Collins Run B: Environmental Education Curriculum for Collins Run (Grades 3-4)

This topic submitted by Ross Meyer, Leah Farzin, Nathaniel Minto ( mintona@muohio.edu ) on 3/1/02 .

Hands-on Nature:
Environmental Education Curriculum for Collins Run (Grades 3-4)

By:

Ross Meyer
Nathaniel Minto
Leah Farzin

Introduction

In the last decades of the 20th century the rate of loss of the worldÕs natural resources has drastically increased. Specific to the United States these losses include the clearing of forests for residential and agricultural development, increased pollution of rivers and lakes on which a growing population depends, higher levels of carbon dioxide emissions resulting from increased consumption of fossil fuels, as well as the unsustainable usage of diminishing fossil fuels. Even in the United States where a relatively well-educated citizenry is well informed, environmental gains have been under attack, with the aim of further development and increasing profits. The trend is particularly troublesome because the assault stresses the resources on which all people of the world depend: air, water, soil, and biota.
This trend probably cannot be stopped, but the education of peoples everywhere may slow it down. However small a contribution, this project represents one of the ways people can be led to understand their interdependence and connection to the natural environment. The better we understand the cultural, scientific, and social relationships between humans and the natural environment, the more likely we are to learn to appreciate and value the environment.
The objective of this project is to develop an interactive, hands-on teaching curriculum composed for local children grades 3 and 4. We seek to develop an interactive three-day lesson plan that we will distribute to local teachers that they can use in their curriculum. This will include a map of the area, an educational trail system with specific points of interest, a booklet for the children, hands-on activities, photographs, and a teaching booklet for the teachers. Ultimately, we hope to encourage childrenÕs curiosity and concern about the natural world and to provide experiences from which they can gain an understanding and appreciation of the health of the ecological processes and patterns that sustain life. The activities and information offered in this project are the first step in what we hope will be a lifetime of appreciation and care for our natural world. Since children are our future, it our imperative responsibility as parents, teachers, and humans to both educate and empower our children to reverse and correct our current destructive and unsustainable path.
The primary objective of the project is twofold:

1) Education: Educate children of the inherent value of the natural environment and its integrity/health. Explore the interconnection - socially, culturally, and ecologically Ð of the children lives with the natural environment. Teach basic ecological principles, systems and components of Collins Run, as well as the geological/paleontological significance of Collins Run. Connect the patterns and processes of Collins Run to a global perspective.

2) Empowerment: Empower children to take action towards bettering the ecological health of their local community. Purpose behaviors and activities children can take part in to work towards a healthy environment.

Children, like adults, learn best when theyÕre actively engaged in the learning process and recognize its relevance to their lives. The activities involved in this curriculum encourage inquiry and allow for discovery. Children are invited to look more closely, ask questions, and explore freely. Core concepts that guide our educational philosophy include:

¥ Focus each topic so the information and activities clearly relate to the childrenÕs lives. Further, each topic will follow a logical flow, and the learning builds on previous knowledge.
¥ Allow children to make their own discoveries while the adult leaders serve as co-explorers and co-learners.
¥ Give children firsthand, direct experience by including an outdoor field trip. The best way to learn about nature is firsthand: by seeing it, hearing it, touching it, and smelling it.
¥ Model respect for nature and each other. Encourage a strong environmental ethic and well as empower children to make differences in the world that contribute to environmental health.

Central to this philosophy is interdisciplinary methodology. Interdisciplinary instruction enables students to see the connectedness of learning and life experiences. Using a thematic approach, the curriculum addresses issues that integrates the humanities (history, cultural studies), the social sciences (environmental advocacy, public policy, land use, education), and the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, ecology, environmental studies, geology, paleontology). As students make links between perspectives, the material becomes more relevant and their learning is enforced. Eventually they come to appreciate the essential contribution each discipline makes towards creating a connected whole.
Interdisciplinary instruction can challenge students and meet their educational needs. Ultimately it can become the vehicle by which teachers transport students through the world of learning, expanding its relevance and spurring them to build upon its common core of knowledge.
The portion of this project that will prepare us for development of the curriculum will include not only the literature research but also the scientific experimentation element of our project. We will be using sediment load as an indicator of the effects of land use policies on the stream. To do this we will be sampling directly downstream of the residential development areas within the watershed and then outside of the more secluded, wooded areas, and comparing the data of the two. This will segue us into a discussion of land use and allow us to enter into some of the social aspects of this issue. Including but not exclusive to: zoning laws, building codes, and urbanization/general residential development.
Further preliminary research will include a series of interviews with children that reside in proximity to the Collins Run area. The objective behind this research will be to identify trends in local childrenÕs perception of the natural environment and the Collins Run area in particular. Further, it will help us to better understand the cultural significance of the natural environment for children.
With these integrated research experiments, we will be able to have a better idea of how to formulate our teaching curriculum. The preliminary research will give us a better understanding of the cultural, social, and ecological connections of the local residents to the Collins Run area. From this data, we will be able to integrate these perspectives to arrive at an interdisciplinary teaching curriculum that synthesizes the cultural, social, and ecological importance of the Collins Run watershed for the Oxford area.

