Free MSD Clean Water Programs
Learn how everyone plays a role in keeping water clean with a new, on-demand virtual learning opportunity. See how pollution enters our streams and rivers and what you can do in your own neighborhood to help using the popular EnviroScape® Watershed model. Click here to use this free lesson in your classroom!
MSD Clean Water Programs are presented in partnership with MSD’s Project Clear.
Innovation Challenge: Plastic Pollution
Join EarthWays Center for this year’s Innovation Challenge in the month of April! This spring, we are teaming up with the Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative to help students, scout groups, clubs, and families collect data about plastic pollution in their local community and brainstorm solutions around keeping our waterways clean. Community clean-ups started April 1, but there is still plenty of time to join!
How can you and your group or family get involved? As a group, explore these three questions together.
1) Where is the plastic pollution?
Use the Marine Debris Tracker app to track what trash is being picked up during a clean-up event April 1-25. Make sure to use the MRCTI list so that your data can be used by scientists looking for larger patterns.
2) Why is it there?
Examine the data you collected. What patterns do you see in the data? Why do you think the trash is in certain locations? Why is certain type of trash in the environment?
3) What can we do about it?
Brainstorm solutions to the plastic pollution problem by using that data you collected. If you noticed certain patterns, what can be done to change that? How can we make St. Louis and our rivers cleaner for all life?
Once you have decided on a solution, tell us about it! Send your innovative solutions to EarthWays as a video, picture, or essay and be entered to win a Zero Waste Prize Package. All submissions are due by April 30.
Click here to learn more about the Innovation Challenge.
For more information or questions, contact Maggie at mmccoy@mobot.org or you can visit our website.
Energy Efficiency Workshops for Teachers
Join EarthWays Center at the 2021 Energy Efficiency Educator Workshops virtually this summer! This free workshop is a great professional learning opportunity to discover new ways to teach energy. Educators will explore the science behind energy and sustainability through hands-on, interactive activities and classroom lessons.
Workshop topics will include:
- Background information about energy topics including forms and sources
- Discussion of energy efficiency and conservation
- Connections between energy, electricity, and natural gas
- Renewable energy sources and solutions
Participants will receive:
- *Stipend
- Flash drive with digital copies of all lesson activities
- Energy science toolkit – please register a month in advance to receive for workshop
Educators from formal or informal setting with an interest in learning more about teaching energy topics including efficiency, renewable energy sources and sustainability should attend. Activities covered throughout the two-day session are aligned to support state standards and designed to be scaled to a variety of grade levels.
*Educators must attend both days to qualify for stipend.
*You must live or work in Spire or Liberty Utilities territory to qualify for a stipend and toolkit. Check your utility here.
Thank you to Liberty Utilities for sponsoring the following workshops:
- June 29 to 30 | 9 to 11:30 a.m.
- July 21 to 22 | 9 to 11:30 a.m.
- August 3 to 4 | 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Register here!
Thank you to Spire for sponsoring the following workshops:
- June 16 to 17 | 9 to 11:30 a.m.
- July 27 to 28 | 9 to 11:30 a.m.
- August 10 to 11 | 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Register here!
