Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Salman makes chapel speech

Salam made a chapel speech yesterday to recruit members for a new club at Casady, the GREEN TEAM.

THE GREEN TEAM will meet on B days at Woods Community Center and at 7:30 on Thursdays to communicate with the NAIS Challenge 20/20 partner school in Turkey.

The goal of the GREEN TEAM is to do energy audits, reduce carbon footprint, reduce water consumption and mentor other schools (UD, MD, Keystone,Mercy, and Developmental High School in Turkey).

Salman will be under the sponsorship of Mr. Delgrosso and Mrs. Clay. From the Green Schools Pilot Program, Salman has the commitment to workshops on MLK Day from Mr. Les Pace and Mrs. Christina Stallings.

Salman is working in collaboration with YAC and the Environmental Club.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

LES PACE, VISITS CASADY

Mr. Les Pace is the CEO of Pace Technologies and a foundation that empowers the greening of schools. He had a couple hours conversation with Salman to help him organize his upcoming Chapel presentation on Monday, August 25 and guide Salman's Green Team Proces. Mr. Pace also had the opportunity to talk to Dr. Lewtchuk, our Earth Science teacher. Mr. Pace provided dvd's for teachers and students to use in the future.

Mr. Pace helped Salman with the following:
1. Guidelines for Chapel presentation
2. Guidelines for Green Team
3. Offer to return to do a follow-up Chapel Presentation on Nov. 9th, pending Father Blizzard's approval of date.
4. Offer to provide a 4-hour workshop for the green team (youth and adults)on MLK Day, Monday, January 17th, weather provided.
Proposed schedule
10:00-12:00 Energy Audit theory and Project Learning Tree Guidelines
12:00-1:00 Lunch at restaurant of participants' choice
1:30-3:30 Energy Audit of Woods Community Center and S-L office, approved by Mr. Sheldon
5. Mr. Pace will send a tool kit to our partner school in Turkey
6. Mrs. Stallings from Oklahoma Green School and director of Project Learning Tree will co-present on MLK Day.

2010-2011 CHALLENGE 20/20 PARTER- DEVELOPMENTAL HIGH SCHOOL IN TURKEY

SKYPE CONVERSATIONS: We had two skype brief conversations. We will set weekly skype teleconferencing on Thursdays from 7:30-7:45 to tend to priority business.

PRELIMINARY E-MAIL COMMUNICATION
Dear Mrs. Nazlier:
We are also very excited about working with you and exploring the Green School Pilot Program together. We will set SKYPE for 7:30a.m. on Thursday, October 7. We will only be able to talk for 15 minutes because our chapel service starts at 8:00. We will only have time for quick introductions.

The new website for Green Schools http://www.okgreenschools.org/ will be operational shortly. I am sending a copy of your e-mail to the coordinator of Green School for her to consider placing you in the listserv. We have not started with Green School yet, so it is perfect timing.

Salman came to us from Deer Creek, the only school in OKC to complete the green school first year pilot program. Teachers and students decide what their focus will be and develop a plan to make things happen. I observed what Salam and his classmates did and documented at a blog under Thursday, January 28, 2010 http://casadynaischallenge2020.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-03-07T06%3A05%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=7 .

Last year, we were "an unofficial Green School" and we bought parts of the tool kit. Our work with the tool kit was limited to demonstrations of the tools to younger children. We tried to develop a partnership with our middle division, but we did not go much further than conversations.

This year, a child in the middle division wants to promote Green Schools with her classmates and she has a teacher in the middle division seeking more information to help her. We are very excited about not only starting the program in the Upper Division, but also mentoring children in the Middle Division.

The kit empowers energy audits following guidelines provided by Project Green Tree http://www.pltgreenschools.org/, http://www.pltgreenschools.org/content/plt-greenschools-investigations-0 . A team of experts then reviews students findings to provide needed credibility to the student’s research. Students then present their findings to the headmaster, board, faculty to inspire sustainable green change based on research.

Students also embark on a service-learning project of their choice. Last year, we promoted the increase usage of aluminum water bottles. We were not very successful.

