Environmental Education Committee

The RC&D Environmental Education (EE) Committee was formed in 2008 to address continuing needs for sustainable environmental education and environmental literacy in our local communities. We propose to do this by facilitating collaborations between EE organizations in our region, schools, the Yakama Nation, federal and state organizations and agencies, and local citizens. These collaborations will help strengthen and use existing resources in our area, identify opportunities for bringing outside resources into the region, and help expand both existing and needed programs to bring EE to each and every student in the Yakima Basin and beyond.

If you are interested in serving on the committee or being informed of upcoming meetings and opportunities, Contact Us.

2009 EE Meeting Schedule

The following is a list of estimated EE meeting dates and locations:

Date	Location*
January 22	Ellensburg
March 31	Yakima
October 20	Yakima - USDA Service Center, 1606 Perry St.

Stormwater Education & Outreach Project

The Stormwater Education & Outreach Project was formed out of a partnership between the Yakima Basin Environmental Education Program (YBEEP) and the City of Selah, the first collaboration to come out of the EE Committee. It is a pilot project being conducted this school year (2008/2009) in the Selah School District. With the assistance of YBEEP, this project will provide students and teachers with tools and information to understand stormwater management and its impact on water. This project will give students an understanding of stormwater systems and our role in water management.

In our cities, pollutants such as trash, sediment, motor oil, fertilizers, pesticides, and pet feces are washed off onto streets, parking lots, and lawns, and into the storm sewer system. These pollutants eventually make their way into the Yakima River, causing serious problems for fish and other wildlife. Through education on proper disposal and recycling of household hazardous waste, yard waste, and other pollutants, students and their families can help improve water quality in the Yakima Basin.

Some of the information that will be provided in these classroom activities includes:

What is stormwater and why we should be concerned about it.
The importance of water quality and potential pollutants.
Watersheds and the water cycle.
Surface and Groundwater – what they are and how they differ.

click on the image for a larger image

Figure 1. Students at Selah elementary watching a surfacewater pollution demonstration using an EnviroScape model.	Figure 2. Lynn Tuck from YBEEP demonstrating the addition of pollutants into a basin.
Figure 3. An oil simulation is added to the system.	Figure 4. A spray bottle simulates a rain event.
Figure 5. The water moves through the system, carrying the pollutants into the lake.

Environmental Education Committee

2009 EE Meeting Schedule

Stormwater Education & Outreach Project

Other EE Links