Category: In the News

Originally published in the College of Science magazine Periodic Elements, Fall 2010.

Over the next three years or so, more than 30,000 Northern Virginia sixth-and seventh-grade students will pull on hip waders and sift through the muck along the banks of the Potomac River and nearby streams and ponds to discover what lives in and around the water. Guided by field interpreters — some volunteers, others who are College of Science environmental science interns or graduate students—the youngsters will check how much sediment is in the water, observe the kinds of animals that live in it, and monitor its pH, oxygen, and nitrate levels.

According to Dann Sklarew, associate director of the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC) and an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, these students are receiving a “meaningful watershed educational experience” through PEREC’s collaboration with Prince William County and Fairfax County public schools and the Chesapeake Bay B-WET (Bay Watershed Education and Training) program—a partnership that fosters stewardship of the bay through experiential education for middle school students and their teachers.

The Chesapeake Bay B-WET program, now eight years old, is the original of six regional B-WET programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Program applicants are eligible to receive as much as $200,000 a year for up to three years to fund a single project.

With additional support from the Alice Ferguson Foundation, National Geographic, and regional parks and refuges, PEREC and its partners are currently delivering two B-WET projects: “Spatially Connecting Kids to the Bay,” a project for more than 13,000 Fairfax County seventh graders, and “From the Mountains to the Estuary, From the Schoolyards to the Bay,” a project for nearly 19,000 Prince William County sixth-grade students. Both programs are currently underway through 2013, and pilot programs that reach high school students also are in the planning stages.

Originally published in the College of Science magazine Periodic Elements, Fall 2010

For nearly thirty years, Chris Jones and his colleagues Donald Kelso and — more recently — Dann Sklarew have been observing and studying the health of the Potomac River. The research of these Department of Environmental Science and Policy faculty members, as well as their collective vision of an on-the-water, hands-on science facility, was a major impetus in the founding three years ago of the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC).

PEREC inherited several projects from the group, including their long-term study and monitoring of the ecosystems in Gunston Cove, a bay of the tidal Potomac in southern Fairfax County. Their observations, says Jones, PEREC’s director, has revealed evidence that “the efforts of Fairfax County and other jurisdictions in the area have resulted in a partial restoration of Gunston Cove.” The improvement comes despite the dramatic residential and business development in the Northern Virginia region. In this way, “PEREC has made a significant contribution to the area’s biodiversity and to Chesapeake Bay restoration,” Jones says. “We are learning that management efforts, if bold enough, can mitigate the impact of increased human populations on our natural ecosystems.”

PEREC’s most pressing issues, according to both Jones and Sklarew, PEREC’s associate director, are continued improvement of water clarity, which allows light to reach underwater vegetation, and restoration of aquatic vegetation, which provides a habitat for fish and other animals to nest or hide. Another priority is educating K- 12 students and science teachers in the region about watershed stewardship through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration- supported Chesapeake Bay B-WET program.

PEREC’s endeavors with these students include “bringing technology into the classroom with live data,” says Cindy Smith, PEREC’s education director.

PEREC also provides a significant involvement for Mason’s environmental science students, and both undergraduate and graduate students work as field interpreters when the middle school students visit the outdoor labs. Smith points out that a number of retired Prince William County science teachers also work as field interpreters. “I love the people we work with,” she says. “It’s hard to have a bad day when you see how much fun they are having.”

Originally published in the Burke Connections Newspaper, July 28th Issue
by Justin Fanizzi

Burke resident Duane Murphy longs for a time when a fisherman could walk to the nearest creek or stream, drop a lure and wait to catch one of the myriad trout swimming beneath the surface. With the help of Trout Unlimited of Northern Virginia, he may finally have his wish.

Murphy, a member of the Friends of Accotink Creek and 2010 recipient of Braddock District Citizen of the Year, has teamed up with Fairfax resident Kirk Smith to help restore the county’s creeks and streams to a level that is habitable for trout. While the project is still in its early stages, Murphy and others cannot help but be excited for its prospects.

