Thousands of students from five cities across Michigan turned out today to test the water quality of the state's rivers as part of the Earth Force Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN) program, Earth Force President Vince Meldrum announced today.
The GREEN program, funded by the General Motors Corporation, is celebrating its tenth anniversary in Michigan, and provides opportunities for young people to understand, improve and sustain the watershed in their community.
From Dearborn and Lake Orion to Warren, Pontiac and Lansing, the students assessed the physical condition of the area, testing for nutrients and collecting macro-invertebrate samples. Every year thousands of students across the country conduct hands-on water monitoring to assess the health of their local watersheds.
Said Chris Bates, GM Director of Regulatory and Legislative Environmental Interface and Champion of the General Motors GREEN program, "This effort allows General Motors to work as a partner in communities across the state. GM environmental engineers are able to share their enthusiasm for the environment in a way that demonstrates to our children the role of science in their day-to-day lives. Students attain lasting impressions about the importance of protecting our valuable river systems through this hands-on learning experience."
Some of the water testing events across the state included:
• Horizon High School Students testing the Rouge River in Dearborn;
• Scripps Middle School Students testing the Clinton River in Lake Orion;
• Beer Middle School Students testing the Clinton River in Warren, MI;
• Pontiac Northern High School and Lincoln Middle School Students testing the Clinton River in Pontiac;
• Frost Middle School Students testing the Rouge River in Livonia;
• Romulus Middle School Students testing the Rouge River in Canton;
• East Lansing High School Students testing the Red Cedar River in Lansing;
• Silver Spring Elementary School Students testing the Rouge River in Northville;
• Dunckel Middle School Students testing the Minnow Pond Drain in Farmington Hills.
As part of the GM-GREEN program, students and teachers begin by conducting a watershed assessment by collecting physical, chemical and biological water samples. Using this data and other resources they identify a problem they would like to address, then research it in a balanced fashion, review applicable legal or community considerations and decide on the best solution.
Source: Earth Force