Looking forward to your reply,

Carmen Clay



From: Seçil NAZLIER [mailto:snazlier@odtugvo.k12.tr]
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2010 6:53 AM
To: Clay, Carmen
Subject: Challenge 20/20

Dear Mrs. Clay and Dear Salman,
Hi! It is finally me, Secil NAZLIER (By the way I am Mrs. Nazlier :)). First of all I apologize for my delay in responding. We are also very excited about being partners with your school. I think that the topic Global Warming is okay for us. Actually, I'm the teacher leader of a student club which deals with different global problems and we have been studying on different issues including global warming and climate change for the last two semesters.

I’m glad to hear from you so quickly because I’m planning to complete most of our work in the first term of the year although NAIS assigned our school for the second term.

I was thinking to start with relating the warming trends of the past with the present to see if the difference was normal or definitely attributed to human activity in our city. Also, we still continue to research the global warming impacts on Turkey.

Salman mentioned about a green school pilot program and I looked up at the web site but I think I need more information about that program. If you could provide me some more information, I would be very pleased to work with you in this project. It seemed to me that another project called “Ecoschools”, which was held in our primary school during previous years resembles that pilot program. But we haven’t been in such a pilot program to make our high school greener so far.

Setting a Skype conversation seems okay for us but I meet with my club once a week on Thursdays. So unfortunately, we won’t be able to make this conversation on 5 th of October. There is approximately 8 hours of difference between our cities and our student club starts on 15:30 pm (7: 30 am for Oklahoma). If you can set up this conversation on any following Thursdays, it will be more convenient.

Me and my students are looking forward to meet you and collaborate on our work through the year. I hope it would be fruitful year for both of schools.

On our school web page, there are some information about our student club and its Challenge 20/20 works done so far but unfortunately it is in Turkish. We are still working on its English version. As soon as we complete it, I will provide you the link. Maybe your students will want to collaborate in constructing the web page.
Hear from you soon.

Secil NAZLIER

Biology Teacher

METU Developmental High School



From: Clay, Carmen
Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 2:32 PM
To: 'snazlier@odtugvo.k12.tr'; 'flaminghot96@hotmail.com'; 'wheeler@nais.org'; Huestis, Peter; Bright, Chris; Pena, Matt
Cc: Delgrosso, Mark; Zesiger, Julieta; 'Carmen Clay'; Clay, Carmen
Subject: 20/20 Green School Challenge



Hello Mr. Nazlier,

My name is Salman, and I am a student attending Casady, currently as a freshman. I am interested in the problem of global warming. As an 8th grader, I attended a Green School Pilot Program School, and I want to reproduce that experience at my new high school, Casady.

I am starting with energy audits inside the buildings. I am, also, planning to do a carbon footprint survey of the entire high school. I am following the Green School Pilot Program guidelines. You can find information about the Oklahoma Green School Pilot Program at http://www.okgreenschools.org/ . This site will be updated next week, but it gives you an idea of what I did last year.

I would like you to consider working with me in global warming awareness instead of deforestation. Currently I am working with a friend of mine, and I will contact the environmental club to help my efforts. I have started to read the book 20/20, and have started to make a website for the environmental club.

Casady thanks you for joining with us in Challenge 20/20. We look forward with communicating with you and your students. This challenge will help our schools become more environment-friendly.

I am writing to you though my sponsor’s email, and my personal email is XXXXXXXXX
Salman



Dear Mr. Nazlier:

It is a pleasure to welcome you as our partner, hopefully on awareness of global warming as a path to global peace instead of deforestation. We already started our work and commitment to that challenge.

Looking forward to your reply,


Carmen Clay

Rainbolt Family Service-Learning Chair

Casady School

9500 North Pennsylvania

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120

405-749-3103, cell: 405-520-1325, fax: 405-749-3214

www.casady.org

Monday, May 17, 2010

Geology class debate on Global Warming

Resources
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html

From Mr. Craig Peck:
I do not have time to do complete research but there were a few things I could get my hands on quickly. I will try to answer some of the student questions and provide resources for the students to research.

I cannot address the health or social consequences.

I have attached 3 things that may be of interest.
1. The official American Association of petroleum geologists position paper.
2. The introduction and overview to a book published by AAPG -- Gerhard et al. (2001) pages 2 and 3, which diagram timescale of events may be useful.
3. The Spring 2007 Correlator. Pages 4 and 5 have some talking points that the students might be interested in.

