, sedges, skunk cabbage and even Labrador Tea. One girl remarked that she wished she was a frog so she could jump from one lily pad to another.

view from the quiet place

I, donning my high boots, trudge out into the water. I scoop up water into white tubs and then I drag my homemade net though the vegetation growing out of the water. The kids can hardly believe what I come up with. Caddisfly cases, tiny whirlygig beetles, crustaceans called scuds, damselfly larvae and, when I am really lucky I fish out an impressive looking dragonfly larvae. The kids vacillate from being totally grossed out and being so excited they can't wait to find more. They get the connection that what starts out as a strange looking water creature turns into a beautiful dragonfly that they see flitting about the water.

Learning by observation and personal discovery is the way to learn science. I am convinced that this experience will translate into excitement about  science and a greater appreciation for wetlands and wild places. What other critter can kids catch so easily and can be observed so closely as the bugs in a pond?

Fourth Graders Celebrate Water at the Kitsap Water Festival

My message to kids and adults is that water is the most precious resource on our planet. Having abundant, clean water is both a privilege and a responsibility. That is why Fourth grade students in Kitsap are invited each year to attend the Kitsap Water Festival. The Water Festival  is a whole day of learning and celebration about water. This year, Kitsap Water Festival 2013 is April 16, 2013.

Splash is the official Water Festival Mascot

The first water festival was in September 1994.  Annie Phillips from the Department of Ecology attended the Groundwater Festival in Nebraska and thought a similar festival would be an innovative and worthwhile event for Washington. She approached Kitsap PUD and Washington Sea Grant with $5,000 seed money; and the Kitsap Water Festival was off and running. Kitsap PUD and Sea Grant have remained involved throughout the years. Kitsap County Public works was soon a strong supporter. A team of committed supporters soon formed and have remained part of the planning team throughout the Water Festival’s 19 year history. 

 Students are selected by their schools districts to attend.  1200 students from five Kitsap school districts, private schools and home school groups will attend the festival this year.  Education experts, environmental professionals, storytellers, entertainers and members of the community make this a fun and memorable experience. Fourth grade students, their teachers and parent chaperones will arrive at the Kitsap Fair Grounds and receive a schedule for the day. They will attend presentations, free time exhibits and a magic show. Students will learn about the water cycle, streams, wetlands, fish and the Puget Sound. They will discover how to use our water resources wisely.

Jeff Adams from WA Sea Grant teaches kids about sea critters

Some of the exciting and valuable presentations at the festival are Killer Whale Tales, Morning Flush n’ Brush, Tidy Storm Drains, Tree Cookies and the Frog Chorus. Students make fish prints and play Dripial Pursuit with a real Water Wizard.

Kathleen Cahall from Bremerton Water Utilities talks to kids about our Water Cycle

Steffan Soule, nationally known magician, performs four shows throughout the day.  Students are fascinated by his sleight of hand while learning valuable lessons about the importance of water and the responsibility for caring for the resource.

Steffan Soul wows the audience with his performance

Fin the migrating Salmon visits the Festival each year. Fin is a 25’ crawl through Salmon that the kids tour during their free time. The paintings inside depict the Salmon migration story. Fin is rented from North Olympic Salmon Coalition.

students enter Fin the Migrating Salmon

Over 100 volunteers are an essential part of the festival. They make sure that the students get to presentations on time and help presenters with their activities. These volunteers are community members; some have been with the Festival since its inception.  Volunteers are rewarded by receiving an official Water Festival t-shirt. 

Our Wizard signing in with Laurelin Ward from Silverdale Water District

District busing to the festival is sponsored by the Kitsap Water Purveyors. The festival planning team includes Kitsap Utility District, Kitsap County Public Works Solid Waste, Wastewater, Surface and Storm Water Management, Silverdale Water District, Kitsap Public Health District, Manchester Water District, Washington Sea Grant, Parametrix, Inc. West Sound Utilities and the City of Bremerton.