Research Questions

Natural Sciences:

What are the basic ecological principles, patterns and components of the Collins Run system?

What are the significant animal and plant species of Collins Run, and how do they interrelated?

What are the significant geological and paleontological areas of Collins Run, including the fossils and geological features? What is the prehistory of Collins Run?

How can we scientifically and statistically portray the interconnected relationship between humans and the natural environment through the case study of Collins Run?

What is the relationship between land use and sediment load and erosion? How does this relationship manifest itself in residentially developed areas versus wooded, natural areas?

What are effective methods and activities that encourage active, discovery-oriented learning of the natural environment for young children?

Social Sciences:

How do young children relate to nature?

What is the historical development of land usage in the watershed? How has zoning policies and other residential development policies affected land usage?

What are effective methods and activities that teach children of the importance of the ecological integrity of their natural environment?

How do we encourage children to become active in thinking about environmental policy and the consequences of environmental degradation?

Humanities:

What is the historical development of human interaction with Collins Run?

When and how do children interact with the Collins Run river system? How do they think of the natural environment and its relation to them?

What does the river mean (symbolical, ethical, cultural) to the children that live in proximity to it and/or interact with it regularly?

Specific Predictions:

In terms of the curriculum design aspect of our project, we predict that we will be able to develop the environmental awareness of the local children by creating an interactive, discovery-oriented program that encourages scientific inquiry and environmental ethical thinking. By making the curriculum interdisciplinary, hands-on, and experience-based, we hope to develop a lesson that is relevant and applicable to childrenÕs lives.

In terms of the scientific research portion of the project in the land use experiment, we expect to see higher levels of sediment load, rainwater runoff, and erosion around the residential areas than in the wooded areas. The larger relevance of this experiment is exploring the effects of the conversion of farmland and other rural land to urban and suburban development, which has been deemed the greatest threat to many Ohio streams. In terms of a smaller-scale residential development similar to along eastern Collins Run, this effect would be caused by soil erosion during construction, higher levels of effluent, more hard, impenetrable surfaces which result in faster stormwater runoff, eroding stream banks, and less groundwater recharge. Through this study, we will examine public policy in terms of zoning and residential development in Oxford over history. By examining public policy, we will be able to synthesize the social and natural sciences to better understand Oxford residentsÕ relationship with Collins Run.

Interdisciplinary Approach:

As stated in the Introduction, we believe an interdisciplinary approach is necessary to make the curriculum relevant and applicable to childrenÕs lives. Overall, our project seeks to develop an integrated curriculum that explores the relationships between humans and nature. To do this, we will examine the human/nature relationship through the lenses on social science, the humanities, and ecological sciences. We will embark on preliminary research in each of these disciplines to arrive at a holistic, integrated understanding of the subject to develop our curriculum. Specifically, the land use experiment will examine the relationship between land use patterns, public policy, urbanization, and ecological processes and health. This merger of the natural and social sciences will then be integrated with the interview studies to bring in the cultural relevance of the natural area. From our preliminary research, we will arrive at a holistic understanding of Oxford residentsÕ interaction with Collins Run.
From here, we will develop an interdisciplinary teaching curriculum based on the educational philosophies outlined in the Introduction. This final product will be a showcase of interdisciplinarity because we will both utilize the interdisciplinary methodology of education, as well as teach an interdisciplinary outlook on the human-nature relationship. In other words, it includes both a methodological and substantive usage of interdisciplinarity.