Additional Web references:
Arctic Warming Report Flawed (this is not "climate-gate").
http://www.aapg.org/explorer/2005/01jan/gerhard.cfm
This shows, among other things, carbon dioxide levels versus temperature on a geologic timescale.

http://www2.brevard.edu/reynoljh/
Jim Reynolds, a geology professor at Brevard College in North Carolina, believes that CO2 will cause climate change, making it COLDER.

I suspect that the best Web references for the students to use are www.aapg.org. My search of their sites using the Google search engine provided substantial hits.
http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&cof=AH:left%3BS:http://www.aapg.org/%3BL:http://www.aapg.org/images/head_pg2.gif%3BLH:55%3BLW:529%3BGIMP:%23cc0000%3B&domains=aapg.org%3Bsearchanddiscovery.com&sitesearch=aapg.org&q=Global+Warming&start=0&sa=N

Craig Peck
President and Chief Petrophysicist

Petro Isle, LLC

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Challenge 20/20 2009-2010 Reflection

Here is what happened at Casady School with a small number of Challenge 20/20 participants,


1. We did not have any contact with the Concordia International School Shanghai in China. We tried via e-mail several times with no response. In fact one of the Challenge 20/20 kids even wrote a letter in Chinese. The students from Millbrook School, New York started communication, but besides exchanging global warming videos nothing else happened. The Milbrook students did ask if they could send the awareness materials they were creating to our middle/elementary school students which inspired the Challenge 20/20 Casady kids to start brainstorming working with science teachers and 5th grade classes as well as to explore possibilities with our elementary school teachers. We tried several times to start a SKYPE conversation with the students from Millbrook, but they did not respond. I must also say that the small Challenge 20/20 Casady group also had its focus elsewhere and time just slipped away.

2. On behalf of the Challenge 20/20 team, I applied and we were accepted as the Oklahoma Pilot School by the Oklahoma Green Schools http://okgreenschools.org/ in June. In July, a new Principal arrived to Casady and decided that because we were undergoing a self-study for our ISAS 10 year evaluation, we did not not need to undertake other projects. We had to decline the opportunity to be the pilot school for the Oklahoma Green Schools. The Challenge 20/20 students liked the tenants of the Oklahoma Green Schools and embraced them "unofficially." They connected to the Oklahoma Green Schools resources and brought free recycling containers for plastics and cans. Due to their effort, we now recycle more than paper in the Upper Division. They also visited the elementary school that became the pilot school in Oklahoma City to learn about the "Green Schools Tool Kit."

Casady Challenge 20/20 spent most of the year selling aluminum water bottles and inspiring people to reduce their consumption of plastic water bottles via chapel presentations, using the YouTube video, The Garbage Patch, and connecting to the middle division science teachers and fifth grade classes. After they raised money to buy the tool kit, they promoted using a few tools during MLK Day. Since then, the Challenge 20/20 students have been brainstorming and implementing a partnership with our middle division 5th grade science teachers. On their behalf, I attended two trainings of the Green Schools Pilot Program, one on USE LESS STUFF, and another on preservation of our creeks and lakes by BLUE THUMB. All the information I gathered was provided to the Middle School Science teachers for their consideration.

During the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the Challenge 20/20 received a donation of 10 Oklahoma trees from Up with Trees Tulsa through the Oklahoma Department of Forestry. They planted the trees in collaboration with the 5th grade classes. The Challenge 20/20 kids also brought alternative energy cars on campus to raise awareness of electric cars in the high school and 5th grade classes. As a result of the Challenge 20/20 interaction with the 5th grade science classes, a plastic recycling program started in the middle division. In the Lower Division, Oklahoma Green Schools information inspired the resurrection of their community garden. The community garden motivated a high school student, member of National Youth Advisory Board for the Alliance for A Healthier Generation- partnership between the Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association that works to combat childhood obesity and promote a healthy lifestyle- to work with the after school program at the end of the year and with the high school next year. Challenge 20/20 is now carving end of the year time to SKYPE with Deer Creek Middle School to learn from their experience of using the Green Schools Tool Kit for audits of energy usage, water conservation,waste, recycling, environmental quality, and school climate.

