Project Description:
We planted native bush honeysuckle and virgin’s bower in a downward-sloping area of our courtyard, leading to a storm drain. The purpose of these plants was to catch stormwater runoff from our gym roof before it flows across the lawn and down the storm drain into Buck Creek.

We also built a wooden pallet planter and planted virgin’s bower in the planter in order to add vegetation to the wall of the gym in order to reduce the total volume of stormwater runoff that results from rainwater hitting the gym wall and landing on the lawn below.

Fostering Lifelong Stewardship:
Students were visibly empowered by the opportunity to actually put into place the green infrastructure concepts we learned throughout the year in AP Environmental Science. Many of them expressed desire to start their own gardens this summer, and those who have home gardens already expressed interest in convincing their parents to add more native plants to their gardens.

Many of them have also articulated plans to attempt to follow a more plant-based diet this summer as a result of our discussions about the way animal agriculture negatively impacts water quality in the surrounding environment. Manure, growth hormones, and antibiotic contamination of local waterways are all negative environmental impacts that students discussed hoping to mitigate by eating less meat.

Partners:
Kent Conservation District

Teachers:
1

Students:
41

Funder:
GVSU College of Education

Project Description:

This project improved an existing rain garden by adding more wood chips and mulch, planting more native sedges and wildflowers in our school’s courtyard. This year, we used an erosion control blanket to further limit the contribution of our school’s runoff to sediment pollution in Buck Creek. We also visited Buck Creek with Elein Buckstein from LGROW and measured water quality at Buck Creek. Next year we’ll be working with Eileen to pilot an LGROW student water-quality monitoring project that we plan to integrate with our Groundswell project next year.

Fostering Lifelong Stewardship:

Students also learned how to measure water quality in Buck Creek and will be conducting an on-going water quality monitoring project with LGROW next year. Two students involved with Groundswell are going on to study forestry and environmental engineering at Northern Michigan next fall, with another attending Hope College to study biology and environmental science. The student attending Hope College will be participating in Hope’s Day One research program where she will be working on an e.coli genomic sequencing water quality project in the Macatawa watershed. I expect many of the students involved in this year’s Groundswell project to have more favorable views of native plants when it comes to landscaping their own homes and communities in the future. I think they will also have favorable views of gardening as a hobby and activity to participate in. As more and more previous Groundswell students progress through college in related fields such as environmental science, I plan to have them come back to previous students and talk more about the impact that the Groundswell project has had on their educational journeys.

Partners:

Revery Studio, Lower Grand River Organization Watersheds, Grand Valley State University - Professor Crystal Scott-Tunstall

Teachers:

Jordan Dischinger-Smedes, 11th & 12th AP Environmental Science; Caryn Stransky, 9th-12th Grade Art; Emily Gunsch, 11th & 12th AP English Literature

Students:

98

Funder:

GVSU Charter School Office, the Wege Foundation

Showcase Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLKTOzp4YWE&list=PLV2DqaYFEsPw2JB18lRhsDlGdXGILwakG&index=32

Project Description: 

Students sampled water quality in Buck Creek four times this school year and learned which pollutants in Buck Creek had the highest levels as well as water quality sampling methods. They will be using this experience to recommend water quality monitoring supplies to be purchased for next year’s students to build on their efforts.

Fostering Lifelong Stewardship:

By having students identify key pollutants and advocate for changes in land use practices (less salt on adjacent driveways, less fertilizer on lawns or more strategic application) they will have practiced two of the central behaviors of watershed stewardships.

Partners:

Friends of Buck Creek Watershed, Grand Valley State University, West Michigan Environmental Action Council

Teachers:

Jordan Dischinger-Smedes, 11th & 12th Grade, AP Environmental Science

Students:

60

Funder:

NOAA BWET

Showcase Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze1vAqfz0c8&list=PLV2DqaYFEsPwEUUHkVf4EWeARMMgZa9NL&index=12&ab_channel=GroundswellMichigan