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The Flint River Watershed

Board of Directors

Doug Schultz, Board Chair

Beth Manning, Vice Chair

Cheryl McHallam, Treasurer

Darren Bagley, Secretary

Linda Berker

Steve Hester

Janice Karcher

S. Olof Karlstrom (Emeritus)

DeAndra McCain

Jack Minore

Adam Moore

Art Reyes

Jack Stock

Joe Stock

Monica Walker

Alex Thibeault (through June)

Staff Rebecca Fedewa Executive Director

Autumn Mitchell Education Program Manager

Sarah Scheitler Corridor Alliance Manager

Jaime Welch Paddle Programs Manager

Edythe Westhoff Business Manager

1300 Bluff Street, Suite 114 Flint, MI 48504 810-767-6490 www.flintriver.org

The Flint River Watershed Coalition partners to protect, promote, and improve the Flint River and its watershed. The Flint River Watershed covers approximately 1,300 square miles across 7 counties, including Genesee, Lapeer, Saginaw, and Oakland.

The Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN) is a nationally replicated program that offers a unique and hands-on water quality testing experience for students. It was created in 1989 by University of Michigan professor, Dr. William Stapp, and assistant Mark Mitchell.

Beginning in 1989, GREEN worked with Flint schools, and later expanded to include many high schools and middle schools within Genesee County. The success and value of GREEN later led to the inclusion of schools in Saginaw, Lapeer, and Oakland counties. Now referred to as Flint River GREEN, the program continues to grow and is incorporated into many teachers’ annual curriculum.

GREEN History

GREEN Overview

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Flint River GREEN NGSS Integration:

Flint River GREEN Process:

Step 1: Teachers connect with expert environmental mentors and participate in professional development training to learn how to facilitate the program with students.

Step 2: Students and their teachers collaborate with their mentors inside and outside of their classrooms to perform water quality tests on bodies of water within their watershed.

Step 3: Students use their findings to learn about human impacts on water quality and develop action plans to improve or maintain the water in their area.

Step 4: Students share this information with their peers and community officials at school and at the annual Student Summit.

5-ESS 2-1, 2-2, 3-1

3-5-ETS 1-1, 1-2

MS-PS 1-2

MS-LS 1-5,1-6, 2-1, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5

MS-ESS 2-2, 3-3, 3-4

MS-ETS 1-1

HS-PS 1-5, 1-6

HS-LS 1-5, 2-1, 2-2, 2-5, 2-6, 2-7, 4-5

HS-ESS 3-1, 3-3, 3-6

HS-ETS 1-2, 1-3

A note from the Program Manager:

My first GREEN season quickly got underway this year when I joined the Flint River Watershed Coalition in January. Along with an exceptional committee of experts, the “GREEN Team” worked to recruit and train 12 new teachers and 4 new mentors for the program in addition to our 8 returning teachers and 11 returning mentors for a year full of new faces and big changes reaching over 900 students.

During the spring of 2018, we identified national science education standards integration (NGSS), piloted simplified testing procedures for younger audiences, and achieved the highest percentage of returned Water Quality Index data to date. We are now beginning a fall pilot program as we work to expand the program to be offered year-round! Looking ahead to 2019 and beyond, the “GREEN Team” has committed to further expansion. Opportunities on the horizon include connecting across curricular areas to further support community engagement projects, developing a teacher resource bank for age-appropriate expansions, advancing technological classroom integration, and creating a more substantial approach to teacher training and support.

Flint River GREEN has surpassed many incredible milestones over the years thanks to our passionate team of experts and consistently growing support from our community. I look forward to working on this team as we further strengthen the program as an exemplary resource for our educators, impacting the broader community. For more information about how you can get involved in implementing Flint River GREEN at your school or otherwise support the program, please contact me at amitchell@flintriver.org or 810-767-9491.