 At the end of the day, the students, teachers and parents will go home with a better appreciation of water and will be inspired to protect our most important resource.

Volunteers are always welcome and needed at the Festival. Check out the Festival web site for details.

USGS Study to Answer Water Questions in Kitsap

As KPUD water educator, I am frequently asked; “Are we going to run out of water?”;  “Is there going to be enough groundwater for our future?”  KPUD measures aquifer levels and stream flows and tracks precipitation though out Kitsap County. Our collected data indicates that we are not going to run out of water anytime soon. However, it became clear to us that a larger more comprehensive study is warranted. This is why water purveyors located on the Kitsap Peninsula contracted with the United States Geologic Survey to build a characterization and numerical simulation model of the water resources of the peninsula.  We refer to this modeling as the Ground Water Model. This model will ultimately give us a static picture of what our water resources look like under average conditions and will also be able to be manipulated to show how any unexpected change, such as population growth or reduced rain fall will affect our groundwater supplies. 

Wendy Welch and Mark Savoca, both hydrologists from USGS, gave us an update on the project at the February WaterPAK meeting. The area being modeled consists of 700 acres, mostly in Kitsap County. The area is mostly bordered by water.  USGS is on track midway in what will be a five year project. A web site has been set up that will contain the data and results of the study.  After hearing the update, I can appreciate the time it is taking to build this model.

The skeleton of the project
Wendy outlined how she has nearly completed building a cross section of the hydrogeology of the peninsula. Wendy has looked at data from the well logs of 2,200 wells. She is sifting through 9,599 items and creating a database from the relevant information. This has to be done by hand. What a feat!!! From this data, she has isolated eleven hydrological units. This is a lot of layers and a lot of wells. By looking at this picture, we will be able to see where and at what depth are good water bearing materials and where they are absent.

Well levels
Water levels in 70 wells have monitored for the past two years. These wells are dispersed evenly throughout the peninsula and have been chosen to represent water levels in shallow, medium an deep aquifers. Most of these wells are domestic wells that are not being used or are used very minimally. Any fluctuations observed will be natural occurring and not caused through heavy withdrawal. The hydrograph of how water levels changed over the past two years is complete and will be published on the website. 

Stream base flows
One key point to the groundwater model is the relationship of surface water and groundwater. Streams in Kitsap have been monitored to determine a base flow discharge of groundwater to streams. The base flow measurements take place in late summer or early fall when runoff is at its lowest. At this time, the flow in the stream can be attributed to groundwater release.

Recharge
The modelers received accurate gridded precipitation information that enabled them to map how much rain falls on each portion of the test area. The map is overlaid with land use information and geologic data.  Putting together these factors, they can assess how much inflow or recharge the peninsula is receiving. For example, their data reflects that on average the recharge for the year 2000 was 24 inches. It was pointed out that this infiltration rate does not reflect water received from septic systems and possible leaky distribution pipes.

All of this data is put together, assigned numerical values and magically turned into a model that will  give us the groundwater picture here in Kitsap.  The model will help answer the question of how much water we have and will allow resource managers to better plan for the future.

Peter Senge Speaks at the E3 Statewide Summit

Last week at the E3 Washington statewide summit; teachers, businesspersons and environmental educators were given the opportunity to attend a presentation by Peter Senge.  Peter Senge is a MIT professor, and author of the Fifth Discipline. Peter’s relevant topic was building community through collaboration. True collaboration is strategic – members need each other. I took away several key points about collaboration and convening groups with diverse members.

Empathic listening
Peter quoted one of his students as defining listening as what he did while he was waiting to talk. Who is not guilty of this? What’s more, Peter points out that most of what we think we hear is not what is being said at all. It is the human condition, neither right nor wrong, to filter what we hear through our emotions. Peter suggests that we ask ourselves what is triggering our responses to what others are saying. Instead of arguing or checking out, Peter recommends that we ask for clarification. Use inquiry rather than advocacy.

