Creek Children: Is Four Mile Creek a Healthy Playground?

This topic submitted by Lauren Dean ( ldean16@yahoo.com ) on 1/23/03. [ Rivers Team: Lauren Dean -Section: Garrison/Green]

As a child, I specifically remember the long summers when I would wander through the woods all day with the neighbor kids. The creek that ran throughout the area was full of creatures and interesting things, and I vividly remember walking barefoot on the slimy rocks. It seems that the creek that I grew up around significantly shaped the way I feel about nature today.
I am interested in investigating the families and children who live around Four Mile Creek (if there are any) to find out how the creek influences their relationship with nature. Do kids feel more comfortable and excited about nature when the have the opportunity to explore it freely and by themselves?
To create a scientific background to this project I would like to interview parents of the children who play in the creek (Again, I'm not sure there are any children who play in the creeks, but that would help me out a lot!) to find out if they have any concern with their childrens health in relation to the creek. I would like to test the water for bacteria or any other contaminents that could be a potential harm for the children.

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