Westchester Watershed Education Program

The Westchester Watershed Education Program is an initiative to provide educators with the resources they need to create or enhance water quality monitoring and education programs. Simultaneously, Westchester County residents are educated about protecting their watersheds and what actions they can take to help preserve clean water and healthy ecosystems.

Goals

• Increase public awareness and knowledge about Westchester’s four major watersheds: Croton Reservoir, Hudson River, Bronx River, and Long Island Sound.

• Provide educators and citizen monitoring groups with the resources essential to start up or enhance water quality monitoring projects in the community.

• Instill a sense of stewardship into Westchester’s youth and residents

Activities:

Enviroscape Loan Program  The Enviroscape is an interactive teaching tool, demonstrating the relationship between land uses and water quality.  The Enviroscape mimics stormwater runoff characteristics and patterns. It consists of a land model, rain (spray bottle) and pollutants (colored powders, such as grape Kool-Aid) that work together to display how a watershed works and the impacts various land uses have on local water conditions. 

The Enviroscape is appropriate for all age levels- Complete and flexible recommended lesson plan/s are provided with the display.

Westchester County’s Enviroscape Loan Program:  The Westchester County Department of Planning will loan the Enviroscape and associated lesson plans to interested teachers and educators.

To borrow the enviroscape, email Susan Darling at sad8@westchestergov.com.  Please read the conditions below, prior to requesting the Enviroscape.

Conditions:

• Educators must pick the Enviroscape up and drop it off at the Planning Department in White Plains.

• There is a two week maximum rental time period.

•  Overdue fines of $1 a day will be collected for each business day the Enviroscape is overdue.

• The Enviroscape must be returned in the same or better condition in which it was found.

Sample Lesson Plan Summary:

1. Discuss the connection of various Land Uses and Water Quality.
2. Discuss pollutants, potential causes of contaminants, and how they get into  the water.
3. Demonstrate local and potential pollution sources on the Enviroscape.
4. Review effects of pollution on water quality.
5. Brainstorm ways to decrease the amount of pollution entering waterbodies.
6.  Demonstrate benefit of wetlands on Enviroscape

Click here to link to Hudson Basin River Watch organization

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