Dialogue
Peter put forth the difference between discussion and dialogue. He describes discussion as being a ping pong game of volleying opinions.. Peter suggests that we strive for dialogue.  Peter explained that the word, dialogue, means “flow of meaning”. Replacing discussion with dialogue means engaging in inquiry based information sharing that result in better understanding between members.

Community building through practice
Peter ended the presentation with some practical guidelines for convening diverse groups.

• Ask who is not at the table and who needs to be included.
• Use the World Café method of seating participants at small tables conducive to conversation.
• Check in with participants at the beginning and the end of meetings.
• After a group decision has been made, ask what qualms members have about the decision. This “qualming” exercise can hint at problems that may come up in the future.
• Peter finds it valuable for members to take “learning journeys” together for first hand experiences. Traveling there and back offers time to process and learn from different viewpoints.
• Peer shadowing is another technique that Peter uses. Watching each other deal with day to day events illuminates others positions.

Striving for true collaboration using Peter’s guidelines offers a fresh and useful approach to community building between diverse members.  Thanks to E3 for bringing Peter Senge to the E3 State Summit.

Washington Cooperative Conservation Report Issued

The Partnership for Water Conservation has released a first ever report summarizing the activities of water conservation efforts by municipal water suppliers in Washington. Since the passage of the Municipal Water Law in 2003, water suppliers with more than 15 connections must implement conservation programs and track their progress toward greater water use efficiency. This report is important as Washington is one of the few states with water use efficiency rules in the nation.

The Partnership for Water Conservation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to enhancing water efficiency in Washington. The Partnership's Cooperative Conservation Report was written by a diverse team of Partnership members.This report analyses data collected from 153 utilities responding to water use efficiency regulations set forth by the Municipal Water Law. The analysis shows that billions gallons of water have been saved since the implementation of the law and that cost effective conservation opportunities are still available to utilities.

Read Cooperative Conservation: A Report on the Implementation of Washington's Water Use Efficiency Rule to learn about analysis of system leakage, conservations measures, water metering and the setting of water use efficiency goals.

I had the honor, as 2012 Chair of the Partnership Board, to present the team the Partnership 2012 Leadership Award for the completion of this report at the Partnership Membership meeting on January 10. Sincere gratitude goes to out to all involved in collecting data, researching, writing and editing this important product.

Debbie presenting award to Committee Chair Dan Muir

Partnership for Water Conservation Leadership Award

Debbie accepts the Partnership for Water Conservation 2012 Leadership Award.

I proudly accepted the 2012 Leadership award from the Partnership for Water Conservation at its quarterly membership meeting on January 10 at Bellevue City Hall. The Partnership is a nonprofit made up of over 80 water utilities, businesses and non-profits. The interests of the Partnership surround water resource stewardship. I have had the pleasure of serving on the Board for several years. During 2012 I served as Board Chair.


My award is for my role in the process of completely reorganizing the Partnership - top to bottom. I got the award, but thanks really goes out to the wonderful folks making up the 2012 Board. I had the pleasure working with seven committed Board members who formed the structure of Partnership 2.0.


Earlier this year, it became apparent that the mission of the Partnership was being outweighed by administrative responsibilities. When looking at ways to better serve our members, we decided to streamline the Partnership, making it a much more simple and user friendly organization. The Board identified that the Partnership exists to provide networking, collaboration and communication between diverse members to promote stewardship of water resources in Washington. We want the initiatives of the organization to come from the expressed desires of the members not the Board of Directors.




To best fulfill the purpose of the Partnership, we now hold quarterly networking meetings for our diverse members. Each meeting will include a presentation on a subject important to them. Opportunities for Partnership funded and sponsored projects will be identified and sought out from the members. The five member board acts as a steering committee to schedule quarterly meetings and facilitate the accomplishment of chosen projects.


I turned the chairperson gavel over to Mike Brent for the upcoming year, but the Partnership for Water Conservation has been turned over to the membership. This award will remind me of this eventful year and how we met our organizational challenges.