se 055 457 title give water a hand. school site action ... · document resume ed 377 068 se 055 457...

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 377 068 SE 055 457

TITLE Give Water a Hand. School Site Action Guide.Organizing Water Conservation and PollutionPrevention Service Projects in Your Community.

INSTITUTION National 4-H Council, Chevy Chase, MD.; WisconsinUniv., Madison. Coll. of Agricultural and LifeSciences.

SPONS AGENCY National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.PUB DATE 94NOTE 34p.; Additional funding provided by Church & Dwight

Co., Inc. For related documents, see SE 055455-459.

AVAILABLE FROM University of Wisconsin-Extension, CooperativeExtension, Environmental Resources Center, College ofAgriculture & Life Science, Madison, WI 53706.

PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Instructional Materials (ForLearner) (051)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Activism; Citizen Participation; *Conservation

(Environment); Drinking Water; Environment;*Environmental Education; Instructional Materials;Intermediate Grades; Junior High Schools; Pollution;*School Location; *Student Projects; Study Guides;Water; *Water Quality; Water Resources

IDENTIFIERS Environmental Action; Watersheds

ABSTRACTStudents grades 4-8 can use this guide to explore the

topics of water, and water conservation at a school site, whileconducting an environmental community service project. Youth groups,led by a group leader, work with local experts from business,government, or environmental organizations to complete the project.Nine. activity sections involve students in: (1) exploring backgroundinformation; (2) mapping watersheds; (3) researching water qualityimpacts associated with school sites; (4) consulting with an expert;(5) choosing a service project; (6) creating an action plan; (7)

tracking project progress; (8) measuring and recording results; and(9) brainstorming additional projects. Activities provide backgroundand procedural information, as well as worksheets and discussionquestions. Sidebars '.ighlight key vocabulary. The guide contains anapplication for a Youth Earth Service Award and advice on how tocreate partnerships with community organizations. (LZ)

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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

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EnvironmentalStewardship

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Educational Researchand Improvement

kUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONRESOURCES

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gE1001. SITE ACTION GUIDE

ORGANIZING WATER CONSERVATION AND POLLUTION PREVENTIONSERVICE PROJECTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Made Possible With Support From:

..1`cn Church & Dwight Co., Inc.

1994Makers of Arm & Hammer ° Baking Soda

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation(:L3\

BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2

W E LCOM E!'ow- ideas, energy, creativity and hard work can make a

ftlr your community and for the earth! Thisof Site Action Guide will help you organize your own s2r-

.: projects to Give Water a Hand!

iany of the best environmental service projects, youngpet-, :e work together with experts from businesses, govern-ment or environmental organizations. Your group leadercan work with you to find a local expert, or Partner, whocan help you with your project. National Give Water A HandPartners, and the resources they offer, are listed in theLeader Guidebook.

AWARDSYou can use these materials at any time. If you choose tcparticipate in Give Water A Hand during '94-95, your grouphas an opportunity to earn a Youth Earth Service Award.These awards will be presented to selected participants atthe United Earth ceremonies in Washington, D.C. duringNational Drinking Water Week, May 7 - 13, 1995.To apply for this award, you must complete yourproject, fill out the recognition form (on page 27) andsend it in no later than March 1, 1995.

PLANNING YOUR TIMETo complete a service project, your group needs a timeline.There are nine activities in this book. Each activity has atimeline estimating how long it will take. Take a few min-utes now to fill in the dates when you think you will do eachactivity. Remember, to apply for recognition, you must sub-mit your application by March 1, 1995.

Starting Date:You are heft- V

TABLE OF CONTENTS1A Why Water? Make a Difference! 1

1B What's Your Ecological Address?

Map Your Watershed 3

1C What's Happening? Research Needs 8

2A What Does Experience Say?

Get Input from an Expert 17

2B What Can We Do? Choose a Service Project 18

2C Who? What? When? Where? Plan for Action 21

3 How's It Going? Keep on Track 24

4A We Did All That? Celebrate Success 25

4B What's Next? Take Next Steps 26

- Give Water A Hand Recognition Form 27

Anybody Out There?

Get Partner Support back cover

Completion Date:

3 1A-Why Water 1B-Ecologlcal Address 3 1C-Research 3 2A-Input 2B-Choose 2C-Plan 3 3-On Track 4A- Celebration 4B-Next Steps

Target

Dates:(Write in your target dote for each section)

WHAT TO DO RIGHT AWAY1. Order a topographic map of your site. See Leader Guide

page 1 for instructions on ordering.

2. Find a local water expert to help you with your project.See the back cover of this guide.

3. Send in the registration form accompanying thesematerials.

3

PROJECT NOTEBOOKUse the Project Notebook to keep notes, namesand phone numbers. You'll need this informationfor the Give water A Hand Recognit;on Form.

Your name:

Your group's name:

li

GIVE WATER A HAND SCHOOL SITE ACTION GUIDE

w1-cov 1A) MAKE A DIFFERENCE!YOUNG PEOPLE INOHIO DID THIS!

Wouldn't it be fun to have awetland on your schoolgrounds? Students in the

Groveport Madison Schools in centralOhio are helping to restore 85 acres ofwetlands on school property. A com-mittee of students, teachers, adminis-trators and community membersoversees the project. Students havebeen studying the environment of theproposed wetlands area and conduct-ing water quality tests. One said "Iloved it."

YOUNG PEOPLE INCALIFORNIADID THIS!

Students in Pinar School in SantaRosa, California built structures toreduce runoff from the student

parking lot at their school. They re-searched different types of structuresand talked to manufacturers aboutwhat type of storm water interceptorto use. They also built an 80 footlong, 15 foot wide grass area to filterrunoff. The students then took watersamples up and downstream fromtheir constructions, tested the waterfor pollution, and compared their re-sults with results from professionallabs. They are currently producing

two nonpoint source educationalcommercials to be aired on local TVstations.

THOUSANDS OF YOUNGPEOPLE AROUND THECOUNTRY HAVE MADE ADIFFERENCE THROUGHWATER CONSERVATIONAND POLLUTIONPREVENTION PROJECTS.

YOU CAN ORGANIZEYOUR OWN PROJECTWITH HELP FROMEXPERTS IN YOURCOMMUNITY.

WATER CYCLE'7!:"Mtirn,--, -

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Evaporation: Water changing to agas or vapor and disappearing intothe air.

Starting Date:You arc here...

J IA MI, W.11(

Evapotranspiration: Water evaporat-ing from plants.

Runoff: Rain or snow melt that flowsover land into rivers, lakes, reservoirsor other bodies of water instead ofsoaking into the ground.

Completion Date-

111-Ecological Address CI 1C-Research 2A-Input 2B-Choose O 2C -Plan 0 3-On Track 4A-Celebration 4B-Next Steps

Target Date:

4


WHY ISWATER SOIMPORTANT?

Did you know that you aremostly water? You probablydrink six to eight cups of

water, milk, fruit juice, or soda eachday. Animals and plants are almost allwater too. Three quarters of the earthis covered with water, although mostof it can't be used by people, piants oranimals. So we don't just use water,we at.-e water.

