Missouri Environmental Education News June 2016
Historical Mississippi River Channels show the challenge of trying to get a river to follow a straight line. Image by Harold Fisk, 1940. US Army Corps of Engineers
Board Member Brendan Hellebusch, an engineering major at MU, writes about using engineering to try and manage rivers.
Managing A River Is Harder Than It Looks
For decades, the Mississippi and the Missouri river played a vital role in our nation’s economy as a major trade route. But the rivers we are familiar with today would be nearly unrecognizable to our forebears. When steamboats were introduced and trade increased, these rivers were cleared of snags and woody debris that posed a danger or slowed down travel. Soon it became clear that the rivers were still not fast enough for larger boats and that it was in the nation’s best interest to channelize them.
Natural rivers dissipate energy through meanders, but with channelization, their natural energy dissipation systems are removed, increasing the probability of flooding. To solve that problem, engineers constructed levees to control and divert flood water. Unfortunately , it gave the public the perception and belief that humans can control the river’s water and subsequently, a false sense of security.
It was only twenty years ago that the Mississippi experienced one of the largest flooding events in history, causing widespread levee failures and costing $20 billion in damages and 48 people’s lives. With the recent flooding of the Meramec this past winter, we should be cautious not to continue developing within floodplains. Let the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers serve as an example of the limitations and consequences that arise when we use engineering to alter ecosystem services for economic gain.
The MEEA List of Things to Know About Managing a River
- In 1852, the federal government appropriated $50,000 in order to conduct studies on how to further eliminate the flooding problem in New Orleans. The report, authored by engineer Charles Ellet identified levees, farming, cutoffs/shortcuts in the river and extension of the delta as the causes of increased flooding in the Mississippi river. http://www.tulane.edu/~bfleury/envirobio/ enviroweb/FloodControl.htm
- In 2012, the Missouri River made American Rivers 2012 Most Endangered River List because of its outdated flood management plan. AR called for fully funding programs that would result in natural flood protection, such as the Missouri River Recovery Program (MRRP), Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan (MRERP), and Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study (MRAPS)- http://www.americanrivers.org/newsroom/press-releases/missouri-river-among-americas-most-endangered-rivers/
- 100-year and 500-year Floods - These terms don't mean the floods happen every 100 or 500 years, they mean that in a given year, there is a 1 in 100 (1%) or 1 in 500 (0.2%) chance of a flood event. Learn more - http://weather.about.com/od/floods/a/100year_flood.htm
EE Resources Related to Managing a River
- USGS Water Science School - Information on many aspects of water, along with pictures, data, maps and an interactive center where you can give opinions and test your knowledege. http://water.usgs.gov/edu/
- Rhine Flood of 1995 - The Missouri isn't the only river affected by channelization and levees. This page from the Barcelona Field Studies Center explains the natural and human causes that led to this flood. It includes an animation showing the changes from 1000 to 1995 - http://geographyfieldwork.com/RhineCauses.htm
- Is the River Near You Flooding? - NOAA's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service will show where the river is flooding along its course - http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=eax
- Protecting Our City with Levees - Middle School Lesson - Students design and build their own model levees. Acting as engineers for their city, teams create sturdy barriers to prevent water from flooding a city in the event of a hurricane - https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_weather_lesson05_activity1
- Living with Streams: Engineer and Build Your Own Levee - Middle School Lesson - On way that people protect property from flooding is to build levees on either side of a stream to keep the water from overflowing the channel. This activity is split into three parts: 1) Read about flooding in your local area, 2) Preliminary earth materials testing, 3) Engineer and build your own levee - http://teachingcommons.cdl.edu/ngss/engineering_design/ documents/MunnLeveeAct.pdf
Things to Look for (or Look Out for) in June
- Great Outdoors Month
- First Saturday in June - National Trails Day
- 4 National Prairie Day - founded by the Missouri Prairie Foundation
- 5 World Environment Day
- 6 Gardening Exercise Day
- 8 World Oceans Day
- 15 Global Wind Day, Nature Photography Day
- 18 Go Fishing Day
- 20 Summer Solstice, American Eagle Day
- 20-26 National Pollinator Week
- 21 Solar Day
- 25 Catfish Day
Check out MEEA's "Green Holidays" calendar to plan for future events
MEEA News
- People (members, communication, relationships, MEEA awards)
- MO Environmental Literacy Advisory Board Meeting on May 5 - Work groups reviewed requirements for a Missouri Green and Healthy Schools Program, suggested assessments and resources for each item (about 60) on the list - http://www.meea.org/melab/meeting-2016.05.html
- Sustainability Institute for Educators - MEEA agreed to be a promotional partner for this St. Louis area workshop June 21-23 - http://www.webster.edu/education/news-events/sustainability-institute.html
- Newsletter - The board will be submitting short monthly articleson an environmental or environmental education topic. Jan should get the topic idea by the 15th and the text by the 25th.
