Riparian Buffers Session 1

Session 1

Print version of "Riparian Buffers": PDF • Word

Conduct this session in the classroom.

Conduct a class discussion of non-point source pollution in the watershed. Tell (or remind) students that non-point source pollution is discharged from a wide land area and cannot be traced to a single specific location. Guide the discussion so that various sources of pollution are listed, including farms, lawns, golf courses, and roads. Also discuss the types of pollution that might come from each source.
Divide the class into groups of 4–5 students. Instruct the groups to brainstorm and write a list of solutions for cleaning runoff and reducing the pollution that enters waterways.
Provide students with some of the resources listed at the end of the lesson plan, and allow them time to conduct research on riparian buffers. Tell groups to add to their lists of solutions any other ways they learned toxic runoff can be prevented. Discuss as a class what the students learned from their research.