River Detectives
| image: "School Kids Testing Sample" |
Students across the North Central Region can participate in this ten month water quality monitoring program, performing chemical and physical tests each month on water collected from a nominated water body. They can also choose to participate in extra monthly activities, which are linked to their school curriculum and compliments the waterway monitoring program.
Each participating school receives a water-testing kit capable of measuring: temperature, EC, turbidity, pH and reactive phosphate. The kits remain the property of North Central Waterwatch and must be returned at the end of the school year. Kits will be reassigned the following year, after facilitators have conducted full inspection and maintenance. Schools with poor monitoring records may forfeit access to a water-testing kit if demand from new schools is high.
Participating teachers are offered training at the beginning and middle of each school year, and are supported in the classroom with the provision of River Detectives resources. Waterwatch staff receive many requests to visit schools and run activities - schools participating in the River Detectives program take priority when allocating facilitator time.
For more information about the River Detectives program, resources and support, please contact the Regional Coordinator on (03) 5440 1829.
- River Detectives - Teacher Manual.pdf (4mb)
- River Detectives - Student Workbook.pdf (6mb)
- River Detectives testing chart.pdf (200kb)
Other Freshwater Ecology Fact sheets and Posters
The North Central Waterwatch team have responded to numerous community requests for information on various river health and freshwater ecology based issues and phenomenon by producing a variety of fact sheets and posters. These materials are fabulous tools for teachers and provide quick and easy to read information. Please let us know, if you would like materials developed for any other river health topics.