Water makes life on earth possible.You depend on water for drinking,cleaning, growing and processingfood, growing cotton for cloth, swim-ming, fishing, boating, cooking, put-ting out fires and generating electricitythrough hydropower dams. Try tothink of one item or action thatdoesn't involve water!

Water also connects us to the rest ofthe natural world plant and animalcommunities depend on water inmany of the same ways: for food, wa-ter and shelter. Since every drop isused again and again, water is re-cycled. We share this precious re-source with all other living thingspast, present and future.

..... .. . 7 .... ...

List at least 10 ways you person-

ally use water.

List how people affect water in

good and bad ways.

Unfortunately, peopledo not always use waterwisely. We have used itto carry away our waste.We've put hazardousmaterials in or on theground where they seepintc groundwater. We'veoften used more water thanwe need. Yet we can im-prove our water resource: byconserving water at home,cleaning waste from citiesbefore it returns to rivers orlakes, and preventing pollut-ants from washing into wa-terways with the rain.

Brainstorm a list of the wayspeople can affect water.Try to think of both goodand bad ways. Keep yourlist; you'll add to it later.

\A"Rir:0)39-:fit\ve9U1r.;(Definitions of words you might not know)Pollution. An undesirable

change in air,water or land that can cause harm to human/ health, animals or plants. Hazardouschemi-cals and animal waste, for example, can bepollutants.

Conserve: Using naturalresources, such aswater, in a way which does not harm themor use them up.

Hazardousmaterials: Materials

that cancause harm topeople or the environment.Groundwater:Water found in the groundin cracks and

spaces betweenrocks and soilparticles.

Water quality: "Quality" means how goodor bad somethingis. Water must be goodquality, with very few pollutants, before wecan drink it safely.

Changing the small waysthat people affect watercan have a big effect onimproving our water qual-ity now and protecting itfrom future pollution.What you do on yourfarm or ranch, or in yourhouse, yard, road, parks,businesses, and schools can conservewater and improve its quality. You'vealready begun to make a difference bypicking up this book. Keep going tolearn what you can do to Give Water aHand!

NEXT TIME:Bring all your maps, a sheet of clearplastic as big as your biggest map(from art stores or office supplystores), a piece of cardboard as bigas your map, thumb tacks, dry erasemarkers, tissues and pencils. Yourgroup can make a bigger differenceif you team up with a local expert.Invite him or her to come next timeto help and advise your group asyou map your watershed. (See theback cover of this guide if youdon't yet have an expert to helpyou understand your site.)

25


.064 col B) MAP YOU Rcs1

WATE RS H E

Amailing address helps the PostOffice deliver letters to theright place. An "ecological

address" can help you find rivers andstreams in your community and helpyou find ways to work on water issues.Local streams empty into largerstreams, rivers or lakes, which mayempty into a larger river, which emp-ties into an ocean or the Great SaltLake. Your ecological address includesall of the land (farms, towns, moun-tains) around these waterways.

Picture A Watershed

To work on water issues, you shouldknow where your water comes from,where it goes after you use it, andwhat streams, rivers, lakes or coastalareas are in your watershed. A goodtool to help collect and record all ofthis information is called a watershedmap. This will help later as you findout what needs to be done in andaround your community and plan ser-vice projects to conserve and protectwater.

In urban areas, streams sometimesflow through pipes underground. Ifyou live in a city or large town, ask anexpert if there used to be any streamsor wet areas in town. In dry climates,streams and rivers may only flow aftersnowmelt or during the rainy season.Look for dried-up waterways.

Starting Date:You are here_

J IA Why Water J IR I «thIgic .I Address

Target Date:

Completion Date:

O 1C-Research 2A-Input 2B-Choose 2C-Plan J 3-On Track I 4A-Celebration O 4B-Next Steps

6

GIVE WATER A HAND - SCHOOL SITE ACTION GUIDE

WHY IS IT IMPORTANTTO KNOW YOURWAT E R S H E D? ridr6Wiqt\v/rOilitri

'To pv'ofect YOU,' vivelAs,

pl'otect yot.tv- mouintains,ll- Emperor Yu of Chino, 1,600 B.C.E.

ou are part of a watershed. This means that everything you docan affect nearby surfacewater and groundwater for better orworse. This watershed is a geographical community which in-

cludes all the humans, plants and animals who live in it and non-livingparts, such as rocks and soil. As China's Emperor Yu understood longago, whatever happens upstream in a watershed affects everythingdownstream. To improve the water quality of a stream, look at thewhole area it drains. Anything dumped on the ground in the water-shed can end up in its waterbody. What's more, we all live down-stream.

Think about this: most of us drink water from our local watershed.Although some people get water from elsewhere (Los Angeles getswater from distant mountains, for example), most of us get it from alocal well or a nearby lake or river. It may come directly from a pri-vate well. More likely it comes indirectly through a governmentwater department or utility. The utility draws water from a nearbysource, and some of them treat or clean it, then they pipe it to homes, schoolsand businesses.

Watershed:An area of land where all waterdrains, or "sheds", to the same river, reservoiror other body of water.

Altitude: How many feet somethingis abovesea level. (The

sea is a good place to start be-cause it is nearly the same height all around theworld.)

Topographicmap: A map with lines to showthe height or altitude of hills, valleys, moun-

altitude.tains, etc. Each line connects

points at the same

Waterbody: A specific area where waterisfound, such as streams, rivers,

wetlands, ponds,reservoirs,groundwater, lakes, or oceans.Wastewater (sewage) treatment plant: Aplace where used water (from

toilets, washingmachines, industries)is pumped to be cleand

ways.and purified before

it is returned to local wateer-

Septic tank: An undergroundstorage tank forwastes from homes with no sewer line to atreatment plant.

After water is used, it goes down the drain, to a private septic system, or throughthe sewer to a wastewater treatment plant. There it is treated, or cleaned, beforeit is sent back into local lakes, oceans or rivers. You can help yourself and thepublic utilities by using less water and by keeping pollutants out of wastewater.

----- -------- -------

Describe your watershed.

What kinds of plants and animals

live in it? Is it in a city or the

country? Tell a story about a rain

drop that falls on your school site.

Where does your school's drinking

water come from?

Where does your school's

wastewater go?

Keep your Watershed Map.

You'll need it later.

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MAPPING THE WATERSHEDLook at the Sample Topographic Map on page 5. This map includes the watershedpictured on page 7. Can you find this watershed on the map? See Using Maps, page 7in the Leader Guidebook if you need to learn more about how to read maps.

To complete these activities on your maps, you may need help from a local waterexpert. See Get Partner Support on back cover for ideas on how to find and talk to helpfulexperts.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Topographic map or mapswhich include your schoolsite and any other maps youhave collected of the area,a clear sheet of plastic as bigas your topographic map(this plastic is called mylar oracetate and is available at artsupply stores or office supplystores for a few dollars),a piece of cardboard as bigas your map,thumb racks,dry erase markrrs & tissues

HOW TO DRAW THE OUTLINE OF YOUR OWN WATERSHED.

