The Nisqually River Education Project and South Sound GREEN hosted the 24th Annual Student GREEN Congress event on Tuesday, March 15th at The Evergreen State College. Student GREEN Congress is the culmination of two water quality monitoring days for students in the Nisqually and South Sound watersheds. After compiling their monitoring data, student delegates from each classroom come together to share their results, celebrate their hard work, and most importantly, brainstorm ways to further improve water quality in their local environments.
This year, 399 students joined community partners in an exciting day of learning. The students participated in State of the Rivers sessions as well as a variety of STEM-based workshops. Key suggestions–brainstormed by students–included:
- Installing waste receptacles, including pet waste stations, at public parks to reduce litter and pollution in the river.
- Containing hazardous materials, like oil from cars, to prevent poor water quality.
- Planting more trees in riparian zones to reduce runoff, increase shade, and improve water temperatures for salmon and other fish species.
