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RIVERS TO REEFS 2016

Day 3, Wednesday: June 15, 2016

Mary Hobby; Newnan High School, Newnan, GA
Marvin McDuffie, South Hart Elementary School, Hartwell,GA

Collecting water samples from the Ocmulgee River prior to setting out in canoes. (Photo:Michelle Riley, GRNMS)

The alarm clock was a little startling this morning, leaving me hesitant as to how our third day together would start. Breakfast with the gang cleared all my worries as everyone was cheery and excited for our canoe day.

Teamwork was the theme for the morning as we efficiently completed our first water sampling and spur of the moment trash pick-up. Back on the road we travel to our launching point with the canoes. "Buddied-up" and on the river, we revel in the sun and tranquility of the water.

Water quality testing. (Photo:Michelle Riley, GRNMS)

Throughout the day, I noticed how passionate the instructors were. It is apparent to me that this is a labor of love for all of these stakeholders. What a legacy they will be leaving behind.

This day as an educator has shown me how effortlessly a group of people could work together when sharing a common experience when believing in the data collected. The methodology we had practiced paid off after completing the sampling in the field.

My classroom and students can only benefit from my experience today watching the landscape transition so smoothly from rivers to coast.

My school is located within 10 miles of the headwaters of the Savannah River so visits to the area, especially the Hartwell Dam, are a standard field trip for our 3rd grade.

This experience has really opened my eyes and made me aware of how many our local practices and behaviors affect those downstream. Even the simplest thing like runoff from a well-groomed front yard, when compounded by hundreds of yards, really create pollution downstream.

Carole Carpenter (l) and Westby Slade (r) canoe into a slough in the Oconee River. (Photo:Michelle Riley, GRNMS)

By having this first-hand experience, I will be able to provide my students a first-hand account of the effects of all materials that they improperly dispose of on our environment.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see the animals at the Georgia Aquarium from a new perspective and to learn about how the scientists care for each animal. What a spectacular start to this journey!!

As an Engineering and Technology teacher, I am most interested in the technology aboard the R/V Savannah and how it can be used to identify and solve environmental issues. I have created a mini-ROV program based on the SeaPerch ROV. Being able to connect this simple, PVC based, pool operated devise with the real thing aboard the R/V Savannah will be a very beneficial lesson for all of my students.