1) Place the clear sheet of plasticover the topographic map(topo map) and tack both ontothe cardboard. If you don't haveplastic, make a photocopy of themap and draw on it in pencil.

2) On the topo map, find and markyour school. A road map canhelp you find things.

3) Find the streams, ditches,marshes, lakes, oceans or riversclosest to the school and markthem in blue on the map.

If runoff flows mainly throughstreet gutters and into stormsewers, there may not be astream close by. Even waterflowing underground throughpipes must drain into a body ofwater at some point. You maywant to ask a staff person fromthe city government to visit anddemonstrate how the storm wa-ter system handles runoff fromyour school site.

4) Use the contour lines and num-bers on the topo map to find thehighest and lowest points aroundyour school. Mark the hilltopswith "Xs".

5) From these 'Xs", draw arrows onyour map to show the flow ofrunoff. Which direction will rainor snow that falls on your schoolflow? Where does runoff flowinto waterbodies?

Think like water. Water alwaysflows down hill. It always takesthe easiest path. If you gu out-side and look or walk down hillfrom your school never goingup you will come to awaterbody sooner or later. Re-member, it may flowunderground in pipes. Look foropenings where water enters thestorm drains.

6) Look at the Sample WatershedMap on page 7. It has the out-lines of watersheds alreadydrawn. Look at the arrows show-ing where water flows. Theoutline of each watershed is be-tween waterbodies, mostly alongthe tops of ridges or hills.

7) On your own map, find the high-est ground (the hills and ridges)between two waterbodies. Drawa line along the highest points(connecting the "Xs" on hill tops)completely around your stream,including its bottom end or"mouth." What is the name of

the waterbody Cat drains yourschool's watershed?

Two small streams can be part ofa larger river's watershed. Whatlarger watershed is your schoolin? Write the name on your map.

8) Bring the map outside. Where isthe highest point of land you cansee? Walk to that point. Is yourschool at the top or bottom of ahill? Where does water go whenit rains or snows? Can you seethe nearest waterbody? Can yousee hills, mountains, buildings,airports, power lines, railroadtracks or other things that are onthe map? Look at your map andfind these features.

9) Where does your school get itsdrinking water? The school custo-dian can help you figure out thisquestion and the next one. Yourmay also need to call the waterutility that pumps water to yourschool. Find and mark the sourceor sources if they are on yourmap.

10) Where does your school's waste-water go? Wastewater may befiltered through a septic tank orpumped through undergroundpipes to a wastewater treatmentplant. Find it and mark it if it's onyour map.

N EXT TIME:Make enough copies of the Needs Checklist for each person or team. Get permission from the principal to do the NeedsChecklist your school.

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1310. t \VA-)Priority: What is most important; what

comes first.

Erosion: The wearing away of land surface

by wind and water. It often occurs where

bare soil is exposed

Wetland:Marsh-like area

with soil that is

saturated withwater some or all of the year.

Hazardous Waste:Waste which

n

could harm

people or animals in some way (icludes

viruses, bacteria which cause disease, or

chemicals whichcould burn or irritate skin,

eyes, lungs or nose; poison living things; or

burst into flame easily).

RESEARCH NEEDS

In the last activity, you mapped thewatershed around your school.Now think about what you and

other people do in your school that af-fects the watershed. What activities usewater? What activities create waste wa-ter? What kinds of fun do you havewith water? What do you already do toconserve or protect water? Think aboutinside and outside. Brainstorm theseactivities for a few minutes and see howmany you come up with. (Two ex-amples are: watering the grass and hav-ing a school car wash.) Have someonewrite down the activities you come upwith. Keep the list for later.

Many of the activities you listed affectthe water in your watershed. To deter-mine how, and to help you choose aservice project, you will use a NeedsChecklist. The Needs Checklist will helpyou to identify specific water needs orissues, and determine which need youraction. You will figure out what is al-ready being done and what still needsto be done in your school to protect thewatershed and conserve water. This willhelp ensure you work on a real need soyour time is well spent.

Starting Date:

HOW TO USE THENEEDS CHECKLISTLook at the Needs Checklist beginning on page 11.The questions refer to four topics:

WATE R tri DRINKINGV CONSERVATION V WATER QUALITY

WATER QUALITY IN ra EDUCATINGWIN OUR ENVIRONMENT LJP ABOUT WATER

Each question has one or more icons, or pictures, next to it forquick reference.

Compare the questions to your list of activities from brainstorming. Write anyactivities that are not on the Needs Checklist in the blanks at the end of each sec-tion.

Go over the Needs Checklist with your group leader.

Which items can you do something about?

Which require you to work with someone else?

Some questions on the list will be simple to answer. For other items, yol: mayneed to ask for help or permission from the person responsible for running or fix-ing that part of the school. This person could be the head of the kitchen staff, agym teacher, art teacher or custodian. For more help answering Needs Checklistquestions, see the Needs Checklist section in the Leader Guidebook.

You may need to ask someone in the school admin::tration, like the principal, toget something changed. Make sure you have permission from your school prin-cipal before you begin, as they will give final approval for any projects. You mayalso want to talk to the school custodian. He or she keeps the school clean, safeand in running order and has information you might need. If you want tochange how something is done in your school, the custodians and principal canbe a big help.

You OK here...

J IA 1,Vby 1,V,1111 a 15 1( olo p( Addre, J I(

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Make a Site Map, see page 9 for directions.

Follow directions for completing the Needs Checklist onpage 10.

Completion Date:

U 2A-Input U 2B-Choose U 2C-Plan U 3-On Track U 4A-Celebration U 48-Next Steps

Target Date:

811


MAKING A SCHOOL SITE MAPite maps can make problemseasier to understand. They alsoare a single place where you can

put information from all the teams.Before you begin the Checklist, youcar make a site map for your commu-nity site. Ask at the school office for afire escape plan or school floor plan

School Site Map

showing all rooms, and for a map ofthe school grounds.

If your school does not have a map ofthe outside grounds, you can makeone. See Sample School Site Map,below. Include trees, grassy areas,shrubs, gardens, roads, storm sewer

grates, erosion, parking lots, buildings,playgrounds and waterbodies. Doyou notice anything on your site mapthat you should add to your water-shed map?

Nor Nor mr w ow 1.8. 411. am. r °al 4.1 STREET - 4.6 41." °MI al MI 4.11

ITEMS TO HAVE READYFOR YOUR MEETINGWITH AN EXPERT:

List of "Checklist" items withhigh priority ranks

Your site map

Questio.,s for the guest

An agenda

NEXT TIME:Invite one or more experts, possibly your local Partner, to meet with your group.The person you invite and what you tell them ahead of time are very impor-tant. Give them an agenda for the meeting so they know the date, time and loca-tion.

Also give them a list of your questions before the meeting so they can prepare an-swers. Look at your Needs Checklist. What do you need more information about?If you need ideas about whom to invite and what to ask, the Leader Guidebook canhelp you Get the Most Out of Interviews. See page 18. See the Partner's list on page29 and Anybody Out There on the back cover of the Action Guide for ideas on whom toinvite.