Preliminary Research Design and Methodology:

The stages of the preliminary research projects will consist as follows:
Preliminary Research:

1)Library Research:
a. Natural science library research of Collins Run. We will do library source research to better understand the basic ecological components and relationships within the watershed ecosystem. We will focus on the various actors (i.e. trees, fish, insects, flow, temp., etc.) of the ecosystem and how they are interrelated and interdependent.
b.Historical source research at Lane Public Library. These resources will be used to describe the historical development of land usage as well as provide a historical background to the Collins Run watershed. We will also go through past Oxford Press newspaper editions to try to find any relevant stories of the Collins Run area.
c.Public policy research at Lane Public and King Libraries. We will try to locate documents describing the development of land use policies through OxfordÕs history as well as any relevant zoning policies.

2)Cataloguing:
a.Significant plant and animal species and fossils in the Collins Run area. We will do this by using a guide of species for our local area. We will try to develop a key for the teachers to use to be able to identify the species, as well as the habitats where the species reside. We will also catalogue the major fossils and geological formations in the area.

3)Areas of Interest:
a.Determine unique areas of interest in the Collins Run area that display the topics of the lesson. We will also use the specific areas of interest for the trail guide will brief descriptions of the importance. Possible areas include the bluffs, Peffer Park, clay river beds, fossil outcrops, and residential development areas.

4)Photography:
a.Digital photograph significant plant and animal species and fossils, specific areas of interest and write brief descriptions. We will use these pictures for the teacherÕs specie identification key, as well as to illustrate predominant habitats where certain species can be found.

5)Trail Map:
a.Map the Collins Run area possibly using Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) and ArcView technology. Develop an education trail with specific sites of interest with corresponding photographs, lessons and descriptions.

Interviews:

6)Interview children ages 6-10 years old that live near the Collins Run watershed and/or interact with it in some way. We will either find children by going door-to-door along the watershed municipalities, or through the local schools. We hope to interview between 5 and 10 children.

7) Questions: We will be primarily asking questions to understand how they think of and interact with Collins Run and its significance to them, as well as their opinions of the consequences of environmental degradation.

1. Do you know of the Collins Run stream? Peffer Park?
2. How do you know of the area?
a. Recreation
b. School
c. Proximity
3. What activities, if any, do you do there?
a. Hike
b. Play in stream
c. Play in Peffer Park
d. Look for animals and fish along the stream
e. Fish
f. Picnic
g. Recreational (Outdoor sports, games, etc.)
4. About how many years have you been doing these activities in the stream or at the park?
5. About how many days a week do you spend over 1 hr along the stream or in the Park?
6. Do you like the stream and the park? Either one any more? Why?
7. Do you enjoy nature and the outdoors? Why?
8. Would you be angry if the stream was ruined or the park destroyed? Why?
9. What are some ways that the environment can be destroyed?
10. Do you think that it is important to take care of the environment and not let it be destroyed? Why?

Land Use Experiment:

8) This scientific experiment is primarily designed to scientifically explore the relationship between public policy, land use, and the ecological principles of the stream.

9) We will be comparing two sections of the stream, one on the eastern side that is predominantly surrounded by residential development, and the other on the western side that is predominantly wooded forest.

10) Our preliminary research shows that increased urbanization and residential development has seriously posed a threat to the health of Ohio rivers and stream. The scientific reasoning behind this is because development causes soil erosion during construction, higher levels of effluent, more hard, impenetrable surfaces which result in faster stormwater runoff, eroding stream banks, and less groundwater recharge. All of these factors together pose significant threats to the health of the intricate ecological processes that underlines a healthy watershed.

11) One indicator of these effects of residential development is the presence of erosion and sediment load. According to the hypothesis, in the residentially developed areas, there will be significantly more erosion as well as higher sediment load than in the forested areas. Perhaps right after a significant rainfall would be the best time to illustrate this relationship.

