Youth aged 8-13 and their families are invited to come to an Open House for the 4-H20 Club, a 4-H club that partners with the Community Science Institute to monitor water quality in the streams and Cayuga Lake near Stewart Park . The Open House is scheduled for May 8th from 4:30-6:30 PM at Cornell Cooperative Extension Room A, located at 615 Willow Ave in Ithaca.
The 4-H20 club was started in 2006 to work with young people who are interested in environmental science and water issues. 4-H20 partners with the Community Science Institute, a local nonprofit organization that works with volunteers to monitor and protect water quality. The target age is 8-13, and kids from elementary through high school are welcome to participate. The only requirement is a general interest in science and water. Participants will be trained in how to collect water samples and test them for important parameters like temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and alkalinity.
The 4-H20 club focuses on monitoring water quality in Stewart Park but involves a variety of activities. In addition to performing field tests on water samples, club members will learn about the water cycle and watersheds, collect samples of aquatic insects, and learn to identify the invasive species hydrilla. In addition to these regular activities, the 4-H20 club goes on two trips out on Cayuga Lake with the Cayuga Lake Floating Classroom each summer.
The group meets at Stewart Park for monthly water sampling events from May-October. Outside of those months, the group participates in other environmental science activities, such as identifying aquatic insects, watching science documentaries, hiking, and going on field trips to drinking water and wastewater treatment plants.
Come to the 4-H20 Open House on May 8th from 4:30-6:30 PM or contact Becky Sims, CSI’s Director of Outreach, at becky@communityscience.org or 607-257-6606 to find out how to get involved!