The Challenge 20/20 kids also started to explore how older buildings could be refurbished to meet LEED standards. Our new headmaster is building the first silver LEED certified building on our campus. With Green Schools connections, the Challenge 20/20 brought a LEED architectural firm to answer the question, What is LEED? and promoted and implemented a field trip to their headquarters.

Find documentation of activities at the Challenge 20/20 2009-2010blog http://casadynaischallenge2020.blogspot.com/ and website http://web.mac.com/casadycrier/iWeb/Challenge%202020%20Website/Home/Home.html

The Lower Division Community Garden and Scotie

Scotie wrote the following e-mail to Mrs. France, “This is Scotie and I'm a junior at Casady. Zac in the 4th grade is my little brother. I am a member of the National Youth Advisory Board for the Alliance for A Healthier Generation which is a partnership between the Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association that works to combat childhood obesity and promote a healthy lifestyle. As a member I get to carry out a service project in my community. Over the last few weeks I have noticed the garden growing outside of Calvert. I really want to be able to teach the kids in Lower School about leading healthy lives. A Community Garden at Casady provides an opportunity for kids to learn about healthy eating and get some exercise at the same time. I would love the opportunity to talk with you at your earliest convenience about my ideas. Would it be possible to teach some lessons with the after school kids because it would fit well with my schedule and they are already in Calvert. I understand school is almost over, and this is short notice, but I would be so excited if we could work this out!” Scotie was a master teacher to the children. He had snacks waiting for them. Then, he had a brainstorming session, played relevant games through questions and answers, gave them a handout to take home to see what were their eating habits. To end, he took them outside to play at the community garden identifying what they had planted. Before Scotie left, he gave the kids pins and a card where they could go online to find out more information about his program.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Setting UP SKYPE communication with Green MD School Deer Creek


We left message and sent e-mail to Mrs. Vandorn, Science Deer Creek teacher to set-up time to SKYPE with the Casady fifth grade!

Alternative energy cars demonstration to 5th graders

 
 
 
 
Posted by Picasa

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Planting trees








YAC Challenge 20/20, Environmental Club and 5th graders planted trees Native to Oklahoma. Thank you to the Oklahoma Forestry Services (Ms. Christina Stallings), the Apache Foundation, Tulsa Up with Trees, the National Arbor Day Foundation,and Mr. Fresonke and crew.

10 trees were planted at areas around the Upper and Middle Division. Trees will be taken care by Casady’s plant manager, Randy Fresonke and crew with sporadic assistance from YAC Challenge 20/20: Global Warming, and Casady Environmental Clubs

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Consumer Conservation for Oklahoma Teachers


WWW.NURTUREDWORLD.ORG: Helps individuals identify the connections between personal finances, health, satisfaction, and environmental impact. Students learn how to change your behavior in order to:
Save money!
Spend time on the things you enjoy!
Improve health!
Live more consistently with values!

Aims to: Get students out of consumption culture...Are they living LA VIDA LOADED?
Overarching question: What motivates you? Values, money, the environment
Call to Action: Views and perceptions dictate actions and results. If you are resigned that one person's action cannot make a difference, then you do nothing!

Friday, February 19, 2010

Challenge 20/20 helps garbage data gathering of Spanish IV class project

Challenge 20/20 provided a photographer(Deric) and a tool to weight trash during the collection of trash performed by member of the Spanish IV class. This action is part of service project in the curriculum. In addition to the trash survey, the class designed a carbon footprint survey in Spanish

LEED Architectural Firm Site Visit

Josh and Sarah participated. Mr. Hukill took us on a tour of the facility and then showed us how he creates buildings following a LEED rating. He also showed us a DVD of how the LEED ratings will be followed in the future.

Mrs. Clay, on behaf of CHallenge 20/20 and the Casady Service-Learning Progam took Mr. Hukill to lunch to thank him for his time and preparation.

Where?
LWPB Architects 5909 NW Expressway, Suite 600 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73132, T 405 722 7270 F 405 722 8373 W www.lwpb.com.
Directions to LWPB from Casady: MUST PROVIDE OWN TRANSPORTATION
Start out going SOUTH on N PENN AVE/N PENNSYLVANIA AVE toward BARCLAY RD. Turn RIGHT onto NW BRITTON RD. Merge onto LAKE HEFNER PKWY/OK-74 S via the ramp on the LEFT. Merge onto OK-3 W. 2.7 mi 5909 NW EXPRESSWAY # 600.

