Adopt a River
Through Adopt a River, the students will be immersed in a science project for the benefit of water. Using basic scientific equipment, they characterise their river by studying physicochemical and bacteriological parameters. They also learn to collect and identify macro-invertebrates used as biological indicators water quality. Already, environmental and youth groups are taking on this project, joining a vast network of schools involved in monitoring their river. This interactive project is aimed at students 10 to 15 years old but a new approach has also been developped for citizen and national parks vistors. Thanks to the project’s activities they have the opportunity to take action for the protection and improvement of their environment. To know more... Started by the Biosphère (Environment Canada) and taken on by the Education en Water Montoring Group ( EWAG), this project can be undertaken by any groups located close to a freshwater river. Youth in action! Students will have to choose a goal and describe a site. After these steps, the project has two main components. Macro-invertebrates The first part of the project consists in collecting and identifying benthic macro-invertebrates, small animals without backbone (mostly insects), that live on the riverbed. The data collected, such as the variety and number of specimens from different groups, provides clues as to the health of the river. Physicochemical and bacteriological analyses The second part of the project are the physicochemical and bacteriological analyses of the water. The parameters investigated include turbidity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, hardness, and the presence of coliform bacteria. Using the data we have gathered, we can diagnose the health of the river. Writing the report After the analyses, writing a report and posting it on the Internet mean that the results can be communicated to the rest of the world. Schools from Europe, Australia and the United States are participating in similar projects (RiverWatch, Adopt-a-Stream, WaterWatch,…) Regional coordinators Regional coordinators are organizations devoted to the conservation of their respective river ecosystems, environmental education, and community involvement. They are volunteering to ensure youth in their area have the chance to participate in this high quality bio-monitoring project.
