Environmental education is critical to our mission by fostering an overall sense of stewardship for environmental health as well as educating the leaders of tomorrow.
Our Outreach & Education program works with schools, summer camps, church groups, and the general public to promote awareness of issues relating to clean water and to foster an appreciation for the wildlife that call the Harpeth home.
As part of this program, Harpeth Conservancy staff and volunteers lead groups in exploring the aquatic wildlife in streams and show how to use the findings to determine if the water is clean and the stream ecosystem healthy. Staff are also available for presentations to classrooms, civic group meetings, and other events.
If you are affiliated with a group that would be interested in any of these activities, contact us at info@harpethriver.org.
-Albert Einstein
Lessons on the River occur during the summer and serve as an initiative to educate the public about the extreme biodiversity of the Southeast.We team up with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and The Nashville Zoo to host these hands-on, family-friendly river events that teach about the creatures who live in and around our local rivers. In the past, attendees have learned about the Harpeth’s ecology, helped TWRA catch fish, and even spotted a Tippecanoe Darter, a very rare species that is deemed in need of management in Tennessee! All are welcome and encouraged to come.
PEN (People Exploring Nature) Pals is a program with Warner Parks where kids from local community centers get to experience the outdoors through overnight stays at the park. Each year, we bring river activities to the camps and engage kids in ways to learn about what they can find in the water. They get to see what kind of species live in the river and how different types of pollution can affect them. Oftentimes, this is the first time camp-goers are exposed to our natural world in such a hands-on ways and it’s exciting to watch their enthusiasm for the outdoors unfold!
We created Citizen Action Guides (CAGs) as a part of our efforts to empower citizen scientists and give individuals the tools they need to answer the question, “what’s in your river?”These waterproof booklets are full of information about all kinds of species found in the Harpeth and are great educational tools for all ages. Since we share our home with so many extraordinary species, it’s our responsibility to learn about and protect the diversity that makes Tennessee special!
We are always searching for ways to spread water education in all communities in the greater Nashville area. We do so most frequently by participating in all kinds of festivals, expos, outdoor events, etc. Some of the festivals we’ve attended recently are Franklin Pumpkin Fest, Franklin River Fest, Bell’s Bend Farm Day, Dancin’ in the District, The Predators’ Craft Beer Festival and more!
Check out our calendar to stay updated on where you can find us!
BATTLE GROUND ACADEMY SELECTS HARPETH CONSERVANCY AS INSTITUTION OF EMPHASIS FOR 2018-19 SCHOOL YEAR Statement by Mike Alday,
Contact: Dorie Bolze, Harpeth River Watershed Association, (615) 479-0181Erin McCombs, American Rivers, (828) 649-7887 4/7/2015 Washington, D.C.- American
NASHVILLE WATERWAYS CONSORTIUM LAUNCHES Rivive! NASHVILLE INITIATIVE Nashvillians are encouraged to get involved in protecting Nashville’s waterways NASHVILLE,
© 2019 Harpeth Conservancy. All rights reserved.
