The Friends of the County Parks, established in 1988, is a group of concerned citizens joining together to promote financial and community support to the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department. They develop public awareness of recreation as an important part of day-to-day life. Funds provided by The Friends of the County Parks are used as a supplement to the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department budget and does not replace allocated tax dollars. These additional funds helps maintain, improve, and enhance services provided by the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department. The Friends of the County Parks enjoys a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit exemption status.Friends of the County Parks meetings are held first Thursday of each month. For more information please call the administrative office at 813-744-5595.Board Members: Pete Fowler, PresidentJan Smith, Vice PresidentDavid Braun, Vice PresidentKatherine Tabor, Treasurer
Stormwater Pollution Classroom Activity: Teacher's Guide
Grade Level: K-12
Curriculum Connections: Fine Arts, Language Arts, Science, Technology
Class Time: 60 to 90 minutes
Objectives:
1. Students will gain an understanding of sources of water pollution, with a focus on stormwater pollution,
affecting the Town of North Hempstead community.
2. Students will learn about the Town's "Only Rain in the Drain" educational campaign.
3. Students will be able to identify the effects of stormwater pollution on local waterbodies and ways to
prevent water pollution in their community.
4. Students will explore their school grounds to understand how stormwater moves throughout the various
areas that make up the property.
5. Students will create posters to put around their school with the theme "Only Rain in the Drain!"
Materials:
1. Computer to help with visualizing of videos and pictures, research, and creation of posters
2. Computer paper, oak tag or poster board for creation of posters
3. Colored pencils, crayons, or markers for creation of posters
Initial Classroom Discussion (to provide background information):
Vocabulary (in bold): runoff, impervious, pervious, storm drain, aquifer, stormwater pollution, pesticide,
fertilizer, sediment, erosion, water quality control, decompose, septic system, cesspool, pathogen, organism,
microplastic, rain garden, rain barrel, native plant, drip irrigation, soaker hose, compost
1. Ask your students to think about rainwater and where it goes after it falls from the sky.
a. Into the soil
b. Gets taken up by plants
c. Evaporates
d. Moves underground into Long Island's aquifers which store all of our drinking water
e. Runs off of streets, driveways, sidewalks and roofs and goes into storm drains
f. If you think about your own neighborhood, most of what we live on is paved surfaces and water
cannot flow through them, which causes the water to flow over the surface, causing what is
known as runoff
g. These surfaces