Kind regards, Autumn

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GREEN Planning Committee

Planning Committee

Darren Bagley, MSU-E 4-H

James Emmerling Genesee Intermediate School District

Tom Hutchings City of Flint

Tom Jones Genesee County Drain Commission John Maksimchuk III General Motors Autumn Mitchell Flint River Watershed Coalition Leyla Sanker UM-Flint Discovering PLACE Grace Scarsella Earth Force Lee Ann Slosar General Motors Jaime Welch Flint River Watershed Coalition

Thank you to our GREEN planning committee members for all of the time you give and the background work that you do to make this program successful! The GREEN planning committee meets monthly to plan and prepare for a successful GREEN season. This dedicated group brings together expertise, resources, and enthusiasm to the GREEN program and helps chart the direction for GREEN. In addition, members organize Professional Development days for teachers, recruit mentors for GREEN teachers, host the Student Summit, seek funding, and develop relationships with the community partners to broaden the impact of GREEN. The planning committee collaborates on improving and expanding the program each year to ensure that GREEN continuously provides the best experience possible to teachers and students.

“I will definitely think differently about what goes into the water.”

– 2018 student from Chatfield

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This year’s professional development included an overview of Flint River GREEN logistics, resources, expansion opportunities, and safety considerations. Workshop participants spent time exploring potential field scenarios while performing each of the nine water quality tests. Alongside GREEN committee members, participants worked together to analyze results. The day concluded with an afternoon tour of the local landfill where teachers had an opportunity to experience first-hand environmental and economic impacts and solutions while interacting with professionals in the field. Teachers who attended the full workshop received five continuing education credits (SCECHs) for their participation.

Professional Development

Flint River GREEN 2018 PD Day March 22, 2018

Workshop: Genesee Career Institute Tour: Citizens Disposal Landfill

Special thanks to the Genesee Intermediate

School District for hosting the PD and

providing lunch, as well as to each of the GREEN Committee members for their time and expertise in facilitating the event.

20 Participants:

12 new teachers 2 returning teachers 3 new mentors 1 returning mentor 2 after school program aids

GREEN Mentors

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Mentors are key to the success of Flint River GREEN! GREEN mentors offer assistance in both the classroom and at the testing site. Working closely with teachers, mentors speak with students about Flint River GREEN and environmental careers. They also introduce students to water quality testing procedures and how to interpret results. Mentors also accompany their students to the stream, assist with data analysis, and guide students through the development of action plans. The knowledge that mentors bring from their respective fields helps teachers and students make connections to the value of environmental stewardship and its role in economic and social contexts. Students connecting with expert mentors through GREEN also discover pathways to potential STEM fields and learn more about opportunities to advance in these careers.

Marv Asbury General Motors Swartz Creek CCA Daren Bagley MSU-Extension/4H Aaron Bagwell Quaker Chemical Craig Buike Quaker Chemical Flint Metal Center Tina Burry, General Motors Brent Cousino, General Motors

Thad Domick City of Flint Water Pollution Control Tom Hutchings City of Flint Water Pollution Control Tom Jones Genesee County Drain Commission Emily McDonald General Motors Madeline Mahnick General Motors John Maksimchuk III General Motors

Autumn Mitchell Flint River Watershed Coalition Lee Ann Slosar General Motors Alex Thibeault General Motors Jaime Welch Flint River Watershed Coalition

GREEN Mentor, Tom Hutchings, working with a student from Powers Catholic High School who is testing

stream quality.

2018

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2018 Participating GREEN Schools

