Below is an overview of our Education and Community Outreach activities.

Education

The Potomac Highlands Watershed School was created to increase understanding of important water quality and watershed issues in West Virginia's Potomac Highlands - and, by extension, much of Appalachia. The watershed school has lessons about watersheds, water pollution, and land-use planning. Regional issues underlie each lesson, and many are as relevant for adults as school children. For example, the pollution curriculum is based on West Virginia's efforts to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay. To learn more about the school, click here. Go to the school here. Hint: a fast connection helps. Another hint: click on objects and words to get "behind" the picture.

The Potomac Highlands Watershed School took first place in the North American Adobe/Tech Soup design contest for non-profits in the “Environmental Impact: Other Media” category. Adobe, as part of its corporate social responsibility commitment, provides products and training to non profit organizations to address critical issues in our communities. Adobe sponsored the contest to learn about the impact their software recipients are making through words, images, and design. Our internet based eSchool that owes its appearance and much of its personality to Adobe’s products. In their award letter, they wrote:

“Congratulations! Your project has been selected as a winner in the Adobe Show Your Impact contest! We were truly moved and inspired by the excellent work that you are doing and the positive impact that you are having on the community you serve.”

Environmental Forums

The 2010 Stream Cleaner Environmental Forum runs is over. Take a look by clicking on the phone in the High School. For over five weeks students will join classmates and students from other Chesapeake Bay watershed schools (from MD, DC, VA, WV) in exploring one of the most complex environmental problems ever to confront the United States - saving the Chesapeake Bay from decades of pollution. The lessons are posted now, and classes are strongly encouraged to begin the lessons as soon as they can. Click here to learn more about eForums or sign up to participate. Click here to see a participating school list and a map.
Participating schools also have a chance to receive technical and financial support to design and implement their own real-world best management practice projects - like these.

Oh Deer! 2009 ran from October 12 to November 20, 2009. It is in the final stage with classes from West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania preparing their consensus papers. Participating classes will seek a consensus approach to deer population management that strikes an acceptable balance between people, deer, and the environment. Take a look by clicking on the phone in the High School. *To help students visualize some problems caused by too many deer, we created a short Flash slide show about deer impacts on our forested lands (at right).

Click here to learn more about eForums or sign up to participate.

The 2009 Stream Cleaner Environmental Forum ran from March 9 to April 10, 2009. For over five weeks students joined classmates and students from other Chesapeake Bay watershed schools in exploring one of the most complex environmental problems ever to confront the United States - saving the Chesapeake Bay from decades of pollution. Participating schools also had a chance to receive technical and financial support to design and implement their own real-world best management practice projects - like these. 30 classes in four states (PA, VA, MD, WV) and DC signed up. Look at this Google Map to see where they were.

Stream Scholars Through the Years . . .

Stream Scholars is CI's hands-on exploration of stream ecology and conservation for middle and high school students.

Stream Scholars Summer Camp 2009 ran from July 20-24. The 7th Annual camp was a week of new experiences for middle school students who enjoyed hands-on exploration in stream ecology and conservation. The Scholars became Certified WV Save Our Streams water monitors, visited Washington D.C. for a Chesapeake Bay Foundation research cruise, and camped on the Potomac River near where it meets the Chesapeake Bay. Perhaps the most interesting experience was a special tour of George Washington’s Birth Place National Monument. The Scholars had an interesting look into the history of the Potomac and how West Virginia has been connected to the Bay since colonial times. They discussed George Washington’s visits to West Virginia with Ranger Riji (Rick) Morawe and his staff. The Scholars learned how Pope Creek, next to the Washington family’s farm, was 16’ deep in George Washington’s youth and deep enough to provide anchorage for sea going ships. Returning as an adult Washington was shocked by how Pope Creek had filled in so much it was no longer suitable for commercial traffic. President Washington wrote on how bad farming practices cause erosion, lose fertile top soil, and cause sedimentation. Today, Pope Creek is only 4’ deep.

CI's Stream Scholars Summer Camp 2008. In its sixth year, Cacapon Institute’s Stream Scholars Summer Camp had a great group of returning and new campers. As last year, the camp was held at Waites Run in Wardensville. For the fourth year, students had the opportunity to see the other end of the watershed with a trip down to the Chesapeake Bay on the last two days. They also met Senator Rockefeller and Congresswoman Capito in Washington DC, and planted a tree at Tyler Elementary School in downtown DC The trip was highlighted by a cruise on the 65 foot long R/V Aquarius (one of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory's research vessels).

CI's Stream Scholars Summer Camp 2007. In its fifth year, Cacapon Institute’s Stream Scholars Summer Camp had a great group of returning and new campers, and a move to Waites Run in Wardensville as our usual stream was too low to use. For the third year, students had the opportunity to see the other end of the watershed with a trip down to the Chesapeake Bay on the last two days. The trip was highlighted by a cruise on the 65 foot long R/V Aquarius (one of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory's research vessels).