When?
10:00-11:00 Meeting with Mr. Jason Hukill, Director of Sustainability 5909 NW Expressway at Board of Directors Room. Capacity for 15 people. Conversation about LEED! Videos and virtual tour of LEED constructions and buildings
Break
11:10-12:00 Tour of the facility. End of site visit.

12:00-1:00 Service-Learning takes Mr. Hukill to lunch to thank him for his time and preparation. If interested, you are welcome to join. Bring money for lunch

Why?
Learning about LEED

Sunday, February 7, 2010

West High School: Sustainable Living Senior Exhibition

Caring about the environment: 21st century skills empowerer.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Deer Creek Middle School Goes Green - An example for Challenge 20/20 Semester of Service

LISTEN UP! WHAT IS UP? GOT GREEN?





Deer Creek Middle School Green Team (http://dcmsgreenteam.shutterfly.com/) Details

It started as a Science Club, but for the last two years the team has concentrated efforts in recyling (paper, plastic and cans). They meet once a month for an hour after school on Wednesdays from 3:00 - 4:30.) They welcome a SKYPE conversation to present their finding and share their experience with the Casady Challenge 20/20 Green Team.

$20 memberships cover the cost of an eighth grade field trip at the end of the year. Movie field trips for sixth and seventh grades (Disney Earth last year, Disney Oceans, this year). The group has grown exponentiallialy in the last three years.

Green School Pilot Program Investigations:
Eighth Grade: Energy Audit-Used the tool kit. Completed Project Learning Tree handouts. Wish they have had more guidance on how to use the tools, but they read instructions and completed their audit.
Seventh Grade: Air Quality
Sixth Grade: Water Quality

Eight Grade Process
Ms. Kristy Vandorn (vabdornk@deercreek.k12.ok.us) and Ms. Bess Bridges (bridgesb@deercreek.k12.ok.us)were with the Green Team 8th grade class finalizing their energy audit questionaires. The questionaires came from the Project Learning Tree website and were completed in two after school club periods.

After investigations were completed. The group discussed their findings and possible suggestions for improvement. Then, they completed, "individually" their action plan: Based on the information you found out from your investigation, what recommendations do you have for the school to reduce its energy use.. Individual forms were placed in their Green School Pilot Program Portfolio.

A fun teacher guided sharing time followed the written work. Some ideas were:
1. Leave windows open...not possible
2. Unplug electronics and power sources on non-working days and weekends...doable
3. Student energy patrols...unplugging the electronics with administrator approval..doable on non working days and weekends> Phanthom theory proven***
4. Turn off the lights when not in the library...making laminated signs for classrooms
5. Use lemons to power the school...creative...maybe not possible
6. See where heat scapes...fix areas...doable
7. Check air filters...change them more often...buy better quality filters...doable
8. Lights...are we using energy efficient light bulbs? doable...costly


Students made posters of their findings for their big group presentation. Students joined the other grades for grade presentations

Green School Pilot Program Presentations
Sixth Grade: % of waste and recyling at their school and % of food waste
Seveth Grade: Measured temperature, humidity, mold and water spots.
Eight Grade: Energy audit. Electrical appliances ON, OFF, Plugged, Unplugged!

After the presentations were finished, students placed their posters around school. The eighth grade made sure the posters were properly hanged and a very productive, fun, relevant and engaging meeting ended.


***Phanthom Energy Theory (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/03/is_phantom_ener.php) : Many of the electronic devices in your home stay on, even when they're "off." Chargers for cell phones, digital cameras, power tools and other gadgets draw energy even when they're not in use. Appliances like televisions, computer monitors and DVD players can also draw power whenever they're plugged into an outlet. All together, "phantom energy" use account for about 5 percent of an individual's home's electricity use.

You can take some simple steps to reduce the financial and environmental impact from these "vampire" appliances. Unplugging devices is the simplest way to solve the problem, but can be a hassle. Plugging a couple of your devices into a surge protector that can be clicked on and off can make things easier.

When you're shopping for a new device, check out this online database of products rated by their standby energy use from the Federal Energy Management Program at the U.S. Department of Energy. And devices that have the Energy Star label from the Environmental Protection Agency will use less energy when they're in or out of use.