Atherton Jr./Sr. High School Teacher: Ashley Booker

Mentor: Madeline Mahnick

Bendle High School Teacher: Todd Bardon Mentor: Jaime Welch

Birch Run—Marshall Greene

Middle School Teacher: Todd Snelenberger Mentor: Autumn Mitchell

Carman-Ainsworth Baker

Career Academy Teacher: Trish Miller Mentor: Tina Burry

Clio—Carter Middle School

Teachers: Ryan Niemi Mentor: Craig Buike

Davison Middle School Teacher: Jody Kosiara

Flint Northwestern

Teacher: Mary Ann Kost Mentor: Emily McDonald

Genesee Career Institute

Teacher: Tracey Groom Mentor: Darren Bagley

Imlay City Middle School

Teacher: Kim Perreault

Kearsley—Armstrong Middle School

Teachers: Julian Jarrett, Diana Bowman, Kathy Hill Mentor: John Maksimchuk

Lakeville Middle School Teacher: Patrick Burris Mentor: Alex Thibeault

Lapeer—Chatfield School Teacher: Annette Young

Mentor: Autumn Mitchell

Montrose—Kuehn-Haven Middle School

Teachers: Kelly Sanborn, Tammy Belson

Mentor: Autumn Mitchell

Mt. Morris Junior High School

Teachers: Nick Carr, Kim McCormick,

Mentor: Tom Jones

Northbranch High School Teacher: Carrie Wenta

Mentor: Lee Ann Slosar

Northbranch Middle School Teacher: Anne Sherrieb Mentor: Lee Ann Slosar

Powers High School

Teacher: Julie Lawrence Mentor: Tom Hutchings

Swartz Creek Middle School Teacher: Brandolyn Forbes

Mentors: Marv Asbury

Westwood Heights— Hamady High School Teacher: James Hall

Mentor: Brent Cousino Pictured above: Students from Kuehn-Haven

Middle School in Montrose on testing day

GREEN Schools

0 20 40 60 80 100

Crampton Drain at Kearsley Armstrong

Pierson Drain at Atherton HS

Thread Creek at Bristol Road

Carman Creek Behind Carman…

Pine Run on Clio Bike Path @ Clio Park

Farmers Creek

Davison- Black Creek (Class A)

Davison- Black Creek (Class B)

Davison- Kearsley Creek (Class C)

Thread Creek at Rust Park in Grand…

Holloway Reservoir Columbiaville

Silver Creek before Flint River…

Flint River @ Barber Memorial Park

Flint River @ Steeping Stone Falls

Bottom Creek

North Branch Middle School Drain

Flint River @ Vietnam Veterans'…

Swartz Creek south of Powers

Weighted WQI Value

Weighted WQI Value

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Testing Parameters & Results

GREEN Students complete up to nine tests in order to calculate the overall Water Quality Index rating (WQI). Each parameter is weighted differently according to its overall impact on water quality. The WQI is the overall calculation of a body of water at a specific place and time.

Water Quality Field Test Parameters

Biochemical Oxygen Demand

Dissolved Oxygen

Fecal Coliform

Nitrates

pH

Temperature

Total Phosphates

Total Solids

Turbidity

Teachers pre-determine their testing date based on school calendars and are given a two week window in which to test their stream. In 2018, the testing window included a week of cold weather and a large precipitation event which caused flooding followed by a much warmer and dryer second week. Students comparing their data to other schools found that in order to gain a more insight into the overall health of their stream, testing should be completed regularly and over time and/or should be combined with other indicators such as macroinvertebrate sampling.

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Water Quality Results for 2018

School Location

Weighted Water Quality

Index Value

Armstrong Middle School Crampton Drain at Kearsley Armstrong 67

Atherton High School Pierson Drain at Atherton HS 75

Bendle High School Thread Creek at Bristol Road 84

Carman Ainsworth - Baker Career Carman Creek Behind Carman Ainsworth- Baker 55

Carter Middle School Clio Bike Path @ Clio Park 70

Chatfield Farmers Creek 84

Davison Middle School Davison Black Creek (Class A) 70

Davison Middle School Davison Black Creek (Class B) 69

Davison Middle School Davison Kearsley Creek (Class C) 75

Genesee Area Skill Center Thread Creek at Rust Park in Grand Blanc 84

Hamady High School Clio Bike Path @ Jennings/Vienna not reported

LakeVille Middle School Holloway Reservoir Columbiaville 61

Marshall Greene Middle School Silver Creek 60

Montrose Middle School Flint River @ Barber Memorial Park 67

Mt. Morris Middle School Flint River @ Steeping Stone Falls 63

North Branch High School Bottom Creek 72

North Branch Middle School North Branch Middle School Drain 68

Northwestern Academy Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Park 76

Powers Catholic High School Swartz Creek south of Powers 73

Swartz Creek Middle School West Branch Swartz Creek near SCMS not reported

To view a map of the results, review specific site data, or reference past years, please visit http://www.flintrivergreen.org/test-data/

