Protect Water - SDM

History

In the spring of 2011 Karen Fuss, Coordinator of Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater Education Consortium, offer to partner with Ocean Bay Middle School's Science Cub and start a "Storm Drain Marking" project.  Karen's assistant presented a hands-on Enviroscape to the children and the effects of pollutants on our watersheds. The students then went out and marked all the storm drains on our school campus and collected data on the condition of drains and runoff in the drains. The following spring we went into the neighborhood adjacent to our school and marked the drains in the neighborhood Belle Grove. This spring we will be canvassing the neighborhood with door hangers and will attempt part of the other neighborhood behind our school, The Farm.

Time Line

May 2011–Two Coastal Carolina University interns gave a hands-on presentation using the Enviroscape watershed model to Science Club to discuss polluted stormwater sources

May 2011–Interns also helped students place 16 storm drain markers on the Ocean Bay Middle campus and in their parking lot 

Fall 2011–Green Steps Mentor, Karen Fuss, works with Horry County Stormwater to determine best locations for Science Club to mark drains in nearby neighborhoods 

Winter 2012– Coastal Carolina University intern gives PowerPoint presentation about polluted stormwater and uses Enviroscape model with Science Club 

Winter 2012–Science Club creates outreach materials (e.g. door hangers or brochures) to distribute in the selected neighborhood where marking will take place 

Winter/Spring 2012–Intern works with Club to mark drains in the neighborhood close to Ocean Bay Middle; students also collect observational data on data sheets about each drain 

Spring 2012–Intern and Science Club return to marked drains and collect data; students compare and analyze data

Spring 2014-Intern and Science Club return to marked drains and collect data; students compare and analyze data

What students will do and how 

Students will learn about local stormwater issues, the effects of different land uses on polluted runoff, and solutions to these problems during the PowerPoint presentation and using the hands-on Enviroscape model. The Science Club will research and develop outreach materials, such as door hangers, to distribute during the marking event. On the marking day, students will glue plastic markers near the storm drains with the message “No Dumping, Drains to Ocean”. The students will also use data sheets to collect observational data (e.g. is there debris, or an odor present) at each marking site. This data will then be uploaded into a database and shared with the Horry County Stormwater Department. Several months later, the Science Club will revisit the neighborhood and collect data which they will compare and analyze. One of the questions that the students will seek to answer –“Is there less debris in drain now that it has a marker than before the marker was placed at the drain?

What students will teach others

Students will research information on polluted stormwater and ways that people can reduce their effects on this type of pollution. They will then create outreach materials, such as door hangers to place on doors in the neighborhood, informing the residents of the marking project. This hanger or brochure will also teach the specific community about ways to decrease polluted runoff.