- Purpose (conference, certification, resources, MEEA grants)
- 2016 MO Green Schools and Environmental Education Conference - Call for Proposals is open, deadline for interactive presentations is June 4; Joe Pitts will take Rob Hunt's place on the local conference committee (which meets May 23); the local committee will take responsibility for reviewing the proposals; Jan Weaver sent out 90 postcards to Springfield area schools about the conference - http://www.meea.org/conferences/2016/conference-2016.html
- Certification - Jan completed the 6th Quiz for the certification program - Environment and Society. Check out this and the other five quizzes at http://www.meea.org/certification/certification-level1.html
- Resources
(financial resources and their management)
- 990 EZ - The accountant filed and extension for this and Jan filled out MEEA's 2015 990 EZ for the board and accountant to review.
- 4/22 Fundraiser - MEEA raised $1,148 from 30 members this spring, more funds than last year, but from fewer people.
- Governance
(approved minutes of past meetings)
- Monthly Board Conference Call on May 12 - Joe Pitts added to the board to replace Cheryl Hardy, the board set July 23 as the date of its strategic planning meeting.
- Board Member Michael Nelson resigned for personal reasons
- Linda Lacy is reviewing resources related to sharing member information with members for solicitation in order to draft a policy.
In Other News
- MO Green Schools and Environmental Education Call for Proposals Deadline: June 4, 2016 - conference is November 5 in Springfield - http://www.meea.org/conferences/2016/conference-2016.html
- STOM 2016 Call for Proposals Deadline: June 15, 2016 - conference is October 7 & 8, Location tbd - https://scienceteachersofmissouri.wildapricot.org/2016-STOM-Conference
- Interface 2017 Call for Proposals Deadline: July 1, 2016 - http://muconf.missouri.edu/survey/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=m41Lm94#
Coming Up in the Next Two Months
- Grants and Awards Deadlines more info here
- National Weather Assoc (6/3); Tree Resource and Improvement Grants (6/5); Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering Mentoring (6/17); KC Water Quality Small Grants (6/30); Clark Fund (8/1); Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Education Foundation (8/31)
- Conferences and Meetings more info here
- June 6-10 - 2016 National Trails Workshop -
- June 21 - 23 - Whole School Sustainability:A Framework for Organizational Change St. Louis
- June 23 - Native Pollinator Symposium - 8:00 to 3:30 pm, Univeristy of Missouri, Columbia -
- Workshops around Missouri more info here
- Northwest - Project WET, Fishing with Lewis and Clark
- Northeast - Wildlife of Mark Twain Lake
- Kansas City area - Know Your Watershed Festival
- Columbia - Native Pollinator Symposium
- St. Louis - Whole School Sustainability:A Framework for Organizational Change
- Southwest - Discover Nature Schools: Nature Revealed
- Ozark - Hummingbird Banding
- Southeast - Teachers Discover Nature
- Outdoor, Nature, Environmental and Sustainability Event Calendars- visit our page of organization and agency calendars - if you would like to have your organization's regularly updated calendar added, email Jan Weaver
- EE Jobs more info here
- Education Program Specialist, Northern Illinois Unversity, Oregon IL
- Graduate Assistantship, Missouri State University, Springfield
- Development Engagement Associate, Wildcat Glades Audubon Center, Joplin
- Admistrative Assistant, St. Louis Zoo Education Department
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