West Hernando Middle School students and teachers will get their hands dirty this month when they work side by side with Southwest Florida Water Management District staff restoring the Weekiwachee Preserve.
The student workdays are April 13 and 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
During the workdays students will plant soft-stemmed bulrush along the banks of several water bodies within the preserve and monitor the water quality. The goal of the project is to revegetate and develop the shoreline habitat around the water bodies and to continue to monitor the growth as part of an ongoing process to maintain the site’s infrastructure for the public. As part of an ongoing process, the students will continue to monitor the growth and water quality.
The workdays are part of the Legacy Program, which is funded through the District’s Basin Initiative. The program, which was modeled after the St. John’s Water Management District’s Legacy Program, is a hands-on learning experience that allows students to work side by side in the field with District staff.
The Legacy Program not only provides students with hands-on learning experiences, it also allows students and teachers the opportunity to increase their knowledge about their watersheds and the water resources within them while exposing students to a variety of career opportunities in land management.
Legacy Program projects include creating interpretive displays for hikers and wetlands restoration efforts. The displays teach the public about wetland soils, the relationship between the water table and the rich diversity of plants and animals associated with wetland areas. Wetland restoration efforts can involve monitoring, removing exotic species and re-planting native species.
For more information about the Legacy Program, contact the District’s Youth Education Section at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4765.