12) In order to test this hypothesis, we will need to draw comparisons between the two sections of the stream in regards to erosion and sediment load.
Sediment Load:
1. Our hypothesis posits that increased residential development leads to increased impenetrable surfaces (i.e. concrete), which leads to higher stormwater runoff in the watershed. This, in turn, leads to increased erosion in the watershed, as well as erosion cause directly be development. This erosion and increased runoff will lead to higher sediment transported in the stream. Erosion and runoff are drastically increased, making it favorable to measure the relationship after a rainstorm.
2. Substrate is the geological parent material, transported, sorted, and deposited by the current. The stream can be looked at as a transport medium of dissolved loads, suspended loads, or bed loads.
3. Research Design:
1. Photo catalogue and document the two distinct land use areas. Size of riparian zone, proximity of development, percentage of anthropomorphic impenetrable land surface, types of development.
2. Document amount of erosion in each section of the watershed. Number of cases of erosion, severity, distance from riparian zone and development, any obvious causes.
3. Sediment load:
a. For each section of the stream, we will measure sediment load by the following procedure:
1. Dry coffee filters by heating.
2. Collect 1 L of water from various depths and areas in section of stream.
3. Pour water through filter, let drain, and then dry filter.
4. Weight filter to get measurement of sediment load.
5. Take at least 15 samples from each section.
6. Use a statistical t-test to calculate the p-value between the two sectionÕs data to see if there is any significant difference due to causal factors, or if it was due to chance alone.

Teaching Curriculum:

13) Using our data from the interviews and land use experiment, develop a synthesis of human interactions with Collins Run considering the social/political, cultural, and ecological perspectives.

14) Develop a three-day teaching curriculum for local 3rd and 4th grade teachers to illustrate our findings, educate the children about basic ecological principles, and develop an environmental ethic.

15) Each dayÕs curriculum will follow the following general outline:

a. Grade Level:
b. Lesson Focus:
c. Previous Lesson Focus:
d. Student Objectives:
e. Teacher Objectives:
f. Equipment Needed:
g. Safety Considerations:
h. Management Considerations:
i. Description of Lesson:
1. Warm-up Activity (activity, organization, extensions, cues, formations)
2. Body of Lesson (activity, organization, extensions, cues, formations, transitions)
3. Summary (organization, questions, transition)
j. Notes:

16) Breakdown of Three-Day Lesson Plan:
a. Day 1 (classroom): Basic introduction to ecological principles and cultural significance of streams and environment.
1. Basic ecological principles through activities.
2. Cultural significance of rivers/streams explored through writings/artwork of childrenÕs interactions with streams/environment
3. Discussion of childrenÕs interactions with nature.
b. Day 2 (Collins Run field trip): Applied ecological principles, experiential learning and discovery activities
1. Hands-on, interactive, discovery-oriented activities for children to help learn of ecological principles.
2. Trail of Discovery: sites of interest, activities along trail, trash cleanup
3. Scavenger hunt: species identification, fossils, basic stream principles
4. Experiential learning: learn nature through senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, hear)
c. Day 3 (classroom): Integration of culture, social, and ecological principles, environmental ethic, ways children can act to help environment
1. Pollution activity
2. Environmental problems affecting Collins Run and solutions
3. Ways children can help protect Collins Run and environment in general

17) Develop a small booklet for the children about Collins Run that includes basic ecological principles, significant species and forces and their interrelatedness, pictures, descriptions of prehistory of Collin Run and the fossils, the importance of preserving areas like Collins Run, and ways that they can work to preserve Collins Run and other basic things that they can do to help the environment.
18) Develop a teacherÕs booklet to add to the curriculum. This will include:
a. Detailed explanations of our previous preliminary research findings, ecological principles, social and cultural issues
b. Pictorial catalogue of species and habitats, with descriptions
c. Trail Map with sites of interest and descriptions

19) Meet with local 3rd to 4th grade teachers and describe our project, its objectives and benefits, and then give them the curriculum kit to use.

1) Digital camera for pictorial cataloguing, 1 L beakers and coffee filters for sediment load measurements, measuring tape for erosion measurements, trash bags for litter cleanup, gloves for litter cleanup, caffeine to keep us alive to finish this project.

2) Our team hopes to work together on all stages of our research. We are all going to work together on the cataloguing and photography, as well as the interviews and land use experiment. We will most likely work on separate aspects of the curriculum in order to get it done in time. Ross will take care of the curriculum design and activities, Nathaniel will work on the childrenÕs booklet, and Leah will work on the teacherÕs booklet.

3) We plan to work with the other Team in order to share our research findings (interviews, land use). We will also share our resources, pictures, maps, and any other materials that they may need. We would also like to use their research findings and incorporate them into our curriculum.