12 9


FOR EACH QUESTIONON THENEEDS CHECKLIST FILLIN THE BLANKS ASFOLLOWS:

1) The Way It Is: By looking or ask-ing, find out what your school isdoing about the issue or question.If you or your school have alreadytaken positive steps, congratula-tions! Check the Looking Goodbox. If you were able to fix theproblem right away, write whatyou did. If an answer is compli-cated, or if nothing is currentlybeing done, write down what is(or isn't) happening. The LeaderGuidebook has tips on Taking Noteson page 18.

2) Need More Information: Write inthis space if you can't answer thequestion or if you need more in-formation. If possible, note whatyou need to know to answer thequestion.

3) Priority Rank: How important iseach question? How importantdoes the person in charge think itis? Circle 1 for very important,circle 2 for kind of important, andcircle 3 for not very important.Why do you think it is important?You may need to explain this toother group members.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS & ANSWER

Are grass clippings swept off t0000

he sidewalks andparking lots for composting so that they do notwash into storm sewers?

The Way It Is:Cli IVI

)E(We

pL ojc-.

Need More information about:

I gelIt I

e cl

s care sweLooking Good!

ewal but are le in

Priority Rank:1

s corn oste

Stuck on some items? Skip them andgo on. Make sure the information youwrite on your Needs Checklist is accu-rate. If you are unsure about thequestions, or do not know how to an-swer them, ask for help, possibly froman expert Partner. Save your ques-tions so you only have to contact theexpert once.

After finishing the Checklist, meetagain to share what you found and tomark the activities on your school sitemap. The following section tells youhow to make a school site map. This

map will show more detail aboutyour community than you couldinclude on your USGS map. Itwill show exactly where all theshowers, water faucets, andbathrooms are everywherewater is used or affected.

How does the school keep track of how

much water ituses? Is there a water

meter?

What is your school already doing about

water issues?

What is the school's top priority need for

water conservation or pollution preven-

tion? Why?

What is the most importantthing you

have learnedabout water so far?

Keep your Needs Checklistand site map.

32 ee custo 1011.

TALKABOI'T IT

ith the whole group, taketurns telling the others whatyour Needs Checklists

showed. Mark the water conserva-tion, pollution prevention and watereducation activities you found on thesite map. Are there any activitieswhich affect water quality beyond theedge of the site map? If there are, youshould mark those on your WatershedMap. What were the most importantissues you found?

10

13


SCHOOL SITENEEDS CHECKLISTLook for these clues to find out why each question is important to ask!re WATER

V CONSERVATION

n WATER QUALITY INRM OUR ENVIRONMENT

DRINKING WATERQUALITY

EDUCATINGABOUT WATER

Note to participants: When the question below refers to you, we mean you, other students, teachers, custodians, and otherschool staff, or whoever is responsible for the action.

1121C11311When cleaning up after science, art or cookingclass, do you turn off the faucet while you washcounters, dishes and equipment, and turn it backon to rinse?

The Way It Is: Looking Good!

1:1 We Need More Information about:

Priority Rank: 1 2 3

0000When washing your hands, do you turn off thewater while soaping up your hands?


We Need More Information about:


[MOOAre school grounds planted with trees, shrubs andgrasses that are adapted to your climate so thatthey do not need any extra water? (this is sometimescalled "Xeriscaping4", pronounced zeer-is-scaping.)




IiWATER CONSERVATION

Fact: Water is the mostcommon substance

found onEarth.

Fact: The amount of water on Earth hasn't changedsince the Earth was formed.

So why conserve water?There is not always enoughclean, fresh

water for drinking,growing food, makingthings, and having fun. That means we need to use

less or get it fromsomewhere else. Taking water fromone place and

moving it to another changes the envi-ronment for plants andanimals, and often causes argu-ments betweenpeople. Using lots of water increasesamounts ofwastewater

going to treatmentplants andseptic tanks. And using water takes lots of energyclean, pump, distribute and heat it You can save

toabout 4 gallons of water a day by just turning off thewater when you brush your teeth. Give WaterA Handuse it wisely!

11


(t--) 1 0000Do the faucets in your bathrooms, showers ordrinking fountains have leaks or dripping water?

- Walk through the school and check all the faucets. Takea water meter reading at the end of the school day.First check with the janitors to make sure that no onewill be using the building that night and using water.(If your school gets water from a well, you may nothave a water meter). First thing the next morning,check the meter again. If the readings are different, youprobably have leaks somewhere.




0000Does rainwater flow from the school parking lotinto a grassy area or does it flow into a stormdrain or stream?

- Flow into a grassy area reduces the amount of wateringthat needs to be done in that area, and keeps parkinglot contaminants from going directly into the water.


0 We Need More Information about:


See page 9 in the Leader Guide for instructions on how toread a water meter.

001:111Does your school have an efficient watering planfor the school grounds (one that doesn't wastewater)?

- Does the staff person in charge of the school groundsuse a rain gauge to determine if the grass needs to bewatered. If there is one inch or more of rain per week,the grass is probably getting enough water.

- Do the maintenance staff water early in the morning orin the evening so that water doesn't evaporate quickly?

- Do they use efficient watering devices such as soakerhoses and sprinklers which spray drops near theground?

- Are there streams of water trickling onto the parking lot,sidewalks or strees when the grass is being watered? Ifso, water is being wasted.




WATER QUALITY IN OUR

ENVIRONMENT

Rain Gauge

pound and round: we use the same waterover and over again.

INSo what Kapp-when we pollute it? We contaminate.

'he only supply

we have that samesupply we share with other humans, animals and

plants. Pollutantscan enter the water supply through

everyday actions

grass clippingswashing down

the storm sewer, hazardousmaterials from a

painting projectpoured into the sink, leftover car oil dumped on the drive-

way. These won't disappear!The best solution to

pollution is to keep it out

of water in the first place.Give Water A Hand keep it clean!

12

Soaker Hose

15


(C-31)71, 0000Does your school have low flow faucets andshower heads in the bathrooms and locker rooms?- Use a gallon bucket and stopwatch to time the amount ofwater used per minute. Turn on the shower or faucet to anormal flow. Start the stopwatch when you begin to catchwater in the bucket. When the bucket is full, stop the stop-watch. Empty the bucket and do it again until you reach 1minute on the stopwatch. If the result is more than 2 gal-lons for the faucet or 2.5 gallons for the shower, your fau-cets and showers use too much water.




r )1O!):',Is the flush valve on the toilets adjusted so thatyou use the least amount of water possible?(You may need to ask the custodian for helpanswering this one.)




RegularShowerhead

(=.-)19, 121000Does your school cafeteria have an efficient dishwashing system?

- Do the kitchen staff run the dishwashers only when theyare full?

- When washing dishes by hand, do they turn the wateroff in between rinsing batches of dishes?




raffit-) 0000Are grass clippings swept off the sidewalks andparking lots for composting so that they do notwash into storm sewers?




Low FlowShowerhead

0DRINKINGWATER QUALITY

n o you know whereyour drinkingwater comes from and how itget1 to you? Americans drink morethan 1 billion glasses of water a day!Most of us take it for granted that wecal, turn on the faucet and get clean,clear, fresh water. And its practicallyfree. You can refill an 8 ounce glassof water about

15,000 times for thesame cost as a six-pack of soda orpop! For most people, water treat-ment facilities provide this safe drink-ing water. You, too, are responsiblefor conservingthis precious resourceand keeping it pollution free. GiveWater a Hand

It's ours to drink!

