Research to Increase Environmental Literacy in the Lake Champlain Basin

Research finds that when people spend time outside in natural areas, they create a deeper connection to the environment. Children who spend more time outdoors have higher positive environmental behaviors, which lead to increased environmental awareness and environmental literacy. Environmental literacy is particularly essential for youth, as they will need strategies and tools to address challenges around water quality, protection of environmental resources, environmental justice, climate change, and more.

However, programs designed to increase youth environmental literacy historically have disproportionately served white students, leading to the exclusion of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in outdoor education and natural resource careers.

Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) Plattsburgh’s Center for Earth and Environmental Science, University of Vermont, and Lake Champlain Sea Grant took a step to counter this injustice in summer 2022. They worked to integrate watershed science education into summer courses in both SUNY Plattsburgh and University of Vermont’s Upward Bound programs to increase students’ environmental literacy and connection to the natural environment. Upward Bound is a program funded by the US Department of Education to help students from modest income households and/or students whose parents do not have four-year college degrees to pursue higher education.

This summer, Upward Bound students engaged in hands-on learning activities around the Lake Champlain basin, participated in a career exploration and professional development workshop, and learned about green stormwater infrastructure. In one hands-on activity, over 100 students collected and identified macroinvertebrates in the Saranac River behind the SUNY Plattsburgh campus! They geared up in waders and learned how to kick-net, allowing students to catch their own macroinvertebrate samples, and use dichotomous keys to identify invertebrates in the river ecosystem. The students then used macroinvertebrate data to assess the water quality and ecosystem health of the Saranac River.

Panels of researchers at SUNY Plattsburgh and at University of Vermont explained a range of research topics, highlighted several different career paths, explained the diversity of water research jobs, and answered questions students had about pursuing a natural science degree in college. Panelists represented a diverse range of backgrounds; described their work, professional paths, and experiences in natural resource college classes; and offered career advice to Upward Bound students. Students connected with panelists and asked questions related to high school and higher education experiences.

Finally, Upward Bound students participated in green stormwater infrastructure lessons on both sides of the lake. Students learned that green stormwater infrastructure is an approach to water management that is designed to mimic natural environments and capture precipitation where it falls. Students also learned what stormwater is, how soil absorbs runoff, how vegetation can slow down, spread out, and act like a filter to stormwater before it reaches the lake—and the importance of having stormwater infrastructure in our communities. SUNY Plattsburgh Upward Bound students took a tour of the campus garden, and the students in both New York and Vermont painted and installed rain barrels at various locations in the Lake Champlain basin.

To measure the impacts of this program, students were surveyed before and after participating in the activities. Initial analysis indicated that a wide demographic of students was reached. Further analysis will track students’ environmental literacy and guide improvements to the environmental literacy program content in future years.

Lake Champlain Sea Grant funded this project in February 2022. Read about the full project here.