4H and Water:
How to Empower Youth to Protect
Water Resources
Water Conservation: half-empty or
half-full?
Regional Webinar Series
Feb. 15, 2011
Southern Region 4-H2O
Ambassador Program
Ashley Osborne
Extension Associate for Environmental
and Natural Resource Issues
University of Kentucky
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What is the Southern Region 4-H2O
Ambassador Program?
• Special Project within the Southern Region
Water Program
• Received funding 2008-2010
• Partners
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Clemson University
KY Water Resources Research Institute
Region IV EPA – Land Grant Universities Liaison
North Carolina State University
University of GA
University of KY
University of TN
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Objectives:
1) Broaden youth’s understanding of key concepts
related to water quality and watersheds.
2) Enable youth to identify and address issues
related to water quality in their local
watersheds.
3) Initiate or strengthen relationships among
community members.
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What resources are currently being used?
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Clemson Extension’s 4-H2O Pontoon Classroom
North Carolina A&T State University
University of Kentucky
Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
Utah State University
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Development of Southern Region 4-H2O
Ambassador Program
• Designed for 8-14 year olds
• 4 Units
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What is a watershed?
What is water quality?
What impacts the water quality in the watershed I live in?
What can I do to improve the water quality in the
watershed I live in?
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Unit
• Basic Information for Instructor(s)
• Hands-on activities
• Objectives
• Materials list
• Instructions
• Reflection questions
• Extensions
• 4-H Life Skills
• National Science Standards
• Evaluation
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Community Service Project
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Unit 4: What can I do to improve the water quality
in the watershed I live in?
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Organize a community/watershed
clean-up event
Develop educational materials to
distribute locally
Lead younger students/4-Hers in
water-related activities
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Russell Cave Elementary
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Cane Run Watershed
4-H2O Ambassador Camp
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Day 1
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Pre-test
Sessions
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Watersheds
Nonpoint source and point
source pollution
Chemical water testing
Aquatic insect sampling
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Day 2
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Cane Run Watershed
Brainstorming session
(community service projects)
Post-test (15% increase)
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Community Service Project
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Brochure
Display
Clean-up event
Skit (Spanish and English)
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GA Pilot - Community Service Project
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Certified 4-H2O Ambassadors
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Recognized on a local, statewide, and multi-state
(regional) basis
Encouraged to mentor a new, up-and-coming
ambassador
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Future plans…
February 25, 2011 – Final version complete and
available online
Web address: http://www.ca.uky.edu/enri/4H2O.htm
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Paper Wad-ershed Activity
Demonstrates the basic
geography of a watershed,
how water moves through a
watershed, and the impact
people have on the quality
of our water.
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Paper Wad-ershed Activity
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What is a watershed?
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Paper Wad-ershed Activity
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What is a watershed?
• A watershed is nature’s boundary for water and
includes all the land that drains water to a single
stream, river, lake or body of water.
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Paper Wad-ershed Activity
•
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What is a watershed?
• A watershed is nature’s boundary for water and
includes all the land that drains water to a single
stream, river, lake or body of water.
What are the components of a watershed?
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Paper Wad-ershed Activity
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What is a watershed?
• A watershed is nature’s boundary for water and
includes all the land that drains water to a single
stream, river, lake or body of water.
What are the components of a watershed?
• Streams, lakes, ponds, houses, shopping centers,
groceries stores, farms, parking lots, schools, etc.
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Paper Wad-ershed Activity
1. Crumble a white piece of paper into a ball.
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Paper Wad-ershed Activity
2. Gently open the paper, but don’t flatten it out. The
highest points on the paper represent mountain tops,
the lowest points represent valleys.
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Paper Wad-ershed Activity
3.
Choose one color of water soluble marker to mark the highest points. These are
the mountain line ridges. – Brown Arrow
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Paper Wad-ershed Activity
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Choose one color of water soluble marker to mark the highest points. These are
the mountain line ridges. – Brown Arrow
Choose a second color to mark places where different bodies of water might be
located, such as streams and rivers. – Blue Arrow
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Paper Wad-ershed Activity
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Choose one color of water soluble marker to mark the highest points. These are
the mountain line ridges. – Brown Arrow
Choose a second color to mark places where different bodies of water might be
located, such as streams and rivers. – Blue Arrow
Choose a third color to mark several places to represent human settlement,
such as housing, factories, farms, schools, shopping centers. – Red Arrow
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Paper Wad-ershed Activity
6.
Use a spray bottle with water to gently mist each map. This
represents rain falling onto the watershed.
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Paper Wad-ershed Activity
Reflection Questions:
1. What changes did you observe in your map?
2. Where does most of the “rain” fall?
3. What path does the water follow?
4. Where would erosion occur?
5. How are the human settlements affected?
6. Are any buildings in the path of a raging river or crumbling hillside?
7. How does the flow of water through the watershed affect your choice
of building sites?
8. How does the map demonstrate the idea of a watershed?
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Paper Wad-ershed
4-H2O Opportunities
• Look at a topographic map of your town or neighborhood.
See if youth can locate ridge lines, streams, rivers, etc. that
make up their watershed. Try to determine how a heavy
rainfall and runoff might impact certain areas.
• Discuss the issues of land uses (agriculture, construction,
etc.) and water quality. Play a simulation game that would
illustrate different viewpoints on how we use water.
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Acknowledgements
Southern Region 4-H2O Ambassadors Committee:
Ashley Osborne, Jann Burks, Amanda Gumbert, Stephanie Jenkins, and Blake Newton
(University of Kentucky); Melanie Biersmith (University of Georgia); Lena Beth Carmichael
(University of Tennessee); Frank Henning (Region IV EPA - Land Grant Universities Liaison);
Rick Wiley (Clemson University); Lenny Rogers (North Carolina State University)
Reviewers:
Elizabeth Conway, Kandi Edwards, Brenda Jackson, Octavia Jackson, Terri Kimble, Julie
Lawrence, and Dinah Rowe (University of Georgia); Jan Gibson, Rebecca Konopka
(University of Kentucky); Julie Jones (Fayette County Public Schools)
The Southern Region 4-H2 O Ambassador Program was adapted from on 4-H2O Pontoon
Classroom, a curriculum developed by Clemson University Cooperative Extension.
Permission granted for use and modification.
The development of the Southern Region 4-H2O Ambassador curriculum was funded by the
USDA-NIFA Southern Region Water Program.
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Thank You
Contact Information:
Ashley Osborne
University of KY Cooperative Extension Service
P: 859-257-2505
E: [email protected]
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