16 13


Runoff containing contaminants from the parking lot andthe school grounds going into a nearby pond.

0000Does runoff which might contain contaminants suchas pesticides and fertilizers reach streams or ponds?

- Test a sample of runoff water immediately after a rainfallbegins to see if there are nitrates. Compare these results totap water. High levels of nitrates can cause health prob-lems and may indicate that there are other contaminants.Contact your County Extension Agent or local departmentof public health for help.

- Check to see if your pond might actually be a stormwaterdetention basin designed to catch this type of runoff.




EDUCATINGABOUT WATER

you have been learning a lot about water

and how to conserve and protect it. You have

probably also learned about water by reading books

and magazines,watching television,

going on field

trips or just sitting next to a stream and observing

what happens!

Many people don't know what they can do to pro-

tect and conservewater, so it is important to educate

them. Through action,people learn about water

issues. There are many ways to do this, such as plan-

ning communitywater festivals,

making posters, and

putting on plays. Educationdoesn't just happen in

the classroom.Give Water a Hand Spread the

word!14

(C-3 0000If you hold car washes at school, do you usebuckets of water rather than a hose?Do you wash cars in a grassy area so that thewater does not run into storm sewers?

The Way It Is: CI Looking Good!

O We Need More Information about:


t K15),ijr.).)-,

Do the maintenance staff use only the amount offertilizers needed on the school grounds?

- Do they test the soil before applying the fertilizers?

- Do they use organic fertilizers such as compost, biosolidsor manure?

0000




1jr, 0000Does the maintenance staff spread sand ratherthan salt on ice-covered sidewalks in the winter?

- If they are required to use salt, do they use the minimumamount necessary?

- Commercial sidewalk salt can harm plants, grass, trees,and animals, and can run off into nearby waterbodies.

The Way It Is: 0 Looking Good!



17


0000Does the school have a place to collect hazardouswastes for disposal at a hazardous waste disposalfacility?

- Hazardous wastes include used engine oil, leftover pesti-cides, building repair products, and some used art andscience materials.




0000Do students and staff use water-based paints thatdon't need hazardous materials, such asturpentine and paint thinner, for clean up?




Do students and staff use non-hazardous cleaningproducts when possible, such as baking soda,vinegar, citrus cleaner, soap flakes and a littleelbow grease?




IS

r(5)1(6) 0000Does your school test the drinking water for lead,bacteria or other contaminants?

- Do they test at least once a year? Do they keep recordsof these tests?

- Are the levels of contaminants within safe ranges? Con-tact your local or state department of public health tofind out the maximum safe levels.




raffM 0000Does the school celebrate Earth Day, NationalWildlife Week, Arbor Day, National DrinkingWater Week, or other environmental holidays?




Baking soda is a good, non-hazardous cleaning product.

15


ro»-) pogoIs environmental education taught at yourschool?

- Do you have an environmental education teacher, orunits on water issues?

- Are there environmental or fishing clubs, or activitiessuch as Adopt A Stream?

- Do you have a school nature area where you do experi-ments and study nature?

The Way It Is: CI Looking Good!

CI We Need More Information about:


(0)M.1' 0000Do you have access to water on the schoolgrounds for fishing or swimming?- Have you studied the quality of that water?

The Way It Is: 0 Looking Good!

CI We Need More Information about:


Water Treatment Cycle

WaterTrtetment

r--(i)))Your question...

0000


Cl We Need More Information about:


01200Your question...

The Way It Is:Looking Good!


19

16

GIVE WATER A HAND SCHOOL SITE ACTION GUIDE: 2A) GET INPUTrt'l FROM AN EXPERT

You can learn a lot and get more done by talking with expertswho work with water issues every day. Be sure to take noteswhile talking with experts! The Leader Guidebook can help you

Get the Most Out of interviews, page 18.

INTRODUCTIONS:Note: You should have prepared yourguest before he or she arrives. See NextTime on page 9. Introduce yourselvesto your guest. Explain that you areworking on water issues and wouldlike ideas, information and suggestionsabout what you can do in your com-munity. Go over the agenda for yourmeeting.

PRESENT WHATYOU HAVE FOUND:Show your Watershed Map or maps.Present what you found out in yourNeeds Checklist. Tell them about themost interesting things you learned. Ifyou have already thought of serviceprojects you might like to do in yourschool, tell your guest. Ask if he orshe knows of other projects you coulddo. The Leader Guidebook can help youTell Your Story, page 19.

Starting Date:

CrTo3sharit Vro.),Iltr:eAaASK FORINFORMATIONANDFEEDBACK:After you have made yourpresentation, you might askyour guest questions like:

What is your job or volunteerwork? How do you work withwater issues?

What are the most important wa-ter conservation and water qualityissues and needs in our commu-nity?

How do we affect water conserva-tion and/or quality in our school?

What projects are already beingdone in schools to work on theseproblems? Could we do such aproject in our school? What elsecould we do to help?

What resources or help could yougive or lend our group?

NEXT TIME:List group resources, strengths andtime.

You ore here...

Agenda: A schedule for a meetingwhich states what will be done when.Feedback:

Reaction to a plan or idea.

Write the name and organization ofyour guest expert.

List questions you asked the expert.

What did you learn from your guest?

J IA Why WIIct .J IH E( 111,(pr.il ACI(Ir(-N J IC ficw.trch J. 2A Inpul O 2B-Choose 1 2C-Plan

Completion Date:

3-On Track O 4A- Celebration O 4B-Next Steps

Target Date:

20 17


26) CHOOSE ASERVICE PROJECT

TIME TO DECIDE!Now that ,you know moreabout water issues in yourschool, it's time to pick a wa-

ter service project. This activity canhelp you to choose an existing projector start your own.

Know: You may already know whatproject you want to do. Maybe youheard about an exciting idea or wantto join forces with a group alreadyworking on a project.

Don't Know: If you don't have anidea for a project, try the following.Look at your Watershed Map, NeedsChecklist and site map as startingpoints. What were the priorities?Look at the list of project ideas onpage 20. Fill out the Choose a Projectchart on page 19. What can you dowith the resources you have?

Involve local and national experts.They have ideas, information and re-sources. See Get Partner Support, backcover. Also see the list on the back coverof the Leader Guidebook and decidewho could be useful to your project.For example, for a water conservationproject, call the Water EnvironmentFederation for resource materials, or callyour local water utility.

Starting Date.

HOW TO USE THE CHOOSEA PROJECT CHART

First fill out the Things We Know How to Do boxes on the left side of thechart. List all the things you are good at or talented in. If you can't think ofanything, ask your friends or family to help. Everyone is good at something!

Include fun things like sing, draw, fish, bake cookies as well as serious things likegarden, give presentations, write letters, build things and make posters on thecomputer. It takes all kinds of skills to work on water issues.

