During the fall semester, Ms. Powell's Biology classes at Wando High School were visited by Jason Sakran and Megan Christopher from Lowcountry Earth Force. The students were introduced to Earth Force and different opportunities they could make a difference in their community.
A group of students decided they would meet before school with Ms. Powell to work on an Earth Force project. The students learned about Project Empact, a coalition of local organizations (including Lowcountry Earth Force) dedicated to studying and improving the water quality in tidal creeks. The group studied water quality data from dry and storm periods, which showed the effects of non point source pollution carried by storm water runoff. During their investigation, students met with Kevin Conlon from USGS (an Earth Force community partner) who explained the water testing methods used in the Project Empact study.
Ultimately the students decided that with less than one semester to complete their project they would have to find a way to reach many people in the community without requiring a lot of funds or time. The students wrote a script about non point source pollution, Project Empact, and the ways in which people in the Lowcountry could be more environmentally friendly. Their message told residents to use fertilizers sparingly, clean up after pets, maintain their vehicles, properly dispose of hazardous materials, and use less harmful cleaners/detergents. The script was delivered to local radio stations in hard copy format and on tape. The students received some positive feedback from many stations but have not yet heard their message played on the radio. The CHEC timeline exercise helped the students realize how much Mt. Pleasant has changed over time.