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Catchment model teaches kids about water quality
School kids in southwest Victoria are learning how human activities can affect water quality through a fun, hands-on model of a catchment being showcased in the Glenelg Hopkins region.
Funding
The model, launched in Warrnambool, Hamilton and Port Fairy at a series of environment activity days during National Water Week, received funding from the Australian and State Governments, Warrnambool City Council, Wannon Water and Portland Aluminium.
The Australian Government also provides ongoing funding for Glenelg Hopkins Waterwatch, helping to employ three part-time facilitators who work across Hamilton, Warrnambool and Portland. The program helps individuals, community groups and schools to monitor water quality in local waterways and runs education events throughout the year.
Activities
Water circulated through the catchment model allows students to see for themselves the meandering path water takes down rivers and stormwater drains into the ocean. It also shows how, along the way, water quality can be protected or polluted and how water can be saved or wasted.
Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority's (CMA) Regional Waterwatch Coordinator Tim Covey said a house cut-away was a particularly relevant feature for students.
"It shows rain falling on one side of the roof going straight down pipes and into stormwater, whereas rain on the other side of the house is captured by a tank for re-use," Tim said.
"With the use of props we can also show how rainfall can wash topsoil or animal faeces into waterways if they're not fenced off or if 'swales' or ditches aren't in place to capture run-off."
Achievements
Almost 1,000 primary school children learnt how catchments work when the model was launched during National Water Week in 2006. The interactive nature of the model underscored the importance of managing activities in catchments to protect the environmental quality of rivers, streams, bays and the ocean.
The Glenelg Hopkins CMA is now working closely with its regional partners to run demonstrations of the model to showcase land management techniques to other students and Landcare and community groups.
"We took the model to a community arts festival in Balmoral recently and it was a huge hit with young and old alike," Tim said.
More information
- Tim Covey, Regional Waterwatch Coordinator, Glenelg Hopkins CMA: (03) 5571 2526 or t.covey@ghcma.vic.gov.au
- Glenelg Hopkins CMA
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