Next fill in the Priority Water Conservation and Water Quality Needs boxes alongthe top of the chart. List the top priority needs from your Needs Checklist or fromyour talk with an expert.

Under the Needs list, put an "X" on any line that matches up with something youcan do that would be useful in working on that issue. For example, if you put"garden" at left, and "plant trees, shrubs and flowers" on top, mark the boxwhere lines from these two things meet. Circle any Needs with lots of "X's" intheir column. You have the skills to do these projects. You can now start yourown project to help with these needs!

WI LL IT WORK?Discuss these questions about your project ideas:

Would the project meet a real need? How do you know?(Did it appear in your Needs Checklist? Did your guest expertdiscuss it? Has it been a topic in :'ie newspaper?)

Are others working on the problem? Can you join them?

Are you excited about working on the project? If not, howcould it become exciting?

What difference will this project make? To you? To yourschool? To the people, plants and animals in thewatershed?

What resources are needed to do the project? (Tools, informa-tion, skills, money, and, especially, time.) Which resources doyou have? Can you get the others? Where?

You are here...

Completion Date:

2C-Plan

Target Date:

0 3-On Track 0 4A-Celebration 0 48-Next Steps

1821


O0OI-

0I0ZYSM

vZII-

CHOOSE A PROJECTPRIORITY WATER CONSERVATION ANDPOLLUTION PREVENTION NEEDS

41219


PROJECT IDEASThis list of project ideas may help you figure out what to do.

Landscape part of the school yard with native trees, shrubs, flowers,and grasses to reduce water runoff from pavement. Contact yourCounty Extension Office, Soil Conservation District Office, or GlobalReLeaf, c/o American Forests, P.O. Box 2000, Dept. WM, Washington,DC 20031.

Use biosolids enriched soils or compost to improve soil quality and re-duce runoff. Contact the Water Environment Federation, 601 WytheSt., Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 684-2487.

Research alternatives to current water management practices at yourschoo' .00k at how the school decides when to water the groundsand hov, they dispose of hazardous waste. Give presentations to thecustodians, school board, administration, and other school officiajS onthe solutions you have developed. Involve local Soil Conservation Dis-trict Officers and County Extension Agents in researching watermanagement practices.

Make posters about proper hazardous waste disposal and then putthem up in classrooms where these items are used. Contact yourlocal solid waste offices, or the Water Environment Federation,601 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 684-2487 for a brochureon hazardous wastes.

Develop presentations or skits on water conservation for younger chil-dren. Contact: American Clean Water Foundation, 750 First StreetNE, #911, Washington, DC 20002 or call (202) 898-0902 for a scriptcalled "Muddy Water Caper".

If you have a stream, pond or wetland on your school's property, youcould create a school nature area. Contact your Soil Conservation Dis-trict Office, local forester, or your state Project Wild Coordinator.

Organize a school-wide water conservation campaign, and reduce theamount of water used in your school. Contact Earth Time, P.O. Box1111, Ketchum, ID 83340 (208) 726-4030.

Start and maintain a compost pile on the school grounds for grass clip-pings, sticks, leaves, and dead plants. Use the compost to enrich thesoil for gardens and landscaping in the spring. Contact your CountyExtension Office or Soil Conservation District Office for information.

Organize a "schoolyard water patrol." Every week patrol the schoolgrounds, looking at the grass, trees, flowers, and bushes to determinewhat needs to be watered and what can wait a few days. Use a raingauge. Report this information weekly to the maintenance staff orwhoever is responsible for watering.

Compare alternative cleaning products such as baking soda, vinegar,soapflakes, or salt to specialty formulated cleaning products containinghazardous materials (Remember to look for words such as CAUTION,WARNING or DANGER an the labels.) Demonstrate the environmen-tally friendly cleaners to the school janitors, and convince them to usethem at school.

Organize a Groundwater Festival for the entire student body. Contact:Groundwater Foundation, 5561 South 48th, #232B, Lincoln, NE68516, (800) 858-4844 or the Water Environment Federation, 601Wythe St. Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 684-2487.

What service project did your groupchoose?:

Why did you choose it?:

What difference will it make to you?to your school? to other people,plants and animals in the water-shed?

NEXT TIME:Bring all your maps, charts, and notesfor planning. Invite your local Partneror a water issues expert to join yourgroup next time to help with plan-ning.

204."3


ti"A°P.71% 2C) PLAN FOR ACTIONoisk

Now that you know what project you're going to do, youneed to figure out a plan of action. Using your WatershedMap, Needs Checklist, Choose a Project chart, site map,

notes and so on, fill out the Project Plan on page 23 as a group.Even if you don't know an answer, give your best guess. The nextactivity, Keep on Track, on page 24 can help you work through problemsas you begin your project.

MIND MAP

Many people find it helpful to use a "mind map" tothink up all the tasks they will need to do as part of aproject. Write your project iaea in a circle in themiddle of the page. As each new idea comes to you,

write it in a circle next to the thing most like it, then connect the twocircles with a lire. Think of the small tasks that make up big jobs. Keepgoing until you can't think of any more tasks that need to be done.See example below.

firaJW:fit \WoJitlY;Mind map: A way to brainstormthat helps show how one thinggoes with another.

Time line: A calendar listing thedates tasks need to be done.

Succeed/success:Doing a goodjob. Doing what you set out to do.

Starting Date:You ore here...

Completion Date:

a IA WI a In huI ju,d ihhh,., a I.( R«,,, e«ih a 2A hw,,I a 211 2( 0 3.On Track

Target Date:

4ACelebratIon 46 -Next Steps

'1421


SERVICE PROJECT PLANGive your project a name that describes it. Make it one thatpeople will be able to remember. It could be simple likeJefferson County 4-H School Stream Clean Up or catchy likeMud Patrol: Erosion Prevention Program. Write in yourgroup's name and project partners.

TO DO... What is the most important task on ycMind Map? Write it on your ServiceProject Plan under "What task?" Writethe next most important thing, and thenext, until all the tasks are on the Plan.

Who will do each task? Write his or hername (or names) under "Who?" Thisperson must make sure the job getsdone. He or she can ask for help.

Brainstorm the resources (tools, informa-tion, people) you need to get each taskdone. Write them down. Could yourpartners or other experts or organizationshelp?

Get a calendar. Write today's date over"start" on the Time Line. When doesthe project have to be done? The endof the semester? March? Write thatdate over "finish."

How many months is it from start to finish? How often doyou meet each month? Calculate how many meetings youwill have (months times meeting per month). Mark a linefor each meeting and write a date over it.

Using your time line, figure out when you need to completeeach task. It often helps to start at the end date and workbackwards. For example, if you are planning a Water Fair,think how much time before the Fair people need to knowabout it so they can plan to come. If they need to knowtwo weeks ahead, then yuu must make all posters, radioads, buttons, stickers, etc. and get them up by then.

Think of ways someone might get hurton your project. What can you do toprevent it? What would you do if some-one were hurt? Write ideas in the"Safety Plan" box.

YOU'RE READY TO GO! CHECK SECTION3 FOR TIPS FOR SUCCESS.