How To Green Your Electricity: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-electricity/

To start "semester of service" Casady Challenge 20/20 received from Deer Creek
Green School Tool KitCasady School through Carmen Clay received from Ms. Kristy Vandorn and Ms. Bess Bridges the Green School Pilot Program Tool Kit to be used in the Casady Challenge 20/20 semester of service investigation. Challenge 20/20 students have chosen to ‘unofficially” follow the Pilot program guidelines for Casady’s Challenge 20/20 project this year along with awarness of carbon footprint and water conservation.

Teachers and students will decide how far they want to follow the guidelines provided by Project Learning Tree using the Green School Tool Kit to do an energy audit of a room, a building or the entire school.

1 Shower Flow Gauge
1 Lux and Light Meter
1 Weight Recycling Devise
1 Thermometer
11 Kill-A-Watt Meters
1 Infrared Thermother
1 Indoor Air Quality Monitor


Carmen Clay
Kristy Vandorn and Bess BridgesJanuary 27, 2010: Deer Creek Schools are finished with their energy audit.Paper with handwritten signatures available.

Project Learning Tree School InvestigationsMiddle School-High School
http://65.109.144.97/GreenSchools!/Energy%20Middle%20&%20HS%204-24-09.pdf
Elementary – Draft
http://65.109.144.97/GreenSchools!/Energy%20Elementary%204-24-09.pdf

Sunday, January 24, 2010

LEED and Challenge 20/20 Update and 2009 Reflection



Thanks to Beth, lab technician at OCU, Blue Thumb Service-learning teacher at OCU, and Okllahoma Green School Committee Member, a member of the Casady Challenge 20/20 team will be attending Deer Creek Green Schools final presentation of their energy audit findings this coming Wednesday from 3-5.


Jeff Wegener-Chair of the Oklahoma Green Schools Pilot Program and Jason Hukill from a LEED architectural firm came to school last week to start a conversation about LEED. It was a quick, informative visit. Jeff sent the following link for green curriculum
:http://www.greenschoolbuildings.org/resources/green_curriculum.aspx.

Jason invited the Challenge 20/20 and Casady Green team to his office to continue the conversation on Monday, February 15. We are also scheduled to visit the DEQ that day to meet Mrs. Susie Shields who has provided many resources to the Challenge 20/20 team.

2009 REFLECTION: Casady has the following Green initiatives facilitated by Challenge 20/20 in collaboration with the Environmental Club: Recycling (paper-plastic and cans-thanks for the free recycling containers). Challenge 20/20 is about to begin an energy audit campaign in collaboration with teachers from the Middle and Lower Divisions. Challenge 20/20 finished fundraising for the energy audit tool kit with proceeds from an ongoing aluminum bottles sale campaign. Last week, with Jeff's visit, they started a LEED awareness campaign.

Challenge 20/20 is trying to set-up a Green Treen Training Session for the Casady Green Team as another step to develop the students capacity to MENTOR younger students in "green practices."

There has been no communication with the school in China. We have been trying to set-up SKYPE communication with the school in New York. They are creating a Global Warming awareness book to be used with younger students and have requested our help,but we have not begun to work together yet.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Recycled items can become USEFUL PRODUCTS???


Collecting food bags to make useful products such as backpacks, totes and pencil cases. This is cool!!! www.terracycle.net/brigades The page with the products made for purchase is http://www.terracycle.net/product_categories/9/products

Blue Thumb -What is it?


BLUE THUMB: http://www.okcc.state.ok.us/ED/ED_bluethumb.htm

Blue Thumb, as the education arm of OCC’s Water Quality Division,works to connect Oklahoma’s citizens with the natural world.

Blue Thumb Volunteering: Stream and wetland monitoring,
Groundwater screening and Providing nonpoint source pollution prevention educational presentations. Across the state, there are over 90 streams that are currently being monitored by Blue Thumb volunteers. Volunteers come in all ages and from all walks of life.

Blue Thumb: Healthy Streams. Healthy implies life!

