Rocky Brushy Creek Watershed Mgmt. Plan (2007) -- Part 2

EXISTING NATURAL SYSTEMS CONDITIONS13. The Watershed Excursion Tabloid includes information about watersheds found throughoutthe SWFWMD, explains to students why watersheds are important to Florida’s ecosystems,and how we can all work to keep our watersheds clean and healthy.14. The Water Education Week Publications were created and distributed in conjunction withthe Newspaper In-Education Program. This 16-page newspaper tabloid with teacher’sguide focuses on a particular water topic each year. Materials are designed for grades 4 to7. The booklets on water quality, habitats, water management and use, technology, andsustainability are available as class sets and are free to educators.15. The Water From the Ground Up is a full curriculum available to teachers that includes text,a teacher’s guide, an activity book, and basic District hydrologic information for students ingrades 3 to 5. The curriculum includes topics on surface water and groundwater sources inwest central Florida, water quality, water use, floods, droughts, and water conservation.16. The Water Watchers is a video and teacher’s guide available to kindergarten through grade3 teachers that includes classic children’s songs with water resource lyrics. It also featuressimple experiments to illustrate such concepts as the hydrologic cycle, water pollution,saltwater intrusion, etc.17. Who Gets the Water? is an interdisciplinary curriculum available to middle school teachersthat provides a basic understanding of the environmental and economic conceptsnecessary to make good decisions in the face of limited resources.Florida Department of Education, Office of Environmental Education, EnvironmentalProgramThe Florida Department of Education has divided Florida into several Environmental EducationRegional Service Areas. The Rocky Creek - Brushy Creek watershed is within Regional Service IVthat covers Charlotte, De Soto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee,Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties. Each regional service area has severalenvironmental projects, including the promotion of “Teaching Naturally.” This is an interdisciplinaryguide using activities to make education real for students by using the environment as an integralconcept across subject areas for all grade levels. The mission of Regional Service Projects (RSP)is to assist their region's pre-K through 12 schools, colleges, and universities in improving teachingand learning through environmental education. The RSP IV functions include:• Conducting assessments of educational needs of teachers and students that environmentaleducation can meet.• Soliciting and brokering resources to match the needs of teachers, preservice educators,and students that environmental education can meet.• Publishing and distributing Regional Resource Guides that cover a broad spectrum ofregional, state, and national resources for educator use.8-54Rocky/Brushy Creek Watershed Management Plan