TIPS FOR PLANNING

Start small. Most people try todo too much. You can alwaysdo more once you show whatyou can do.

You don't need to have theperfect plan. Do what worksfor you!

It's O.K. to change your planas you need to, but it's stillimportant to have one.

GET HELPYou must get feedback from anyone whose help(or permission) you will need, such as the principal orcustodian. Also get feedback from someone with experi-ence doing the kind of thing you want to do.

You can do more if you team up with other people. YourPartner or other experts or organizations can give resources,help and advice. Other groups of young people may helpshare tasks. Who could you team up with? See Get PartnerSupport, on back cover.

HOW WILL YOU KNOW YOUSUCCEEDED?How will you know when your project is finished? Hoy/ willyou know you have done a good job? The better you cananswer these questions, the better your project is likely toturn out. It always helps to know exactly where you aretrying to go. Check section 4 on page 25 for ideas aboutinformation you should collect while you are doing yourproject so you can explain why it was successful.

2225

How will you know your project hassucceeded?

What do you need to learn moreabout t do your project tasks? Howwill you learn these things?

Keep your Project Plan. Look it overat every meeting.

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0ex,0,%; 3) KEEP ON TRACK

Now that you have chosen yourproject, you can get started! Besure to check back with this sec-

tion and section 4 as you go along. 't he

Leader Guidebook has ideas for Solving Prob-lems, Working ils a Team, and other helpfulinformation for your group.

TIPS FOR SUCCESSYour Service Project Plan is a guide,not a rule book. You make a plan soeveryone in your group knows what ev-eryone else is trying to do. Yet thingsrarely go exactly as planned. As a group,look at your plan and change whatneeds changing.

Work for a "win-win." Find out howeveryone can win from your success.

Get to know lots of people. The morepeople you know, the more likely one ofthem will know how to help. Any ex-perts who helped your group know lotsof other people who can help.

Don't give up. There is always onemore thing you can try.

Communicate. Everyone in your groupmust know what is going on. Talk oftento each other. Call each other. Holdregular meetings. Work together.

Starting Date:

IA viiv WA, r .

GETTING PAST A ROAD BLOCKYou ran out of money or time. Someone quit.Someone said "no." Now what?

Can you go around it? Is this the only way to do the task? Try anotherway.

Over it? Can you get help from the top: your principal, the countycommissioner, your mom or dad?

Through it? With more help, could you push right through the problem?

THINK ABOUT ITYour project gives you a chance to do something important. It is also achance to learn to do an even better job next time. Sit down as a group andtalk about what you have seen, heard, felt or learned. Share your thoughts.

WHAT HAPPENED?What was the most fun thing that happened? The least fun?

What helped you the most? What were the biggest road blocks?

What effect did it have on your school? On your watershed?

SO WHAT?What have you learned about how humans affect the people, plants andanimals in the watershed? How do your actions affect others?

Did you do what you het out to do? How do you know?

Has your work made a difference?How?

How could the problem youworked on be prevented fromhappening again?

NOW WHAT?How would you do thingsdifferently next time?

What advice would you giveanother group working on asimilar project?

What will you do to preventthe problem from happen-ing in the future?

What other issues orprojects would you like towork on?

---- - - --

Read the Think About Itquestionsand take five minutesto write answers to some ofthem.

List any new partners you havebegun working with.

Completion Date:YOU are here_

F(1.1..01101 Adilo J IC Rt.sr.arrIl J )A Input J (home J 2( Plan J I On Track CI 4A-Celebration

Target Date:

J 4BNext Steps

2428


stit PV%*e A-0101%

4A) CELEBRATE SUCCESS

MEASURE AND IVCORD SUCCESS

whatare many reasons to show

what you have done on yourproject. People are more likely

to give permission, help and resourceswhen you can prove what you can do.Newspapers and radio/TV stations aremore likely to report about you.Other young people may get excitedand want to join you. It feels good tosee what you have done.

IDEAS FORLOCAL CELEBRATION

WAYS TO SHOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE:Count the number of trees planted, pounds of biosolids used

How many people helped out? How many hours did each person work on theproject? How many total hours did your group work?

Count how many people heard speakers, came to school assemblies

Count the number of gallons of water saved. Check your home's water meteronce a week and graph the numbers to see if use drops. (Remember: thingslike the weather can affect your numbers. Re:ord weather, school closing, daysoff, etc. and take them into account)

Draw pictures or take photographs or videos of your work

Interview the principal, your local Partner, helpful experts, or other students

Get letters from people you helped or worked with

Write stories, a rap or song about your project

Make a bulletin board display for yourcommunity center or school. Includeyour site map, Watershed Map and in-formation from your Needs Checklist.

Give tours or demonstrations to showparents, school officials orreporters your new nature areaor recycling center

After all your hard work toGive Water a Hand, it's nice tocelebrate. Not only is celebra-

tion fun, but it's a good way to saythank you to people who helped out.If you can get the newspapers, TV orradio to run a story on your project,lots of other people will hear aboutthe importance of water issues. Hereare some ideas:

Starting Date:

Share your success with your localand national partners

Invite newspapers and N stationsto come to see what you have doneThe Leader Guidebook has tips forWorking with the Media, page 19.

Hold a pizza party or picnic

Write a story for the communitynewspaper. Weekly or monthly pa-pers especially look for local stories

Make T-shirts for group memberswith the name of your group

Use your imagination.It's your party!

How do you feel about your project?How does it feel to try to make adifference?

How will you showothers what youhave done?

How will you continue the group'swork?

Completion Date:You are here...

J IA WIIN. 1.V,Itcr J IFi F(olmil(.11 Addle,s J Rese.it t h J /A Input J )11 ( I)Imt J 1( J Ira( k J IA t 114.1,1.11nm O 4BNext Steps

Target Date:

25


4B) TAKE NEXT STEPS

One of the best things aboutfinishing a project like this isthat you now know all sorts of

new people, information and skills.You have proven that you can dosomething important as a team!Now, as a group or by yourselves, youmight want to start new projects.There is always lots more to be done!

You don't have to start over from thebeginning. Look at your NeedsChecklist, Watershed Map, site mapand notes. Talk to your partners.What is another important need orproject? Under Think About It onpage 24 you talked about some otherprojects you might like to work on.You may know of more you could doon this project.

Talk again with your partners andother people you have worked with.Would they like to help again? Whatideas do they have?

Make a new mind map and ServiceProject Plan and go for it!

In the future how will you help oth-ers conserve water and protect andimprove water quality?

I 1

Starting Date: Completion Date:You ore here...,

Target Date:

26 30


GIVE WATER A HANDNATIONAL DRINKING WATER WEEK 1995 RECOGNITION FORM

**DUE BY MARCH 1, 1995**

please answer questions the bestyou can using your Project Jour-nals, Watershed Map, site map

and Needs Checklist as reminders.Please print or type clearly. Computerprint-outs are O.K., but may be nomore than two pages.

You may want to include a photocopyof your results, newspaper articles, etc.

Please limit to three extra pages.Keep a copy for yourselves.

Involve the whole group in complet-ing the form.

