Water Drop Patch Project
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The Water Drop Patch Project inspires Girl Scouts to learn about water quality and to take action in their communities to protect and restore local water resources, including their local rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands and ground water. The project supports the Girl Scout Leadership Development Program by promoting the following goals for girls:
- Discover-- Explore the natural world to learn about watersheds and water pollution
- Connect-- Use their skills and their knowledge to work with others to educate their communities about the need to protect the nation's valuable water resources
- Take Action-- Make a difference in their communities by becoming watershed and wetlands stewards
Water Drop Patch Project Manual (70 pp, 6.3MB)
This manual is designed for adult facilitator's use with Girl Scouts and Brownies through Ambassadors (grades 2-12) and is divided into grade-level, age-appropriate activities. This is nationally recognized as part of Girl Scouts of the USA's Linking Girls to the Land (LGTTL) Program. LGTTL is a national interagency partnership between Girl Scouts of the USA's Elliott Wildlife Values Project and federal natural resource conservation agencies, initiatives and partner organizations. Each year LGTTL encourages more than 35,000 Girl Scouts to work with federal and state conservation agencies to become leaders of national and local projects focused on environmental education, outdoor skills, community service, careers, and more. The LGTTL partnership offers travel opportunities, funding, awards and training to support this vision. Visit the LGTTL Web site at epa.gov/linkinggirls to learn more. Adults should consult with Safety-Wise to ensure Girl Scout safety guidelines are followed when working with girls.
Hard copies of the document can be ordered by calling the National Service Center for Environmental Protection at 1-800-490-9198 or emailing: nscep@bps-lmit.com. Ask for EPA document #EPA 840-B-07-001.
Related Links
The following activities, mentioned in the booklet, can be conducted to earn credit toward the Water Drop Patch. Please note that adults should consult with Safety-Wise to ensure Girl Scout safety guidelines are followed when working with girls.
- World Water Monitoring Day (patch activity #11) coordinated by the Water Environment Federation and the International Water Association. As part of this patch activity, Girl Scouts give their local streams, rivers, lakes and other waterbodies a “check-up” by using a simple kit to test for pH, clarity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature. After testing, they enter their data into an international database and conduct other activities to raise awareness about the importance of watershed protection. Visit World Water Monitoring Day, to register and find out more!
- International Coastal Cleanup (patch activity #17) The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer event of its kind. Last year, 378,000 volunteers from 76 countries and 45 states cleared six million pounds of trash from oceans and waterways and recorded every piece of trash collected.
- By joining in the International Coastal Cleanup on Sept. 20, 2008, Girl Scouts will learn about the extent and problem of marine debris in our nation's waters and how it threatens wildlife (including threatened and endangered species), human health, ecosystem health, and economic benefits (e.g, losses in tourism and impacts to the fishing industry). Girl Scouts can encourage proper disposal of wastes and recycling as ways to protect wildlife and safeguard the health of our oceans, coasts, rivers, and streams and share what they've learned with others in their community.