Water monitoring and research form the foundation of The Watershed Institute’s efforts to protect streams and rivers in central New Jersey. We launched StreamWatch Schools to engage K-12 students in water quality monitoring from the field to the classroom, including:
- chemical testing,
- bioassessments with benthic macroinvertebrates,
- visual data collection and record-keeping,
- data entry to a digital platform to share your results with other schools, and
- data analysis, interpretation, and sharing.
And all with the support of Watershed Institute Educators! Depending on your class’s specific needs, our StreamWatch Schools staff are available to provide in-class and/or streamside instruction for class groups, or “train-the-trainer” style lessons for teachers. Our aim is to create an accessible program that is flexible and customizable based on your interests and needs. Our lesson plans are aligned to Next Generation Science Standards, with detailed fieldwork procedures, community discussion boards, and a new, custom-built web-based platform for inputting, viewing, analyzing, and sharing water quality data.
Complete the form below to receive more information about deploying StreamWatch Schools in your classroom. Our science educators will reach out to you to customize your program and get you signed up on the digital StreamWatch Schools Data Portal.
The new StreamWatch Schools Program is an offshoot of The Watershed Institute’s well established stream monitoring program. Since 1992, volunteers have assessed and documented water quality in the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed through our StreamWatch water quality monitoring program. StreamWatch measures the health of our water by testing water chemistry, measuring bacteria levels, and assessing the biological and physical health of our waterways. StreamWatch data helps The Watershed Institute better assess the impacts of pollution and land use on local streams and determine actions necessary to protect and improve water quality.