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Watershed Education Resources Materials and Programs for Teaching about the New York City Water System and the Catskill-Delaware Watershed |
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Watershed Education Resources Materials and Programs for Teaching about the New York City Water System and the Catskill-Delaware Watershed |
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Cultural and History Programs
"Participatory Music and Story programs" by Ira & Laurie McIntosh
www.catskillmountainmusic.com, 845-676-4727, Laurie@gmail.com
"Our Great, Big Backyard Garden" This program allows children to sing about, hear and understand the vital connection between food and healthy soil and water. Stories and songs explain plant life cycles, pollination, regional history, geography, transportation, streams, reservoirs and the importance of farmers! "Twist & Trout" A musical complement to any Trout in the Classroom project. Rollicking good sing-alongs, such as "Animals Need Water" and "Save Some Streams for Us, Mister" "Catskill Tales & Tunes" A 45- to 60-minute classroom or school assembly program of songs and stories that focus on the rich environmental and social history of the Catskills and New York City watershed region.
"City That Drinks the Mountain Sky," a production of Arm-of-the-Sea Theater
www.armofthesea.org - 845-246-7873
This lively, large-scale theater production tells the epic story of New York City's water supply system. The show, created in 1999, features hand-painted sets, dozens of mask and puppet characters and wonderful live music. It has received rave reviews at schools and festivals throughout the region. Arm-of-the-Sea Theater has been producing high quality arts-in-education programs for more than 20 years; this is one of their most successful school shows. Study guide and post performance discussion included with each school-day performance.
River of Words, and Naturalist John Burroughs
rparisio@hotmail.com - 845-633-8065
River of Words is an interdisciplinary program in watershed education for grades K-12. Students investigate their own watersheds by writing site-specific nature poetry which is enriched by their studies of local flora, fauna, geology, and cultural history. Workshops for teachers, and outreach programs for school classes are presented by Rich Parisio a poet and writer with more than 35 years as an environmental educator. Parisio also offers a free illustrated talk for upper elementary, middle school, high school, and adult audiences: "Naturalist John Burroughs: His Life and Work."
The Gilboa Museum and Fossils, a project of the Gilboa Historical Society
Stryker Road, off Route 990V, Gilboa; www.gilboafossils.org
Much of the evidence for what is known about terrestrial life during the Devonian period in North America has come from some extraordinary fossils discovered in Gilboa, Schoharie County over the last 150 years. The Gilboa Museum, one-half mile from NYS Route 30, has some of the world’s oldest fossilized trees on display, along with a mural depicting Devonian Dawn, and photos and artifacts from the original village of Gilboa before it was condemned to construct the Schoharie Reservoir, completed in 1925. The museum is open weekends in summer and fall. Group tours are available mid-week, or during winter by appointment. Suggested donation $1 per person. An outdoor fossil exhibit is on display along NYC Road 990V not far from the museum. The display has nine large fossilized tree stumps with an information kiosk. A book and video on the Gilboa Fossils are available for sale. To arrange a tour, contact Kristen Wyckoff, 607-588 9413; kwyckoff@dmcom.net. Tours not available February-early April.
Life at Lake Wawaka/Delaware & Ulster Rail Road, a program of the Catskill Revitalization Corp.
www.durr.org
A 14-mile round trip excursion aboard the Delaware & Ulster Rail Ride from Arkville to Halcottsville takes groups to the shores of Lake Wawaka (Halcottsville Pond). There they visit a learning station to explore the intersection of natural and human history in this little hamlet on the East Branch of the Delaware River. Pre- and post-visit classroom materials and teacher guide available. Cost is $6 per student, program is available from late May through late October. Contact Dave Riordan, 607-586-2929; loco1998@durr.org.
Reservoir Kiosks, a project of the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC)
www.cwconline.org/special/comm_pro.html
In an effort to recognize the sacrifices made by the Watershed communities on behalf of New York City water, the CWC spearheaded a project to erect outdoor exhibits (kiosks) and road signs at the City’s six West of Hudson reservoirs. The kiosks contain text and photographs explaining the history of the 25 communites which were removed or relocated to make way for the Ashokan, Schoharie, Neversink, Rondout, Pepacton and Cannonsville reservoirs built between 1907 and 1965. The exhibits also chart the NYC Water System, one of the world’s engineering marvels, and explain what is being done to protect this critical resource. For kiosk locations, go to website above. For other information on Watershed history, contact Diane Galusha, 845-586-1400. ext. 29; galusha@cwconline.org.
Classroom-based Science Programs
Streamwatch and CSWEP, programs of the Catskill Center for Conservation & Development
http://www.catskillcenter.org/index.php/-catskill-center-/our-programs/education
Streamwatch is a four-day sequence, one hour each day, that promotes environmental stewardship and gets kids excited about science by collecting creatures in a local stream and determining the stream's health. Schools need not be within the NYC Watershed to participate in Streamwatch. A similar opportunity that exists for K-12 school districts within the NYC West-of-Hudson Watershed is Catskill Stream and Watershed Education Program (CSWEP). Funded by NYCDEP and the Watershed Agricultural Council Forestry Program, CSWEP is a modified version of Streamwatch. This is a 5-day program that involves two fieldtrips to a local stream and in-class visits by a stream professional. Contact Katie Palm at (845) 586-2611 or kpalm@catskillcenter.org for more information about these programs.
