Paddlers on the
Mont Clare Canal.
Photo:
Charles R. Tobias
Section 4. Public Awareness and Education
OVERVIEW
The future of the Schuylkill watershed will depend largely upon the public’s
awareness and support for the actions necessary to insure its well-being.
Yet in a recent survey, only 31 percent of those interviewed could name the
Schuylkill as the watershed they live in. Another 82 percent said that they
never or rarely used the Schuylkill River or its tributaries for recreation.
Fortunately, today both public agencies and nonprofit organizations are providing
many educational possibilities. These include:
- River trips and other events for people of all ages, such as the annual River Sojourns;
- Watershed education programs for grades K-12, reinforced by the Commonwealth’s new Academic Standards for Environment and Ecology;
- At least 19 environmental education centers located within or near the Schuylkill watershed;
- Watershed conferences and workshops, which include the annual Schuylkill Watershed Congress.
Every effort to protect or enhance the watershed also provides an educational opportunity for improving public awareness. Finally, formal legislative recognition of the Schuylkill as a Pennsylvania Scenic River, and its designation as a state Heritage Corridor and a federal Heritage Area provide extraordinary opportunities for public education.
Site Design: Tevlin & Clarke