CI's Stream Scholars Summer Camp 2006. In its fourth year, Cacapon Institute’s Stream Scholars Summer Camp was a mixture of exciting new experiences, a great group of returning and new campers, and a hopeful look at the future of our streams. For the second year in a row, students had the opportunity to see the other end of the watershed with a trip down to the Chesapeake Bay on the last two days. The trip was highlighted by a cruise on the 65 foot long R/V Aquarius (one of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory's research vessels).

CI's Stream Scholars Summer Camp 2005. In its third year, Cacapon Institute’s Stream Scholars Summer Camp was a mixture of exciting new experiences, new partnerships that expanded the scope of the camp, and a sobering look at the future of our streams if we fail to protect them. Due to popular demand, the third year expanded to five days.

CI's Stream Scholars Summer Camp 2004. Stream Scholars is an exciting hands-on exploration of stream ecology and conservation with professional scientists. Due to popular demand, the second year was expanded from three to four days.

CI's Stream Scholars Summer Camp 2003. Stream Scholars is an exciting hands-on exploration of stream ecology and conservation with professional scientists.

Potomac Headwaters Leaders of Watersheds (PHLOW)

The Institute has long had a presence in the schools in the watersheds where we work. We have staff whose primary job is to establish and maintain classroom and hands on programs to engage the interest and continuing participation of substantial numbers of students. We believe that, in the very long run, helping today's children to become stakeholders in the river and the watershed may be the most important thing we can do.

Program activities range from half-day events for an entire grade-level, to 45-minute interactive discussions for a single class. They are tailored to suit the needs of students. We schedule activities on a first-come-first served basis subject to the availability of funds, but usually there is no cost to the schools or students - thanks to grants from The MARPAT Foundation, the Spring Creek Foundation, the USEPA Environmental Education Grants program, and donations from the membership of Cacapon Institute. A partial list of activities available includes:

	Watershed Stewardship Fairs. During this three-hour activity, students rotate between concurrent mini-demonstrations given by local natural resource professionals. Total group size can range from 30 to 100 students. After the demonstrations, students participate in a panel discussion with the presenters. Best at the middle school level.
	Keep Well Water Study. This two-session activity takes place over three days. The students learn how to test for bacteria in their drinking water, conduct the test, and then analyze and discuss the results. Best for high school students.
	Around the Bend Students analyze mock water quality samples to deduce the condition of a river, and the likely human activities occurring “around the bend. ” Best for 9^th through 12^th grade.
	How Watersheds Work Uses a question-driven approach, and simple drawings to illustrate how water flows through a watershed, and how what people do within a watershed can promote or harm watershed functioning. Can be tailored to suit almost any grade level.

	Stream in an Envelope Water Quality Exercise. Students identify and tally amazing stream "critters" and then calculate a stream score using a standardized protocol. This leads to a discussion of factors affecting stream quality, watershed services and conservation, and the shared nature of water resources. Great for middle school students.
	Drawing Scientific Conclusions. Students analyze and graph locally-generated quantitative data on drinking water quality. A good way to learn about using scientific data, and how water relates to human health. Best for high school students.
	Making Science Real Summer Camp 2004. Campers used an inquiry-driven approach to exploring and understanding elements of the natural landscape - with hands-on, project-based activities to make science understandable. This program was offered in cooperation with Hardy County Schools.
	Making Science Real Summer Camp 2003. Campers used an inquiry-driven approach to exploring and understanding elements of the natural landscape - with hands-on, project-based activities to make science understandable. This program was offered in cooperation with Hardy County Schools.

To learn more, read our CI Educational Enrichment Program Flyer (in PDF format).

Community outreach

In the watersheds in which we work, our staff makes frequent presentations to community organizations such as the Ruritan Clubs, the Friends of the Cacapon and other groups and events like Hampshire Heritage Days. We try to encourage agricultural conservation techniques which also are good farming practices. And the Cacapon Institute Newsletter goes to approximately 1,000 homes and offices two to four times a year.

Issues concerning our watershed:

Lost River causeway removed.

Beavers and Our Landscape.

Corridor H and the Cacapon River - pictures and erosion control issues.

Cacapon Institute recently initiated a series of papers with the goal of seeking a more definitive understanding of water quality issues in the Potomac watershed. Click here to learn more.

Scientific world at large

Our education effort has two focuses; within the watersheds in which we work and out to the wider scientific world. Our current director, Neil Gillies and our founder, George Constantz have made presentations to government agencies and at a number of scientific conferences. Similarly, our publications reach a broad range of people and organizations. We still receive requests for "Portrait of a River" and the monitoring data which has been amassed since its original publication.