KAEE 2024 Conference

This poster session will discuss the research project, “Anthropogenic Litter in Urban Waterways: An Analysis of Litter, Urbanization, and the Emerging Role of Citizen Science in Beargrass Creek, Louisville, KY” and explore the significant environmental education opportunities presented through the results of the data. The findings support the incredible necessity of integrating community engagement, sustainability education, and effective technology together to reconnect neighborhoods with their urban waterways and restore these streams- so that all have equal access to healthy environments and outdoor recreation across the city.

To put research into action, the project addressed the ever-growing presence and persistence of anthropogenic litter (AL) in urban waterways. AL has been studied in marine environments, but research gaps exist in riverine ecosystems. Most of the AL that reaches the Earth’s oceans is carried by urban rivers, so understanding the relationship between these waterways and AL is critical in effectively fighting AL accumulation, especially for legacy plastic pollutants. This study explored fifteen sites throughout Beargrass Creek and recorded the quantity and type of AL present throughout the summer and fall of 2023. The National Geographic Marine Debris Tracker app was employed to successfully accomplish this analysis. This is a powerful tool designed to engage citizens with the streams running through their neighborhoods. The results of this project revealed the interconnected relationship between urbanization and AL accumulation in waterways, and advocates for the crucial change possible through participatory science.

The conclusions found from the project present endless potential for education in practice and exploratory activities that support students’ holistic growth. The human awareness and perception of a stream has an extraordinary impact on AL pollution and the overall health of the waterway. The more communities can engage with their local creeks and streams, the greater environmental change becomes possible. The study revealed the strengths of using technology like the National Geographic Marine Debris Tracker. This app makes data collection much more accessible to any level of scientific experience. It generates data tables and figures, collects geographic coordinates for spatial analysis, and creates an easy system for tracking the quantity and type of AL observed.

The purpose of this poster session is to give educators the background knowledge to plan and carry out effective real-world learning to encourage a sustainable future. Educators will be introduced to the National Geographic Marine Debris Tracker, a potentially powerful tool for classrooms. With the use of the tracker, thematic investigations could begin as simply as recording trash in the school site/school’s watershed area. Through teacher led instruction, students can develop and implement an action project in which every student can participate. The project can grow in complexity with the development of students over grade levels, as well as involving parents, civic organizations, and community leaders providing holistic learning experiences. This technological aid gives educators the platform to teach about the history of stream alteration, aquatic habitat health, land use/ land cover interactions within watersheds- in addition to giving students the opportunity to observe AL firsthand in their local streams, developing investigation skills, inclusion, teamwork, and engaging with the waterways in positive and meaningful ways that promote sustainability practices for the future.