Working for the environment
CRANBERRY TWP — A group of sixth-graders at Seneca Valley's Haine Middle School have taken it upon themselves to help make their community a better place with a series of environmental programs.
“I think these are our future leaders,” said Allison Stebbins, gifted education teacher at Haine Middle School. “I have some really bright kids this year. They really want to give back.”
Stebbins' sixth-grade gifted education students were part of Tim Schutzman's presentation on the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System program at the township supervisors' meeting April 5. Schutzman is the waterworks coordinator for the township and manages its MS4 (stormwater) protocols.
The students handle the public education part of the MS4 program requirements. They took turns informing the supervisors and audience about watersheds, different types of household contaminants and pollution, including car wash soap, fertilizer, pet waste and sediment.
They also gave tips on how to avoid polluting the waterways like using natural fertilizers for the lawn, flushing or burying dog waste, using a rain barrel and controlling sediment.
“Who doesn't want a squeaky clean car?” said Brynn, one of Stebbins' students. “But when you're washing your car in your driveway, it runs off into our streams and water system.”
The students' relationship with the township started 10 years ago when they first spoke before the board of supervisors to get a rain barrel education program going.
Stebbins said her students were learning about water contamination and conservation in class and became concerned about the need to conserve water in the township as its population grew and began using more water.
She reached out to Lorin Meeder, township environmental programs coordinator, who suggested a rain barrel program.
After getting approval from the supervisors, the students began hosting an informational class each spring where residents learn about water conservation and using rain barrels, and at the end they receive a rain barrel for their home.
Stebbins estimates over the 10 years of the program, they've given out 500 rain barrels.
Residents pay a fee of $30 for the class, but in the end they receive a rain barrel that retails for more than $135, Stebbins said.The first year, students raised funds to pay for the rain barrels that were given out to residents. Since then, they've paid for the barrels through grant funding some years and they have worked out a partnership with Home Depot and Fiskars, the rain barrel manufacturer, to get the barrels at a lower cost.Since the program has gained steam, the students host two classes and distribute 60 rain barrels each year, Stebbins said. The next class that residents can sign up for is May 17.Stebbins said these programs show her students that one person or one group of people can have an impact.“If it wasn't for these groups of kids over the years, we wouldn't have over 500 rain barrels conserving water at over 500 homes in the township,” she said. “We wouldn't have a storm drain painting system. It shows them that you really can see a need for change in the world and go out and do it.”After the success of the rain barrel program, Stebbins again approached the township to find another way to help.“We got the idea to try to make an impact not only conserving water, but also protecting what we have,” she said.Schutzman pointed them to the storm drains. He said students could spray paint messages around the storm drains in residential communities to inform and remind people that what gets put in the stormwater system doesn't get treated before entering the waterways.“That's a myth that what you put down the storm drains goes to the treatment plant,” she said.The sixth grade students again made a presentation to the township to get approval for their storm drain painting program about three years ago.The supervisors enjoyed having the students speak so much that they asked them to be part of the MS4 presentation each year.“Your research, your enthusiasm, you're the reason we try to build our community to be a better place,” said Supervisor Mike Manipole, after the students' presentation April 5.
