2009 Program Highlights

Highlights of the 2009 Watershed Wisdom Education Program

Connecting With Place…Inspiring Youth Stewardship of the St. Croix Watershed

Fifth grade students at Marine and Scandia schools engaged in classes with Sally Leider to explore the geography qnd ecology the St. Croix River and its watershed. Following a study of drainage patterns and how water flows, the young watershed enthusiasts discovered their own watershed address using maps of the region and the river. A study of tributaries of the St. Croix led to more observation of the bodies of water near their homes and schools. A tributary juggling game offered an active means of becoming familiar with the larger tributaries.

Sources of non-point pollution were investigated around their neighborhoods, homes and schools. Students communicated with their teachers and families about possible “best practices” for watershed health. Ways to ease human impact on land and water were explored.

Biodiversity studies of native species in the watershed prepared students for activities that intergrated the arts into a thematic study of dragonflies.

Maarja Roth led students in creating dragonfly models which were fabricated to closely resemble native dragonflies. Colorful field logs were assembled to record their own sightings and observations of dragonflies. The unique field logs featured watercolor paintings and drawings of dragonflies and their habitats. Information about dragonfly families, migration patterns, cultural nicknames, life cycle, anatomy, and food webs added insight to their pages.
Dragonfly haiku poetry writing personalized their knowledge as students reflected on the life of these four winged predatory insects. Both the dragonfly models and field logs were shared at the Mill Stream Day Celebration in May.

Dragonfly larva collected by Grantsburg High School biology class students and transferred to the classroom aquarium provided an opportunity to witness the fascinating transformation of nymphs to dragonflies!

A final hike to the restored Mill Stream site proved exciting as many dragonflies, birds, and macro-invertebrates were observed on site. As keen observers of life in the watershed, the students were well on their way to becoming stewards of their treasured place in the watershed.