FWWA Teaches Watershed Education at Appleton Summer Camp

FWWA has contracted with the City of Appleton for the past seven years and has provided watershed-based lessons for campers attending Camp APRD. Campers can register for one week of camp, or the entire summer, with a maximum of 30 campers each week. Many kids return to Camp APRD year after year, and it’s nice seeing familiar faces. While we kept to the same themes or lesson subjects, we change up our lesson plans every year. Below is a recap of our adventures so far this summer:

Week One: Stormwater & Stenciling
For our first lesson, campers learned about stormwater runoff, broke up into teams, and helped spray paint “No Dumping Drains to Waterway” stencils by storm drains in Appleton’s Memorial Park. There were three teams that each had a map showing which drains were theirs to paint. Safety was very important to us. Campers had gloves, safety glasses, safety vests, traffic cones, dust masks, and adult chaperones. The spray paint was a little messy, but the kids had fun with this activity and brought a lot of excitement with them. Thank you to Graymont for donating the safety glasses, the City of Appleton for the safety cones and spray paint, and Outagamie County for the safety vests.

Week Two: Stormwater Ponds & Park Cleanup
For the second week of camp, the campers learned about the watershed and about stormwater ponds. FWWA’s Chad Vanden Langenberg took the campers to the stormwater pond and explained how they help settle out stormwater runoff pollution. The kids then worked together and cleaned up the park! They all did a great job and picked up a lot of garbage!

Week Three: Wetland Wonders
Campers learned about wetlands. They learned about the four main types of wetlands: marsh, swamp, bog, and fen, and learned about the awesome functions that wetlands provide including how they support a great amount of biodiversity along with their ability to filter and store water. We walked to the wetlands in the park, took their pictures, and then the campers filled out their wetland journals.

Week Four: Prairie Pastimes
Last week, campers learned about prairies. We talked about how the roots of many prairie plants go deep into the ground. We discussed how roots help to hold the soil together, how they help prevent erosion, and how prairies provide habitat for lots of different animals. Campers broke up into teams and did an activity where they measured and drew prairie plants showing how tall they grow above ground, and how far down their roots can grow. Afterwards, we walked over to the prairie in the park and grabbed a few petals and leaves to make sun-catchers.