1. Kids in the Creek brings learning to life - By Jane Falkenstein - The Moun... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/member/story/kids-in-the-creek-bri...
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Kids in the Creek brings learning to life biz/orgOffers
FUND RAISER FOR
By Jane Falkenstein | Sep 30, 2011 Share PISGAH HIGH ...
By Maria's Mexican Pueblo
For the 14th year, Haywood Waterways - Sep 20
Association and Haywood County Schools Specials for FRIDAY
hosted Kids in the Creek at Canton Recreation SEPTEMBER 21 ...
Park. Students and teachers from By Maria's Mexican Pueblo
- Sep 20
Waynesville, Canton, and Bethel Middle
schools enhanced their understanding of the Everything about this
home & ...
Haywood County watershed by sampling By Realty World Heritage -
insect and fish populations, performing tests Sep 20
for water quality indicators, and working with
an Enviroscape watershed model. These
activities helped students connect facts and Get daily headlin
figures from textbooks and lectures to a real Mountaineer deli
Photo by: Jane Falkenstein
time, real live snapshot of the water quality.
Haywood Waterways Association Director, Eric When it comes to their future as citizens on
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Romaniszyn, helps students identify benthic bugs Planet Earth, experiences like Kids in the
they found in the Pigeon River. Creek with its group learning in a living
Real Estate
laboratory helps kids use their knowledge to
water activities including kissing solve problems and benefit their communities.
a hog sucker fish and catching
and identifying fish in the Kids in the Creek is Haywood Waterways’ most intensive
Pigeon River education program. It begins with trips to the classroom where
students get an overview of the activities, what to wear, what to
bring just in case, and a heavy dose of enthusiasm and
excitement about the program. This year’s program again Canton |
offered four learning stations, two on land and two in the $169,000
water. At the land stations, students tested water chemistry Location!!
Location!!
from the Pigeon River and modeled how nonpoint source Just Reduced!!
pollution finds its way into streams using the Enviroscape. No Immaculate home in
lectures here. Students learn the procedures and work as a great neighborhood!
...
group to find solutions to water quality issues, all under the More Details »
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watchful eyes of soil and water conservation specialists, and
environmental educators.
At the water stations, students, teachers, volunteers, and even some parents climb into chest
waders to expand upon what they learned on land. Wildlife biologists lead them in discovering
that the water they’re standing in is a living, changing ecosystem, sensitive to what we humans
put into it, around it, and all that means for them and their future. One station has students
collecting benthic macroinvertebrates, the insects, worms, snails, and crustaceans we can see with
our naked eyes that live on the stream bottom. After they identify what they found in their nets,
they can use this information to figure out what it means as a measure of the water’s health. Maggie Valley
Comments from students like “These bugs are so cool! I get it now and it all makes sense! I fish | $199,000
Family Home
out here all the time and I never knew these bugs were here. I love this!! The stuff we learned What a great family
in school is more real to me. These fundamentals are FUN!” are just a few. When a large bug home. Hardwood
floors, spacious ...
with strong pinchers has the tip of your finger, it’s hard not be immersed in the subject. The More Details »
1 of 4 9/20/2012 8:11 PM

2. Kids in the Creek brings learning to life - By Jane Falkenstein - The Moun... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/member/story/kids-in-the-creek-bri...
occasional tumble into the water does the same thing, literally, for some students. Words like, The Georgian Style of
18th Century
“These rocks are slippery and the water’s cold!” are just some of the practical experience students England is Revived in
get with Kids in the Creek. ...
More Details »
The second water-based activity involves students joining arms and herding fish into nets. At
first, students are focused on the biologist wearing a backpack who’s about to put electricity into
the water. The students exhibit a high level of cooperation and concentration during this activity,
so as not to be on the receiving end of an electric shock. They learn about the fish they gather
including the northern hog sucker, a fish with the unique ability to purse its mouth to suction its
food from rocks on the bottom of the water and, as legend has it, brings good luck to those brave
enough to kiss one. Fish that at first appeared slimy and not-so-cool get a major makeover. Waynesville |
$849,900
While Haywood Waterways and Haywood County schools host the program, there are many Fabulous Home in
other partners that continue to make this it so successful. The Pigeon River Fund of the Golf Course
Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, the Towns of Canton, Clyde, and Community
Spacious rooms
Waynesville, Evergreen Packaging, NC Cooperative Extension Service, Wildlife Resources
make this home ideal
Commission, Haywood Soil & Water Conservation District, National Park Service, Great Smoky for large families, ...
Mountains National Park, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Tennessee Valley Authority, Haywood More Details »
Community College, Trout Unlimited (Cataloochee Chapter) and Best Buy in Waynesville all
weighed in as sponsors. Many of these organizations send professionals out to educate the
students and several help fund Kids in the Creek. Without these great partners, students, and
teachers, it would be difficult for Haywood Waterways to provide this exceptional experience.
For all the planning and hard work it takes to put on a program like Kids in the Creek, the fun
factor is never far removed. Haywood Waterways President, Yvonne Hannah, said “Seriously, we Maggie Valley
do have a vision of kids understanding the consequences of our lifestyles, but these days are so |
much fun!” Alric Clay, a Haywood Waterways Association Board member agrees. “I love this Foreclosure!
because there’s no better way to reach out to future generations than to get them into the water. Unique 9,900 sq ft
commercial
It’s clean and we helped to make it that way.” New this year was the offer of a free student building situated on
membership in Haywood Waterways. Many kids signed up and will receive a copy of the 1.44 acres
quarterly newsletter and an invitation to the Member Picnic next June. www.RealtyWorldHeri
tage.com CLICK
To date, Kids in the Creek has reached almost 10,000 Haywood County 8th grade students. Kids HERE to view listing
...
in the Creek helps students take a giant step toward environmental literacy by giving them an More Details »
opportunity that connects what they know to real life. These personal discoveries are our best
educators. By working together they get a taste for the work lives they will encounter as adults.
Since students learn better when they are actively engaged, Kids in the Creek is the perfect
combination of learning how to learn, critical thinking and reasoning, and not only finding the
answers but asking those important questions, the ones that really matter like “Why is water so
important?”
Waynesville |
The word “purchase” is used a lot in our mountain communities. If you step on the rocks as you
$354,900
climb a hill, you get “purchase” and have a better chance of making it to the top. From the faces Exceptional Value
of the students, they got educational purchase from coming to this year’s Kids in the Creek Stunning 3 bedroom
program. The students leave the program more likely to ask those big questions and keep their 3 1/2 bath post &
beam pedestal home
interest in solving the environmental issues. What they’re learning in the classroom plus group ...
experiences like Kids in the Creek should go a long way toward growing environmentally More Details »
responsible community citizens.
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