“We’re so excited about the prospects of raising the level of the streams to support trout,” Murphy said. “It would increase the quality of life for so many local residents.”

According to Murphy, the push to bring trout back into the area originated with Fairfax resident Kirk Smith, a science teacher at James Madison High School in Vienna and a Ph.D. candidate at George Mason University. Smith was brainstorming a project for his doctorate dissertation earlier this year, and being an avid fisherman, came up with the idea to restore the area’s brook trout population. Smith knew that areas such as Difficult Run in Fairfax had, as recently as 20 years ago, brook trout populations ample enough to fish without restrictions, so he knew the project was possible.

“I grew up fishing for brook trout in Fairfax County,” Smith said. “I knew they could live here.” Smith defined his proposal and reached out to Trout Unlimited, of which Murphy is the treasurer, for help on the project. The goal, Smith told Murphy, was to restore the population by identifying the streams or creeks that had, or could realistically have, ideal conditions for brook trout to flourish. Smith said that the best way to do this was to test local waters for temperature and acidity, but that he would not be able to perform all of the required tests himself to locate the “perfect” stream for his project.

So, while Smith began work at Nichol’s Run in Great Falls, Murphy enlisted the help of fellow Friends of Accotink Creek members to lend a hand in the southern part of the county. According to Murphy, he and his team helped by going out into the field and performing several tests on area streams to see if the temperature and chemical makeup of the water is suitable for trout. They measured the temperature of many local streams, including portions of the Lower Occoquan, Mason Neck, Gunston Cove and other tributaries, making sure that the temperature of the water was cold enough, as brook trout only thrive in colder water. In addition, Murphy and others tested the pH levels of the water to ensure that silt and other forms of runoff had not contaminated the water beyond repair.

Originally aired April 2010 on 9NEWS NOW and wusa9.com
by Peggy Fox

They put on waders, grabbed nets and scooped up some gunk from the bottom of a pond.

“It’s gross, black and smelly,” said Jorden Gittens, a student at Bull Run Middle School.  When asked why he was smiling, he said, “Because it’s really fun,”

These middle school students from Prince William County are discovering all kinds of things live in the mucky water.

Matt Moore found a leech and a water nymph.

The field trip to Manassas Battlefield Park is run by George Mason University professors and students from the environmental studies program. [end of excerpt]

View the full video on the WUSA9 website.

Originally published in the Mason Spirit, Fall 2009, page 29.
by Tara Laskowski, MFA ’05

Every sixth grader in Prince William County is enjoying a meaningful watershed education experience this academic year, thanks to researchers from Mason’s Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC) and a three-year grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“As young people explore the watershed beyond their classrooms, their science education becomes more personally relevant and their interest in becoming environmental stewards grows,” says Dann Sklarew, PEREC’s associate director.

Using field trips to such habitats such as Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Prince William Forest Park, and Bull Run Mountain, the program is being integrated into the county’s curriculum to realize Virginia Standards of Learning objectives at middle and high school levels.

Students connect to their local watershed by mapping its characteristics, measuring rainfall and runoff, and calculating economic costs. They also develop a community-based project, such as creating a rain garden or cleaning up trash; estimate the environmental impact of their project; and post the results to a web site.

To prepare teachers for the program, Cynthia Smith, a Mason research professor of environmental science and policy, worked with Joy Greene of the Prince William County Public Schools this summer to conduct a series of three-day teacher-training workshops. At least 50 sixth-grade and high school teachers of earth science and environmental systems participated. The teacher training included building lesson plans, examining computer-based activities, and training in field activities such as sampling, exploration, and analysis.

Sklarew and Chris Jones, PEREC director and senior advisor on the grant, estimate that more than 18,000 Prince William County middle and high school students will take part in this project over three years.

At least a dozen Mason students will serve as outdoor educators. Environmental Science and Policy graduate student Robert Johnson will track the effect of this training on students’ environmental stewardship.

Read the full “No Science Teacher Left Behind” section at the Mason Spirit website.

