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Bedford
Why We Are Here: Earth Force’s long standing partnership with General Motors prompted the GREEN program’s establishment in Bedford. Bedford, known as the limestone capital of the world, is home to over 13,400 residents as well as the General Motors’ Bedford Castings facility. The community has suffered a population decline of 6.5% over the past decade and PCB contamination is a major environmental concern. Many caverns and sinkholes can be found in the area due to the limestone bedrock, making the link between surface and groundwater much more direct and raising the importance of pollution prevention.
Demographics: Below Poverty Level 14.70% Free and Reduced Lunch 36% TOTAL POPULATION 13,408 White 13,030 (97.18%) Black or African American 136 (1.01%) Hispanic or Latino 4,779 (35.64%) American Indian and Alaska Native alone 14 (0.10%) Asian alone 166 (1.24%) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone 0 0.00% Some other race alone 30 (0.22%) Two or more races 32 (0.24%)
What We Are Doing: Bedford North Lawrence Environmental Science students annually visit nearby Leatherwood Creek and perform chemical, biological and habitat analyses as part of their watershed inventory. Raw data is submitted to the Hoosier Riverwatch database and students work to improve conditions in and around the creek based on their observations. Earth Force is working to establish additional partnerships in Bedford to support the idea of young people as stakeholders in community water issues. Earth Force History in this Community: In 2004, GM Bedford partnered with Earth Force and Hoosier Riverwatch to bring GREEN to Bedford North Lawrence High school students. Since then, 294 students have participated in the program. Several additional partnerships have been forged over the years to help make GREEN successful in Bedford. Partners include the Sycamore Land Trust, Lawrence County Soil & Water Conservation District, Purdue Extension, Ducks Unlimited, Manchester Tank, and a retired hydrogeologist from USGS. Action projects undertaken by students include the installation of duck boxes along the stream corridor, the improvement of the creek access site, and the creation of educational videos on water quality which were shown on the high school cable channel.
Number of Youth: 76 Number of Educators: 1 Participating Partners: General Motors Lawrence County Soil & Water Conservation District Participating School Districts: Bedford North Lawrence High School
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