Selected youth groupsparticipating in Give WaterA Hand will receive Youth

Earth Service Awards inWashington, DC during NationalDrinking Water Week, May 7 - 13,1995. These awards willbe part of the United Earthceremonies, and will be presentedby Claes Nobel of the Nobel Prizefamily, founder of United Earth.In order to have a chance toreceive this award, you mustcomplete and send in this form byMarch 1, 1995.

URGENT: SEND THIS FORM BY MARCH 1, 1995 TO:

If there is no address listed above, send the form to your County Extension 4-H Office or

call 1. 800-WATER20 for further mailing instructions.

1. Name/s and grades of group members:

Group leader or teacher:

Organization/group name:

Address:

City: State: Zip:

Contact person:

Phone: Day: Evening:

2. List all the Partners you worked with. How were they involved?

**DUE BY MARCH 1, 1995** 31 27


3. What was your service project? Describe what you did. What water issue(s) did you address? Why did you pick

this project? Did you choose your own project, or did your leader or another adult pick it for you?

4. How did your project make a difference to your community? to the watershed?

5. Were you successful? How do you know?

6. What was the most fun part of the project?

7. What was the hardest part of the project?

8. What projects about water will you do next? Will you work with other groups?

9. Do you have any suggestions for other young people who want to do the same project in their communities?

28 32 **DUE BY MARCH 1, 1995**


GIVE WATER A HANDCOMMUNITY SITE ACTION GUIDEPROMOTING GOOD WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICESIN YOUR COMMUNITY

Give Water A Hand is part of the National 4-H Environmental StewardshipEducation Program. Thanks to April Gower-Getz and Kashyap Choksi for fiscalmanagement and printing.

Project Director:Elaine Andrews, Environmental Educa-tion Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Cooperative Extension, College ofAgriculture and Life Sciences, School ofNatural Resources, EnvironmentalResources Center

National Coordination:Gregory L. Crosby, USDA ExtensionService

Project Coordinator:Kadi Row, University of Wisconsin-Cooperative Extension, EnvironmentalResources Center

Lead Writers and Service-LearningSpecialists:

Rich Cairn and Susan Cairn, Cairn &Associates, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Water Curriculum Specialist:Kelly Warren, University of Wisconsin-Cooperative Extension, EnvironmentalResources Center

Designer:Barbara Lyman, Alternative Designs,St. Paul, Minnesota

Illustrator:Lynne Bergschultz, Bergschultz Studio,Fredonia, Wisconsin

Copy Editor:Lynn Entine, Lynn Entine Writing andEditing, Madison, Wisconsin

Program Assistant:Sheila Voss, University of Wisconsin-Madison,

Additional Reviewers:Henry AlthoenWiiliam C. DickinsonDeLynn HayPaul McCawley

Made Possible With Support from :

Church & Dwight Co., Inc.Makers of Arm & Hammer° Baking Soda

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

In Partnership with:

American Forests

American Water Works Association

Earth Force

Global Rivers Environmental EducationNetwork

The Groundwater Foundation

lzaak Walton League

National Aquarium in Baltimore

National Association of ConservationDistricts

National 4-H Council

National Marine Education Association

Project WET (Water Euucation forTeachers)

Tennessee Valley Authority

Trout Unlimited

USDA Cooperative Extension System

USDA Extension Service

USDA Forest Service

USDA Soil Conservation Service

US EPA Office of Water

US Fish and Wildlife Service

US Geological Survey

US National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration

University of Wisconsin EnvironmentalResources Center

Western Regional EnvironmentalEducation Council

Water Environment Federation

I I 1 IS

G.% 46,41.% Ifs.` Fora

The Blue Thumb Program,a joint effort for NationalDrinking Water Week, incooperation with theAmerican Water WorksAssociation

Carolyn JohnsonRobert M. PfeifferSuzanne Wade

Give Water a HandCommunity Site Action GuideCopyright © 1994 by National 4-H CouncilAll rights reserved.Printed in the United States of America.

University of Wisconsin-Extension,Cooperative ExtensionEnvironmental Resources CenterCollege of Agriculture & Life SciencesMadison, WI 53706(800) WATER20

Copies of the Give Water a Hand LeaderGuidebook and Action Guides for home,farm, school and community sites may becopied for use by teachers and youth lead-ers for educational use. No other partiesmay reproduce any part of these publica-tions for publication or resale withoutprior written permission from the National4-H Council.

All educational programs and activities con-ducted by the Cooperative Extension Serviceare m nilable on a nondiscriminatory basiswithout regard to race, color, creed, religion,sexual orientation, national origin, sex, age,handicap or vetnam-era veteran status.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Exten-sion Work Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914.

Univortity of Wirgtonsin-ExtensionCooperative Extension

EnvironmentalStewardship Extension

Service

National 4-H Council's programs are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, sex,handicap, religion, age, or national origin. Me-''ion or display of a trademark, proprietaryproduct, or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement by the National 4-HCouncil and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are thoseof author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the virw of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Your project will go better if you get help and advice from anexpert. We call these people or organizations who willhelp "Partners". If you have already signed up with a Part-ner from the list on the back cover of the Leader Guidebook,great! If not, do it now. This page can help you get helpfrom these and other people.

All the organizations which hc'bed create Give Water a Hand wantto help you. Many others can help also. There are many usefulthings they might help with. For example:

Show you how to read maps or a water meter. Test water.Plant and care for trees. Raise money. Install equipment.Use toolsAnswer questions about: how plumbing works, where drink-ing water comes from, where wastewater goes, whatanimals and plants live in water, and what hazardous materials might affect people,plants and animalsGive, sell or lend tools, maps, brochures, posters, buttons, displays, videos, seeds, trees, equipment even buses

or carsGive or get permission for you to do what you want to. Or help you get in to talk to the county commissioner,school board, town council or mayorTell you about projects you can work on or even work with you on one!

Partner: People and/or organizationswhich work together to get somethingdone.

Resources:People, books tools, money,transportation

something done.anything useful to get

HOW TO GET HELP FROM PARTNERSThe first trick in getting help is knowing whom to talk to. Here are some ideas:The list of national Partners on pages 27-29 of the Leader Guidebook explains what each one has to offer, whether theyhave local contacts or offices. The project list (on page 20) gives specific suggestions about what national Partners canhelp with.

Look at this page whenever your

group needs information or resources.

List your project partners, their phone

numbers and addresses:

People or organizations in the community include County ExtensionAgents, Soil and Water Conservation District staff, public water utilities,non-profit environmental organizations, county or city wastemanagement agencies, nature centers, and others. People at yourschool who could help include: school principal, teachers, the PTA orPTO.

TIPS FOR WORKING WITH PARTNERSPrepare before you call, write or meet. Be as specific as possibleBe polite and respectful, even when you disagree or don't get whatyou wantAlways give your name and say what group you are with.Write all names, phone numbers and addresses in your Project JournalSay thank you. Send thank you notes. Invite Partners to a projectcelebrationOnly one person from your group should call. Don't confuse yourPartnersCall back after a couple of days if someone doesn't return your callMake sure you have a complete list of all your questions when ybu callyour partner so that you don't have to keep calling back each timesomething comes up

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