Children learn about water pollution
Slippery Rock Community Library hosted a presentation for children about non-point source pollution by Butler County Conservation District Thursday afternoon.
The presentation titled “We All Live Downstream” informed children about pollutants that can end up in Slippery Rock waterways, and how the rain garden installed at the library can contribute to better water.
Ryan Harr, watershed resource conservationist at the conservation district, gave the talk and said it is important to teach people of all ages about water quality.
“I've talked with kids and adults alike,” Harr said. “It starts them on the right path and they take it back to the parents.”
The educational talk is part of a grant given to the library from the conservation district along with the implementation of the detention pond, which was built with the building in 2018. According to Royce Lorentz, Slippery Rock borough council member and volunteer at the library, there are more than 300 plants being added to the pond to attract various pollinators.
During his talk, Harr explained to children that watersheds are areas of land that drain water to a common point. The children contributed to a discussion on how Wolfe Creek in Grove City eventually gets to Slippery Rock, and all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. “Whatever you do affects someone else downstream,” Harr said.
Harr gave children and their attending parents examples of ways water gets polluted from agriculture, pets and stormwater. He further explained the benefits of having a rain garden like the one at the library.
“(Rain gardens) can reduce flooding, replenish groundwater and provide habitats for pollinators,” Harr said.
Toward the end of his talk, Harr and the children identified different plants, such as butterfly weed and black eyed Susans, that are excellent plants to attract pollinators, such as hummingbirds and butterflies.
Harr said he gives these kinds of talks to various groups, including 4-H clubs, schools and other organizations.
“We'll talk to anyone who's willing to listen and focus on water quality,” Harr said.
For more information on the Butler County Conservation District, visit http://www.bccdonline.org.
