We are pleased to share a report on our Watershed Education Program led by WRWA Education Director, Shelli Costa. We are proud of the accomplishments and of the long term positive impact our Education programs have on local students.
The Watershed Education Program (WEP) is an interdisciplinary environmental education program developed by the Westport River Watershed Alliance.
Originally designed to complement existing school curriculum within the boundaries of the watershed of the Westport River, WEP has been adapted for use within the Buzzards Bay watershed. WEP incorporates the recommendations of the Massachusetts Science Curriculum Frameworks into a series of teacher guides, workshops, and field studies. Our education director continually adapts the current WEP program curriculum to newly published standards.
The main emphasis of the primary grade (PreK-2) lessons is environmental awareness. For grades 3-5, the focus shifts to introduce our relationship with the environment and our impact on nature. Middle school activities (grades 6-8) focus on local sources of pollution and its impact on the water quality of the river and ground water. In high school, students have a chance to experment with environmental chemistry and use water quality kits to assess the health of local streams.
The topics and field studies include:
Preschool: Creatures of the Westport River
Kindergarten: Organic Gardening
Grade 1: Plants and Animals of Vernal Pools
Grade 2: Coastal Habitats
Grade 3: A Feathery Focus
Grade 4: The Estuary
Grade 5: The Dunes System
Grade 6: Wetland Wonders
Grade 7: Watershed Ecosystems
Grade 8: Marine Ecology
High School: Adopt-A-Watershed
