GPS students spent Earth Day on the Tennessee River with Living Lands and Waters
GPS Middle School science classes and an Upper School Environmental Science class took part in the Living Lands and Waters educational workshops on Earth Day. LL&W is a non-profit organization based in Illinois that partners with cities, government agencies and other conservation groups to host educational workshops. The LL&W crew lives for nine months on the barges, hosting river cleanups, watershed conservation initiatives, tree plantings and other conservation efforts.
The presentations for students and educators increase awareness of the importance and value of the Tennessee River. Also attending the workshops were students in the Tucker Fellows Program, a two-year elective that involves GPS students in a study of the Tennessee River.
Students “had a chance to learn about taking care of the river while surrounded by the sights, sounds, and smells of the river,” said science teacher Kipton Tugman. In one workshop, representatives of the Tennessee American Water Company gave a mini-class on how the river water is cleaned and prepared for human consumption. The chemist, a woman, also provided some background about how she came to work at the company and the other science-based opportunities there are with the water company.
The second class the students attended was about sustainability of fishing and the effects of invasive species on fisheries. One game allowed them to see the effects of invasive species, and a second game allowed them to assume the responsibility of a fishing captain. Both proved to be important learning opportunities, said Ms. Tugman.
LL&W’s founder and president, Chad Pregracke, was CNN’s 2013 Hero of the Year.