Healthy Streams= Chemical water quality + Physical Habitat Quality + Biotic Quality

CHEMICAL MONITORING: MEASURES POTENTIAL STREAM HEALTH IF PHYSICAL HABITAT IS ADEQUATE Can be expensive, time consuming for NPS pollutants,necessary for problem and source identifications. IT DOES NOT TELL YOU IF THE STREAM IS HEALTHY

BIOLOGICAL MONITORING: MEASURES HEALTHY STREAMS. Less expensive, TELLS IS THE STREAM IS HEALTHY, but does not identify the cause and source of the problem.

PHYSICAL (HABITAT) MONITORING: MEASURES POTENTIAL STREAM HEALTH
Cheap, TELLS HOW MUCH OF BIOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT IS DUE TO WATER QUALITY, without having to actually perform and pay for the tests (remainder is due to lack of habitat). DOESN’T TELL IF STREAM IS HEALTHY


Blue Thumb Volunteers: Middle School age and up – Two day training required. Staff supports volunteers after training. Site Coordinator gets a $650 test tool kit.

Gather information on stream ecology and chemical monitoring. Participate in data collection and water pollution education

Water Chemistry: A glimpse of the water ‘s chemical properties at an instant in time: Dissolved oxygen, chloride, ammonia nitrate, water clarity, temperature, orthophosphate, Nitrate/Nitrite, pH. Volunteers are issued a test kit to complete their monitoring data each month.

Insects: Winter and Summer Collections: Benthic macroinvertebrates: worms, snails, etc. Tolerance to pollutants an habitat changes

Fish: First summer field session after monitoring begins. All day event! Sienes are used to capture fish. Fish tell the same story as the insects. A complete habitat assessment is also completed. At 20 meter intervals, How deep is the water? Is erosion a problem? Does emerging vegetation offer a nursery area for baby fish?

Physical Habitat: Are there rocks? Is the stream shaded? Is the substrate rough or smooth? How is the stream flow?
A Blue Thumb volunteer understands our streams. In addition to stream work, Blue Thumb volunteers do educational work.

What does a Blue Thumb Volunteer do as a stream monitor? Participates in chemical monitoring MONTHLY 1.5-2.5 HOURS
Helps collect aquatic insects TWICE A YEAR 2 HOURS
Prepares aquatic insect samples for identification TWICE A YEAR 3 HOURS
Helps collect fish habitat assessment (each fifth year) 6 HOURS
Attends quality assurance sessions quaterly 2 HOURS

What does a Blue Thumb Volunteer do as an advocacy educator?þ Provides pollution prevention demonstrations at schools Volunteer records hours with honor system. Hours helps organization get funding!
Helps with stream clean-ups
Staffs educational exhibits
Marks curbs wit the “No Dumping – Keep Our Water Clean” message

How is the data collected by Blue Tumb volunteers used? A DATA SHEET IS PROVIDED!
« Chemical data is screening data, unusual results are reported to the DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality).
« Fish and Macroinvertebrate information is used by the state to assess conditions of streams. They tell the story of the stream!
« Blue Tumb volunteers are expected to communicate with the people who live around the stream and let them know how their every day actions impact the stream. Blue Tumb volunteers help people take care of our water resources by realizing how their choices limit or enhance life in our streams.
« A stream is a reflection of its watershed. A Blue Thumb good grade
Shade to help keep water cool
Emergent vegetation to offer habitat
Trees, grasses and shrubs lining the stream
Rocks and woody debris to serve as habitat
Clear water
Area natives willing to jump right in

What can anyone do to keep our streams healthy and get a good grade? TAKE TIME TO BE OUTDOORS!
Use households and chemicals cautiously. Read labels, follow instructions, dispose properly. You break a federal law if you do not follow instructions.
Have soil tested. You will know your fertilizer needs. Do not apply chemicals when rain is predicted.
Pick-up pet waste.
Keep farming and construction from sensitive stream banks.
Practice no-till farming to reduce soil erosion and conserve precious soil moisture.
Keep vehicles and heavy equipment in good repair to eliminate leaks.
Composte grass!
Plant native plants.
Collect rain water to water plants. Check state mandates on rain water collection!
Leave wild areas alone.
If fishable, is swimable

OUT OF THE HOUSE AND INTO A CREEK!
PEOPLE WHO LEARN TO LOVE NATURE AS CHILDREN
GROW INTO ADULTS THAT VALUE NATURE,
AND DO WHAT THEY CAN TO KEEP STREAMS AND RIVERS HEALTHY.


NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, YOU HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT, MAKE IT BE MINIMAL!

CONSIDERATIONS:
1. Blue Thumb is an educational program, not a regulatory program.
2. Blue Thumb has regularly scheduled trainings, but they do also work with special interested organizations.
3. Blue Thumb SAFETY: Safety first! Teachers need to have outdoor certification (Sierra Club provides that type of training)
4. Blue Thumb Volunteers Impact: They have a wonderful PP presentation comparing two creeks that provide the relevance of the volunteers work.
5. The Blue Thumb Chemistry kit provided for volunteers costs $640 and they provide all supplies during their quality control sessions.
6. Blue Thumb Service-Learning Course at OCU: Contact the Math and Science Department and ask for Lab Tech, Beth

7. Contact Information for Blue Thumb: Kim Shaw, Blue Thumb Water Quality Educator, Water Quality Programs. 2800 N. Lincoln Blvd. Suite 160, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105-4210, 405-522-4738, fax: 522-4770, cell 627-3787, kim.shaw@conservation.ok.gov


RESPONSIBLE CARE FOR OKLAHOMA'S NATURAL RESOURCES

Challenge 20/20 LEED Conversation








Mr. Jeff Wegener will be on campus on Wednesday, January 20th. Jeff Wegener, AIA, Principal, 5909 NW Expressway, Suite 600 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73132, T 405 722 7270 F 405 722 8373 W www.lwpb.com


Architect Jeff Wegener is the Principal partner of LWPB Architecture. He is also the Chair of the Oklahoma Chapter of Green Schools Initiative. Mr Wegener has brought with him his firm’s Director of Sustainability, Mr. Jason Hukill.

Mr. Wegener and Mr Hukill’s firm is focused on kids and creating environments where teachers can teach and kids can learn. The firm has more than 1,200 educational projects. Mr. Wegener's firm uses 3D modeling services from Google to interact with their clients. School design is Mr. Wegener's firm passion.


Schedule for Mr. Wegener and Mr. Hukill's Challenge 20/20-LEED Conversation
12:00-12:30: Meeting with available Casady administrators at Mr. Sheldon’s office.
Tour of campus by Mrs. Clay and available students. Time with Mr. Bush in LD (TBC)

12:43-1:26 Pizza Lunch at Student Center for Conversation about LEED buildings. Bring your aluminum water bottle!

Expected attendance:Guests: Mr. Jeff Wagoner and Mr.Jason Hukill.
Challenge 20/20-YAC: Josh Ou, Sarah Cox, Eric Corn, Mrs. Clay, Caitlin Anderson
Environmental Club: Mrs. Zesiger, Rita Sengupta, Ankit Verma, Samaan Ghani, Andrew Roberts, Moeez Qureshi, Nathan Prabhu, Rebecca Roach; Aamina Shakir; Zainab Shakir; Jack Maxwell; Katie Costello; Ritt Costello


Weather Club: Mr. Ware
Multicultural Club: Mr. Miano, Mrs. Miano, Marcela Engles, Ashwin Prasad, Bonnie Tibbs, Lizzie Lockard

Casady Green Team: Mrs. Linn, Jessica Linn, Mr. Fresonke, Mrs. Johnson

LEED links: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222 , Green Schools: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1586 , for Oklahoma LEED, visit: http://www.usgbc-oklahoma.org/ , http://www.usgbc-oklahoma.org/Links.php, Interested in professional LEED certification, visit: http://www.gbci.org/ a general “green site”: http://www.energystar.gov/.







What is LEED? (From LEED Certification)


Tom Watson, Creator of LEED talks Green




What is LEED and Why should we care?




What is LEED? (Home Improvement)

Business case of sustainability?


The Business Case for Protecting the Climate



Can a Green Business be a profitable one?


Recommended sites for LEED information: For LEED information visit: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222 , Green Schools: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1586 , for Oklahoma LEED, visit: http://www.usgbc-oklahoma.org/ , http://www.usgbc-oklahoma.org/Links.php, Interested in professional LEED certification, visit: http://www.gbci.org/ a general “green site”: http://www.energystar.gov/.