4) Time-Line:

*Library research done
March 2 Ð 7: Cataloguing, photographing areas and species, start developing Trail Map
March 18 Ð 23: Finish cataloguing and photography, begin with interviews
March 24 Ð 30: Finish interviews, Land Use experiment complete, statistical analysis
March 31 Ð April 20: Curriculum, speak with Dave and Kani Meyer about activity ideas, student and teacher booklets, speak with Emilou Checco about final curriculum
April 21 - ?: Final Report, distribute curriculum packet

1) Our results will include interview transcripts an analysis, land use experiment statistics in terms of comparative sediment load and erosion, t-test calculations, photographs, teaching curriculum, student booklets, teacher booklets

Discussion & Conclusion:
1) Interpret results of interviews in terms of the cultural significance of Collins Run
2) Interpret results of land use experiment and implications for public policy, zoning, and residential development
3) Interpret and discuss successes and fallbacks to teaching curriculum in terms of whether the objectives were satisfied
4) What would we do differently, what further questions do we ask?
5) How do our results relate to other groups, specifically the other Collins Run Team.
6) Final synthesis and integration of social, cultural, and ecological principles and concepts and relevance to world

References:
Books/Reports/Theses:

Bourne, Russell. Rivers of America. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing, 1998.

This book is an excellent resource for the historical significance of rivers to American culture, commerce, and community. It will be very useful in relating local cultural ideas to the national level when we are analyzing our interviews and preparing our curriculum.

The Watercourse & The Council for Environmental Education. Project Wet: K-12 Curriculum and Activity Guide. Bozeman, Montana: The Watercourse & The Council for Environmental Education, 1995.

This is an excellent resource book for educators seeking to develop hands-on activities to help K Ð 12 students understand basic concepts of water and its global significance. We will be using this resource primarily for activity ideas for the curriculum.

McBride, James. Pioneer Biography: Sketches of the Lives of Some of the Early Settlers of Butler County, Ohio. Cincinnati, OH: Robert Clarke & Co., 1869.

This book is a superb historical reference of significant early settlers in the Oxford area. For our project, it provides a thorough biography of Joel Collins, the person whom Collins Run is named after. We can use this top develop the historical context of Collins Run for the children.

Colwell, Frederic S. Rivermen: A Romantic Iconography of the River and the Source. Kingston, Ontario: McGill-QueenÕs University Press, 1989.

This book is also very effective in dealing with the cultural significance of the rivers to the American psyche and society, particularly focusing on the people that interacted with the rivers daily. Again, it will help in providing a national context for the cultural significance of rivers and streams to the American people.

Cushing, Colbert E., and David Allan. Streams: Their Ecology and Life. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 2001.

This book is very helpful in explaining the basic ecological principles and processes of streams, dealing with everything from physical characteristics, river types, and management and restoration strategies. It will be very helpful in helping us understand the ecology of our watershed, as well as provide valuable information for our land use experiment.

Enberg, Dennis Peter. ÒThe urban expansion of Oxford, OH, 1950-1966.Ó Thesis, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 1966.

This document primarily explains the urban expansion that took place in the Oxford area between 1950 and 1966. It will be valuable for our land use experiment because it provides a historical context to residential policy and urbanization trends in Oxford.

Giller, Paul S., and Bjorn Malmqvist. The Biology of Streams and Rivers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

This book explains the interactions between organisms and their environments in stream habitats. I t will be useful in our specie catalogue, as well as in describing habitats and specie interactions.
.
Harland Bartholomew and Associates. ÒA Report upon population, land use & zoning, Oxford, OH.Ó Saint Louis, MO: Harland Bartholomew and Assoc., 195-?.

This report deals with the trends of expansion and land use in Oxford in the 1950s. It will be extremely valuable for our land use experiment because it provides a historical context to the development.

Jones, Jeremy B., and Patrick J. Mulholland, eds. Streams and Ground Waters. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 2000.

This books explains the interactions between the physical, biogeochemical, and organismal ecology of stream environments. It will be useful for our erosion discussion in the land use experiment as well as basic understanding of ecological principles.

Kaufman, Donald. Hands-On Environmental Education Activities for K-6 Teachers. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt, 1996.

This is primarily a resource book for educators seeking environmental education activities. It will be very useful for us in that it provides activity examples as well as takes the approach of experiential, discovery-oriented learning.

Leopold, Luna B. Water, Rivers and Creeks. Sausalito, CA: University Science Press, 1997.

This book deals with the concepts of hydrology, morphology, and water resource management in a simple and understandable fashion. Its primary use for us will be in dealing with the concepts of sediment load and surface runoff included in our land use experiment.

