Highlands County water resources projects receive recognition
The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored three outstanding Highlands County projects that focused on water resources education. A total of 27 projects were recognized during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Lake Mirror Complex in Lakeland.
The Highlands County projects are listed below. Part of Highlands County is located within the District’s Peace River Basin, which also includes portions of Charlotte, Desoto Hardee and Polk counties.
Dorothea Strickland, the Highlands County District Science Curricular Specialist, was recognized for the “Highlands County Water Resources Education Program.” Strickland coordinated Splash! mini-grants and organized Florida-friendly and butterfly gardening workshops for teachers and community partners. Teachers planted a “practice” garden at the School Board office before planning and creating gardens with students at their schools.
Susan Harris, a teacher at Hill-Gustat Middle School, was recognized for a water quality program. The program involved student field trips to Archbold Biological Station and MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center where they tested water samples for nitrates, phosphates and dissolved oxygen. The students also took photographs and used GPS units to mark the locations of plants and animals, eventually merging this data to create class presentations.
Lydia Tubbs, a teacher at Lake Placid Middle School, was recognized for “Watershed, Wetlands, Water Cycle.” Students studied the water cycle and created computer-generated graphs focusing on temperature and light energy with models of the water cycle in classroom tanks. They also graphed Florida rainfall and the amount of wetland loss experienced throughout the state in recent years. Students used this information to create class presentations.
To select the awardees, District staff reviewed school projects funded through the Splash! mini-grant program and grants applied for by community members, local governments and non-profit groups through the community education grant program. District-sponsored programs that use volunteers to educate others about water conservation were also considered.
Many of the District’s grant projects focus on various aspects of all four of the District’s areas of responsibility water supply, water quality, natural systems protection and flood protection.