Summer SAVY Session 5, Day 5, Aquatic Ecology
Happy Friday!
The day was spent doing research on how to mitigate the effects of nutrient additions to aquatic systems and writing a report, in poster form, presenting the main topic of the week, what we learned about it, and discussing mitigation. I tasked them to go beyond simply saying that we need to reduce the amount of fertilizer that is used in agriculture and find out how this can be done. What can farmers do to use less fertilizer? What can they do to reduce run-off? This led to a deep dive into agricultural practices going all the way back to terracing in China. We then discussed how mitigation techniques are implemented. Should farmers do these things because it’s the right thing to do, the moral thing to do? Do we impose strict limits on farming techniques or offer incentives? They were informed of past issues that were addressed through government action including lead in gas and paint, seat belt laws, and airbag laws.
I encourage you to ask your child about the tension between doing what is right and doing what is best for the bottom line. Are these things always at odds? What do we do when they are? I think they enjoyed the discussion. The afternoon was spent working on the posters and holding a poster session. Some of them brought home their poster home but if they didn’t I have photos that can be shared.
If you are curious, here is a link to the curriculum that was used this week. Scroll down to Something Fishy. https://education.wm.edu/centers/cfge/curriculum/science/materials/index.php
Here is information about the Chesapeake Bay from NOAA… https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/chesapeake-bay/overview
Thank you for sending your child to camp, I enjoyed working with them.
Gary