Lind, Karen K. Water, Stones, & Fossil Bones. Louisville, KY: University of Louisville, 1991.

This book is primarily an earth science education book with activities for children. It will be useful for us in dealing with the prehistory of Collins Run, the geological formations, and fossil identification.

Lingelbach, Jenepher, and Lisa Purcell, eds. Hands-On Nature: Information and activities for exploring the environment with children. Woodstock, VT: Vermont Institute of Natural Science, 2000.

This is an excellent educational resource because it provides examples of environmental teaching curriculum with sample activities and lesson plans. It will be very useful in our development of our lesson plan and relevant activities.

Losew, Donald Robert. ÒZoning and urban development: A case study, Oxford, OH.Ó Thesis, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 1974.

Like the other historical document, this one again deals with zoning policy and residential development, but in the 1970s. Like the others, this will be useful in providing a historical context for our land use experiment.

Martin, Walter Herman. ÒExisting land use, Oxford, OH, 1955.Ó Thesis, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 1955.

Again, like the other historical document, this one deals with land use patterns and residential development in the 1950s. Like the others, this will be useful in providing a historical context for our land use experiment because it describes patterns of land use around Collins Run.

McGinnis, Ralph J. The History of Oxford, Ohio: From the earliest days to the present, 1930. Oxford, OH: Stewart Press, 1930.

This resource is excellent because it traces OxfordÕs history all the way back to pre-settlement and traces the history and development of the area. It will be beneficial in providing the historical background to land use developments and urbanization patterns.

McAllister et. al. What ItÕs Worth to Save the Earth. Portland, Maine: J. Weston Walch, 1994.

This book is an interdisciplinary teaching unit on environmental awareness, integrating the disciplines of communication skills, mathematics, science, and social studies. Though it is designed for older kids, we will be able to use it as a model of interdisciplinary methodology in and environmental curriculum.

Oxford, OH Planning Commission. ÒOxford land use plan Ð 1990.Ó James M. Jennings Associates Co., Columbus, OH, 1974.

Again, like the other historical document, this one deals with land use policies proposed up until 1990. Like the others, this will be useful in providing a historical context for our land use experiment because it describes patterns of land use around Collins Run, as well as provides a more recent analysis.

Sanders, Randall E, ed. A Guide to Ohio Streams. Columbus, OH: Ohio Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, 2001.

This is an absolutely excellent resource, for all groups. It was developed by the Ohio Chapter of American Fisheries Society. It is beautifully illustrated, dealing with cultural, historical, scientific, and political significances of rivers in Ohio. It provides easy to understand science principles, excellent analysis of land use policies and its effect, as well as major Ohio watersheds.

Schwartz, Linda. Earth Book for Kids: Activities to help heal the environment. Santa Barbara, CA: Learning Woods, 1990.

We will be taking from this book examples of simple activities that are relevant to the lives and capabilities of younger students, in order to show them how they can contribute directly to the ecological health of their area.

VanCleave, Janice. Ecology for Every Kid. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1996.

This book is an excellent source for simplified explanations of complex ecological concepts. We will be drawing on this for our curriculum in terms of drafting an easy to understand text for 3rd and 4th graders.

The EarthWorks Group. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth. Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews and McMeel, 1990.

This text again is a resource for activities in which to involve the students on a more personal level with the health and integrity of their landscape. We hope to draw upon these activities to, in a sense, promote the idea ÒThink Globally, Act LocallyÓ.

Zektser, Igor S. Groundwater and the Environment: Applications for the Global Community. NY: Lewis Publishers, 2000.

This source discusses the relevance of maintaining clean groundwater to the global
community as one of humanityÕs main sources of drinking water.

Websites:

American Heritage Rivers: http://www.epa.gov/rivers/

This site details a federal government initiative fostering community empowerment, while providing focused attention and resources to help river communities restore their environment, revitalize their economy, renew their culture and preserve their history.

American Rivers: http://www.amrivers.org/

American Rivers is a national non-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring America's rivers and to fostering a river stewardship ethic.

Butler County Auditor: http://www.butlercountyohio.org/auditor

This site provides specific information regarding Butler County development projects.

City of Oxford: http://www.cityofoxford.org/

This, like the above site, furnishes specific information to the Oxford area of our research.

EPA: Kids, Students, Teachers: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/students.htm

This is the EPAÕs site for educational resources.