Students from Stephen Decatur Elementary School are helping keep Poquessing Creek clean.
Stephen Decatur Elementary School students performed a demonstration at the recent meeting of Friends of Poquessing Watershed. Students discussed runoff and water-quality issues and explained that the plants in their watershed model represented the land in the Poquessing Watershed and the container receiving the piped flow of water represented the Poquessing Creek. They expressed their understanding of the solution to this problem — replacing asphalt and mowed areas with plants that allow for natural water absorption and ground water recharge. The meeting was held at Glen Foerd on the Delaware, and the students, who are members of the Robotics Club, were led by their teacher, Mary Jones.
In preparation for the meeting, a FOPW volunteer visited the school to describe the Poquessing Watershed, elaborate upon water-quality issues and brainstorm project ideas. During a second visit, the students were given a tour of Torrey Woods, part of Poquessing Park, located across the street from their school.
To deepen their understanding of drinking water quality, some of the students toured the Baxter Water Treatment Plant, which supplies water to about 60 percent of the homes in the city.
In the spring, Jones and her students are planning to create a school yard garden, which will demonstrate the value of restoring and preserving open space to protect the Poquessing Creek. ••