Originally published in the Washington Post on July 11, 2009.

Classroom lectures and science textbooks will be pushed aside next year at Prince William County middle schools as educators partner with a local university to provide students with a different kind of learning experience.

Thanks to a $330,000 grant over three years from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Chesapeake Bay B-WET Program and a partnership with George Mason University, Prince William public schools will be able to provide every sixth-grader with field experience in lessons on the Chesapeake Bay and the local watershed. [end of excerpt]

Read the full article on the Washington Post website.

Originally published in George Mason University News on June 8, 2009.

By Tara Laskowski

When rainwater runs off the roof of a school building, how does it end up in the Chesapeake Bay? This is the kind of question middle school students from Prince William County, Va., will be asking this fall when they become part of a new George Mason University program that integrates the local environment into the students’ curriculum.

With a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), researchers from Mason’s Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC) will provide a meaningful watershed education experience for every sixth grader in Prince William County.

This three-year grant will provide a field trip to a local park with access to water and aquatic habitats such as Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Prince William Forest Park and Bull Run Mountain.

The program will be integrated indefinitely into the county’s curriculum to realize Virginia Standards of Learning objectives at middle and high school levels.
“As young people explore the watershed beyond their classrooms and practice how to care for its natural wonders, their science education becomes more personally relevant and their interest in becoming environmental stewards grows,” says Dann Sklarew, PEREC associate director and project director for the watershed program.

“These students will be building the knowledge, skills and attitudes of environmentally conscious citizens and protecting their watershed, from local county streams all the way to the Chesapeake Bay.”

Later this summer, Cynthia Smith, Mason research professor of environmental science and policy (ESP), will work with Joy Greene of Prince William County Public Schools to begin a series of three-day teacher training workshops. At least 50 teachers of sixth grade, high school earth science, advanced-level environmental science and advanced-level environmental systems will participate.

The teacher training program will include building lesson plans, examining computer-based activities and training in field activities such as field samples, exploration and analysis.

Students will also connect to their local watershed by mapping its characteristics, measuring rainfall and runoff, and calculating economic costs. They will develop a community-based project such as creating a rain garden or cleaning up trash, estimate the environmental impact of their project and post results to a web site.

Sklarew and Chris Jones, director of PEREC and senior advisor on the grant, estimate that more than 18,000 Prince William County middle and high school students will take part in this project over the three-year period.

At least a dozen Mason students will serve as their outdoor educators. ESP graduate student Robert Johnson will also lead the effort to track the impact of this training on students’ environmental stewardship.

“Given the remarkable growth and diversity at Prince William County Schools and George Mason University, we’re confident the exchange between these students while in natural settings will help both their own education and their care for the bay,” says Sklarew.

The Mason-Prince William County partnership is supported by NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program.

Write to mediarel at gazette@gmu.edu

Originally published in The Mason Gazette, May 28, 2009

Mason was the site of the first International Marine Conservation Congress held May 17-24. Registrants and participants, totaling 1,200 from all over the world, attended.

The event featured up to 15 simultaneous sessions, a three-day marine protected area management training course, more than 20 other events and the Second International Marine Protected Area Congress, the largest marine conservation conference ever held.

The event was sponsored by Mason’s Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP) and developed under the auspices of the Society for Conservation Biology. Organizers were Chris Parsons, ESP, Marine Section president of the society; John Cigliano, Cedar Crest College; and Ellen Hines, San Francisco State University.

ESP faculty members Esther Peters and Dann Sklarew organized symposia and events and helped develop the scientific program. ESP chair Bob Jonas gave the welcoming speech and sponsored the event.

The following Mason community members assisted Parsons in organizing the event: Maureen Murphy, Events Management; Laura Van Slyke, Catering; Katheryn Patterson, MS student, ESP; Megan Draheim, PhD student, ESP; Lorelei Crerar, PhD student, ESP; Ashley Sitar-Gonzales, MAIS student, New Century College; and 21 other graduate and undergraduate students from the biology and ESP programs.

Write to gazette at gazette@gmu.edu