Stuart School

CCWI and Stuart School Monitor Santa Rosa Creek

Stuart School Addresses Climate Change

Stuart School Brochure (a pdf file)

	On March 2, 2005, Stuart School students participated in a Clean-Up project on Santa Rosa Creek at the Prince Memorial Greenway.
	On March 16, 2005, students worked to remove the invasive species, French Broom, at the new entrance to Hood Mountain Regional Park. (Before)
	Hood Mountain Regional Park French Broom Removal (After)
	Over 20 students provided much needed volunteer-power to aid in the opening of this new section of Park.

March 16, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact Maggy Howe
707 874-9565
Begin Copy Maggyhowe@aol.com

STUART SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY CLEAN WATER INSTITUTE TEAM UP TO MONITOR SANTA ROSA CREEK

Wednesday afternoon is not school as usual for students attending the Stuart School (address, ages K-8), you may have seen them walking to Santa Rosa Creek carrying odd pieces of equipment known as Multiparameter Kits, Conductivity Meters, and portable Dissolved Oxygen Meters-and you may have wondered what are they doing? Due to the growing demand for environmental studies programs and awareness the Stuart School has teamed up with the Community Clean Water Institute and the City of Santa Rosa, to determine the health of the downtown Santa Rosa Creek.

ALL DRAINS FLOW TO THE OCEAN!!
Understanding the importance of keeping a healthy creek, twice a month students learn how to perform basic water quality tests, as well as learn about watershed characteristics. During our outings students work with biology, chemistry, and environmental science appropriate to grade level. Younger students learn to monitor the comings and goings of macroinvertebrates (a sign of a healthy creek), while older students perform tests such as pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, temperature, and conductivity. Students use their math skills to calculate the flow of a creek, first measuring cross-sectional area, then using a stopwatch and an orange (you might want to ask them why we use an orange). Seventh and eighth graders have had the opportunity to test samples from different creeks and were able to see the varying nutrient levels using phosphate reagents-comparing toxicity levels.

By the year's end students will publish a brochure to give to the city of Santa Rosa revealing their findings and input their methods of how we can as a city keep our creeks healthy.

COMMUNITY CLEAN WATER INSTITUTE
Community Clean Water Institute is a non-profit based in Occidental whose mission is to promote and protect clean water and public health by identifying water pollution, advocating for sound water policies, and providing information to the public.
For more information about CCWI programs, call Mike Sandler, Program Coordinator at (707) 874-3803.

Press Release

4th-8th Grade Students to Address County Supervisors On Climate Change

For more information contact: For immediate release
Mike Sandler, Program Coordinator, May 5, 2004
Community Clean Water Institute (707) 874-3803

A group of 4th through 8th graders from Stuart School in Santa Rosa addressed the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 11 at 2PM. The students' presentation to the Board of Supervisors focused on the importance of a healthy climate in the 21st century. Climate change as a result of burning fossil fuels is expected to produce extreme weather events, rising sea levels, changes in water availability, species extinctions, and many other impacts in the 21st century.

The presentation was the final segment of Stuart School's year-long environmental studies program facilitated by Community Clean Water Institute, a non-profit based on Occidental. 2003-4 was the first year for the Stuart School's environmental studies program. Topics and activities in Stuart School's Environmental Studies Program included:

Water quality monitoring on Santa Rosa Creek
Stream clean ups
Macroinvertebrate monitoring
Climate change, Fuel cells and renewable energy
Biodiversity and habitat
Tour of the Laguna Wastewater Treatment Plant
Forests and ecosystems
Coliform testing

The curriculum was developed by Sarah Shaeffer, Program Associate of Community Clean Water Institute. The students' presentation to the Board of Supervisors is coordinated by Kellie Noe, a Sonoma State Student who runs Voice of the Future, a project encouraging students to become advocates for a healthy world for the next generation. Community Clean Water Institute's Water and Climate Program was recognized as a Finalist in the World Water Action Contest at the World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan in 2003.

What: Student Presentation to Supervisors on Climate Change
Where: Board of Supervisors Chamber
When: Tuesday, May 11 at 2PM

For more information, please contact Mike Sandler at (707) 874-3803.

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