Have you ever wondered how your daily actions impact the water someone else is drinking or the habitat of animals in a different part of the world? Heritage Conservancy is working to help a group of fourth graders to connect those pieces. Our recently launched pilot Cross-Watershed Collaboration Program aims to connect students in different parts of the Delaware River Watershed and encourage them to take action to protect the water in their communities and beyond.

Watersheds, the area that drains into a body of water, connect our communities much like puzzle pieces. Thus far, staff have worked with classes from Springfield Township and Bristol Township; both schools are located within the Delaware River watershed, but are situated in separate smaller watersheds, referred to as “sub-watersheds”. Sub-watersheds have unique features that direct their water to flow into different creeks, streams, and tributaries.

The fourth-grade classes have completed the first virtual meeting to learn about the interconnectedness of our communities with watersheds, water quality, and the water cycle. Next, they will complete in-class activities to incorporate that information with water testing and observations at a local body of water in their community. Each class will make a presentation to share with the other school about their experience and what their part of the watershed is like.

The final session will be a virtual collaboration where students will have the opportunity to talk to each other and share ideas regarding how they can protect the Delaware River for themselves, their communities, and beyond.

Funding for this project was made possible from an EPA Environmental Education grant and the William Penn Foundation.