PRIDE Clean Streams Pilot Program at BCTC

PRIDE Clean Streams Pilot Program at BCTC provides support for science teachers and their students to conduct field assessment of stream quality.  Data from field observations will be made available to the students and their communities at large in order to raise awareness about the conditions of our streams and Bluegrass PRIDE efforts to clean them up. Participating schools have received water testing kits, biological collection equipment, and technical support for their programs. Bluegrass Community and Technical College faculty and student groups are working with the Kentucky Water Watch Program in supporting area science teachers in this effort.

Goals:

1. Provide a meaningful environmental science education activity for teachers and students.

2. Collect information on water quality parameters in Bluegrass Streams.

Two basic training programs covering biological monitoring, visual assessment, benthic invertibrate assessment and an introduction to chemical testing, recording and reporting procedures have been held. Click here to view photos for the Fall 2003 and Spring 2004 workshops and sampling events. High school science teachers from seven schools in the Bluegrass region participated in the training workshops and will use the knowledge they have gained to teach their students more about water quality issues. They will also conduct classroom field trips to local waterways to collect data using the monitoring techniques discussed in the workshops.

BCTC faculty will continue to provide technical assistance and loan benthic identification kits to teachers in the Bluegrass region who would like to conduct water quality analysis with their students. If you are interested in more information on this project or would like to use benthic invertebrate ID kits in your classroom, contact Tracy Knowles (Tracy.Knowles@uky.edu) or Jean Watts (jwatt0@uky.edu).

Project support provided by Bluegrass PRIDE and NOAA.