Water Quality Index Ratings

100-90: Excellent Water Quality

89-70: Good Water Quality

69-50: Average Water Quality

49-25: Marginal Water Quality

24-0: Poor Water Quality

Students from Marshall Greene Middle School in Birch Run sample from the center of Silver Creek on April 17, 2018

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GREEN Student Summit

On May 18, 2018, GREEN mentors, community members, students, teachers, and volunteers gathered for the annual Student Summit at Kettering University.

Students presented their water testing results and other information gathered during their field testing and study days. Emcee Tom Jones, Staff Engineer with the Genesee County Drain Commission, facilitated presentations and follow up inquiries from the audience.

When students were not presenting, they took part in a variety of breakout sessions led by community members and environmental professionals eager to share their knowledge with GREEN students. A huge THANK YOU goes out to the presenters for their time and energy!

Special thanks to Kettering University for once again generously hosting the Flint River GREEN Student Summit and to Julie Simmons, Administrative Specialist at Kettering University, for her work in coordinating the event.

Students present an analysis of their data. These students worked collaboratively with their Water Quality, Science, and Forensics teachers to synthesize their data and develop their presentation.

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Biology Lab: DNA Michelle Ammerman, Kettering University Faculty

Incredible Edibles Peter McCreedy, Ecology Director At Chatfield School

Mad Scientist Heidi locke, MSU Extension Genesee County 4-H program coordinator

Rats In Your Drinking Water Darren Bagley, MSU 4-H Youth Development Educator

Recycling Round-Up Miles Roblyer, Keep Genesee County Beautiful Program Assistant & Carl Thompson, Cody Roblyer, Genesee County Metro Planning Commission

River Critters Julie Markiewicz, MSU Graduate Student

Runyak for Liberty Riley McLincha, Runyaker and Wizard of Clio

Science Under Sail: Pollution Solutions Emily Nummer, BaySail Director of Education

Sewer CSI Thomas M. Hutchings, City of Flint Environmental Compliance Supervisor

Vampires of the Great Lakes Ted Lawrence, Great Lakes Fishery Commission Communications Specialist

Walking Tour: Greening Chevy Commons Janet Van De Winkle, Genesee County Parks

You are What You Eat: Bioaccumulation Alyssa Warburton, Dr. Veronica R. Moorman and Dr. James Cohen, Kettering University faculty and student

Summit Breakout Sessions

GREEN Student Summit

GREEN Student Survey Results

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Students attending the Student Summit were surveyed regarding their participation in Flint River GREEN. Eighty-six surveys were returned. Results are charted below:

Acknowledgements

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The Flint River Watershed Coalition is very thankful for the many financial and in-kind supporters of Flint River GREEN. Such generosity makes it possible for the FRWC

to continue to educate our young people about their watershed and their environment. Your support will have a lasting impact for generations to come.

Thank You!

City of Flint, Water Pollution Control Department

Consumers Energy Foundation

Earth Force

Flint River Watershed Coalition

Genesee County Drain Commissioner’s Office, Surface Water Management

Genesee County Drain Commissioner’s Office, Our Water Program

Genesee Intermediate School District

Genesee Intermediate School District, Office of Education and Learning

General Motors Company

General Motors Foundation

Kettering University

Michigan State University 4-H Youth Development

University of Michigan – Flint Discovering PLACE

1300 Bluff Street, Suite 114 Flint, Michigan 48504

www.flintriver.org

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