Trout in the Classroom,a program of Trout Unlimited
www.troutintheclassroom.org
Raise trout from eggs to fingerlings in a classroom tank. Students monitor fish development and water quality, and collaborate and share data with other participating NYC and Watershed teachers. A high level of commitment is required all year long, from the September tank set-up and October conference through release of trout in the spring. NYC schools wishing to release fingerlings in the Watershed are encouraged to apply for Watershed Forestry Bus Tour Grant (see Funding Sources) to cover transportation costs. $1,300 purchases a 55-gallon tank and all equipment (chiller, pump, filter etc.) as well as educational materials. Year-long support, permits and lesson plans are available from the Trout in the Classroom Coordinator and the TIC website.
Forest Lessons, offered by The Catskill Forest Association, Inc.
(845) 586-3054; cfa@catskill.net
Custom lessons are available to all school audiences on forestry and forest management topics ranging from tree growth, forest health, tree identification, tree planting, maple sugaring, and timber management to forestry careers and wildlife habitat. Activities are usually done on school grounds, using on-site materials (leaves, seeds, twigs) as available. Indoor lessons are also an option. Also available are CFA’s Forestry on Wheels including a mobile classroom unit that houses educational materials, tools, equipment and supplies. Costs vary depending upon schedule, travel distance and preparation time. Please call CFA to better tailor a lesson to meet your needs.
Green Connections, funded by the Watershed Forestry Program;
coordinated by Catskill Center for Conservation & Development
Green Connections is a 12-week extension of the Watershed Forestry Institute for Teachers (see Professional Development category below) and is designed to establish partnerships between classes in NYC and its Watershed. The purpose of Green Connections is to educate students about the important connection between water quality and healthy forests. Contact Katie Palm, 845-586-2611; kpalm@catskillcenter.org.
Cornell Cooperative Extension
Contact the following CCE representatives for information on environmental programs and materials available to teachers and students:
Delaware County: 4-H Director John Hannum, 607-865-6531; jth44@cornell.edu (contact for Lennox Model Forest)
Greene County: Environmental Educator Liz LoGiudice, phone: 518-622-9820; eml37@cornell.edu (coordinates Environmental Awareness Days for Greene County 6th graders)
Schoharie County: 4-H Director Eileen McGuire, 518-234-4303; em96@cornell.edu
Sullivan County: Agricultural Resource Educator Trish Westonbroek, paw34@cornell.edu; Nicole Olsen, 4-H Youth Educator; 845-292-6180, ext. 113 nmb62@cornell.edu
Ulster County: 4-H Director Arthur Zaczkiewicz, 845-340-3990; aaz25@cornell.edu. coordinator of Environmental Awareness day for Ulster County 6th graders.
After the StormStormwater issues; includes segment at NYC Watershed farm. Co-produced by US EPA and The Weather Channel. Free copies available at www.epa.gov/weatherchannel/. Can also be viewed on the web.
Deep Water: Building the Catskill Water System 45-minute documentary on development of the Catskill Supply of the NYC Water System. Produced by Willow Mixed Media. www.deepwaterdvd.com/orders.html. Teacher’s guide available from CWC. Contact: Galusha@cwconline.org; 845-586-1400, Ext. 29. 20-minute version available from The Ashokan Center, oeprogram@ashokancenter.org; 845-657-8333
The Gilboa Fossils Half-hour video on the oldest tree fossils ever found, uncovered during construction of Gilboa Dam of Schoharie Reservoir. Produced by Gilboa Historical Society. Available at Gilboa Museum, or by contacting Kristin Wyckoff. kwyckoff@dmcom.net; 607-588-9413.
Mahackamack: The Building of the Neversink Dam as Told by the Men Who Built It Oral history produced by Sullivan County Historical Society. schs@warwick.net or 845-434-8044
Modern Marvels: City Water A History Channel documentary on development of water supplies in Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles. www.awwa.org/bookstore, or via www.amazon.com
Of Streams and Dreams: The Programs of the Catskill Watershed Corporation 15-minute overview of watershed history and CWC environmental, economic development and education programs. View at www.cwconline.org
Shavertown: Reservoir of Memories 40-minute documentary/oral history on one of the communities taken for the Pepacton Reservoir. Produced by Andes Central School. 845-676-3166
Watershed Engineering Marvels: Building the Ashokan and Schoharie Reservoirs and the Shandaken Tunnel Video tour of an exhibit at the Empire State Railway Museum, Phoenicia. 845-688-7501
Behind the Scenes: The Inside Story of the Watershed Agreement 12 interviews with people involved in negotiations for the 1997 NYC Watershed Memorandum of Agreement. Transcripts/photos on www.cwconline.org/about/scenes.html; Produced by Nancy Burnett Productions, nburnett@usa.net; 607-369-4035
Voices from the Valleys Interviews with 15 former residents of communities claimed for the Neversink and Rondout Reservoirs. Produced by Time & The Valleys Museum. carolsmythe@earthlink.net
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