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Goulburn Broken schools take part in Waterwatch
Primary and secondary school children from across the Goulburn Broken region in northern Victoria are monitoring the health of local waterways and learning about river health as part of the Waterwatch programme.
Last year around 74 schools monitored water quality or took part in other engaging learning initiatives such as Catchment Capers, Water Week and Saltwatch Week.
Their efforts are part of the national Waterwatch community water quality monitoring network that encourages all Australians to become active in protecting their waterways.
Around 45 per cent of the Goulburn Broken catchment's waterways are estimated to be in very poor, poor or moderate environmental condition, with high nutrient levels flowing from agricultural land and sewage treatment plants cited as a major cause.
Funding
Goulburn Broken Waterwatch has been operating since 1993, employing a full-time regional coordinator and local facilitators for the upper, middle and lower sub-catchments.
The programme has been supported by the Australian and State Governments. Other supporters include the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, Goulburn Valley Water, Goulburn-Murray Water, the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment and local government authorities.
Activities
Goulburn Broken Waterwatch Regional Coordinator David Hodgkins said there were more than 40 schools involved in the Catchment Capers project, which involved monthly water quality monitoring and participation in a variety of themed activities.
"In April we have a 'Water Beastie Hunt' where we go in search of macro-invertebrates, or water bugs, living in the stream." David said. "Their presence can tell us a lot about water quality".
Catchment Capers is aimed at upper primary and lower secondary students and runs for eight consecutive months of the year. A new manual was recently produced for the project, and a new interactive website at www.catchmentcapers.org allows students to create their own homepage and view results from other schools.
Schools involved in water quality monitoring are given a monitoring kit containing testing equipment and instructions.
Achievements
Schools and community groups across the region and nationally have participated in the annual Water Week celebrations since 1993.
David said Goulburn Broken Waterwatch maintained an up-to-date databank for the region that allowed it to produce regular comprehensive reports for Waterwatch groups and government agencies.
"It's vital to provide feedback to our community volunteer base and to report this information widely," David said.
More information
- David Hodgkins, Regional Coordinator, Goulburn Broken Waterwatch: (03) 5832 0460 or davidh@gvwater.vic.gov.au
- Goulburn Broken CMA
- Waterwatch Victoria
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