This year, we had the lucky opportunity to participate in a study of the Puyallup River Watershed with four other middle schools in the South Sound area. The study is in partnership with the Foss Waterway Seaport, and fits in perfectly with our “home” theme this year!
Students began the study by learning about plastics in different water systems around the world and why looking at plastic levels matters.
We then went on a field study of Swan Creek, a small creek at the bottom of the watershed. We gathered dirt and gravel samples from the banks of the creek, and tested the water’s Ph, velocity, turbidity, and for copper, which affects salmon’s ability to smell their way back to their breeding grounds. We also took water samples for plastics in the water, that will be sent to a lab.
We still have one more field study to complete and then we’ll compile our results with the other groups! Stay tuned!
Seabury Middle School 