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Environmental Education

A Watershed Approach to Education

Stroud™ Water Research Center’s education department interprets the research of our scientists. Our programs are multidisciplinary and oriented to a wide audience. We hope that through exposure to our programs and information, people will be motivated to become responsible stewards of freshwater resources.

Our educators have developed extensive resources for educating “K through gray” audiences about watersheds and their importance. On-site and off-site school and scout programs, professional development workshops, and community and family programs are just some of the available options.

Upcoming Education Events

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Program offerings

  • Virtual/online stream and watershed study experiences.
  • Outdoor-only education programs located at the Stroud Center.
  • Outdoor education programs at your site (e.g., school or local park).

Contact the Stroud Center education department or submit a request to schedule.

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Curricula

Virtual Learning Resources

Macroinvertebrate Resources

Projects and Partnerships

Publications

Videos

Podcasts

Programs

School and
Youth Programs

Scout
Programs

Photo of Brownie Girl Scouts and leaders planting trees.

Community and
Family Programs

Professional Development
and Training

Program scholarships are available! There are several funding sources that allow the Stroud Center to offer programs at no or reduced cost for your school or youth group. Our funding from the Pennsylvania Education Improvement Tax Credit program and other grants to subsidize education programs varies from year to year.

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Pay for a Program

Program Feedback

“The students absolutely LOVED IT!!! All the staff were extremely engaging, enthusiastic and competent, which made our jobs extremely easy! We loved how hands on and engaging the entire activity was.”

“The facilitators were very knowledgeable. They challenged the kids and held their interest. As one of many field trips I have attended with my kids over the years this by far tops my list.”

“Thanks again for an outstanding field trip. Your ability to accommodate my student with hearing and visual challenges was exemplary! I’ve heard many favorable comments from our staff!”

“Thank you for an amazing day at your facility! I am sure every member of our watershed steward class left knowing much more than they did when we entered. You guys were great!”

“Just had an AMAZING field trip there with the 4th grade…. Thanks so much for a great day! Super day, really! The educators are super. They are the perfect ‘speed’ for the kids.”

WikiWatershed

WikiWatershed® is a web toolkit to support citizens, conservation practitioners, municipal decision-makers, researchers, educators, and students to collaboratively advance knowledge and stewardship of fresh water. WikiWatershed is an initiative of Stroud Water Research Center.

Model My Watershed®

Model storms and compare conservation or development scenarios.

Leaf Pack Network®

Learn about your stream’s health by performing a leaf pack experiment.

Runoff Simulation

Explore how land use and soil determine stormwater runoff.

Leaf Pack Network Simulation

Leaf Pack Network Simulation screenshot
If you can’t get to a stream to perform a study, you now have a virtual option!

Monitor My Watershed®

Screenshot of Monitor My Watershed Browse Sites page
Share your water-quality data and explore data from other sources.

Macroinvertebrates.org

Macroinvertebrates.org homepage screenshot
Learn to identify 150 taxa commonly used in citizen science and education.

EnviroDIY™

Photo of two men building an environmental monitoring sensor
Join a community for do-it-yourself environmental monitoring.

Water Quality Mobile App

Enhance stream study and monitoring activities with a mobile app.

Education News

A stream cascade in Lofty Creek, Pennsylvania.
Using slimy leaves for stream water quality assessment: the leaf pack experiment
Medved, C. 2013. Water Resources IMPACT, 15(4):17-20.
Jen Mosher sampling a tributary of Biscuit Brook, Neversink Watershed, New York.
UpStream Newsletter, February 2013
Meet Jen Mosher, Post-Doctoral Associate: As one of the Stroud Center’s post-doctoral researchers, exploring the outdoors is in Mosher's job description, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Trekkers resting in rowboat
Mountaintop to Tap Five Years Out: In Their Own Words
A look at the impact of the trek that followed the route of New York City’s water from its sources in the Catskill Mountains to the center of Manhattan.
Rafa Morales, station manager at Maritza Biological Station in Costa Rica, with Jamie Blaine, author.
UpStream Newsletter, Fall 2012
Talking About Rafa --Maritza’s Manager In Words and Pictures: Rafa Morales was hired to collect macroinvertebrates at Maritza Biological Station in Costa Rica. A year later, he was in charge
Publication title with image of a mayfly
Slimy leaves for clean streams: the leaf pack experiment
Medved, C., B.W. Sweeney, J.G. Blaine. 2012. Pages 56–57 in Interpretive Sourcebook: 2012 NAI National Workshop, Hampton, Virginia.
Publication title with image of a mayfly
Making education for sustainability work on campus: the proposals of the Roundtable on Environmental Systems and Sustainability
Reiter, M.A., W.J. Focht, P.A. Barresi, S.E. Gill, R.C. Smardon, S. Baker, K. Reiter, E. Fitch, T. Rolfe, and S. Bumpous. 2012. In W. Leal (editor). Sustainable development at universities: