Environmental Awareness Day
Western Carolina Regional Sewer Authority hosts the Environmental Awareness Day at the Durbin Creek Wastewater Treatment plant located on Durbin Road in Fountain Inn. Girl Scouts from across the Upstate earn their Water Drop Patch by attending this environmental workshop, which is the only program of its kind in the state of South Carolina. The Environmental Awareness Day is a six-hour workshop developed collaboratively by the Old 96 Council and Western Carolina Regional Sewer Authority. This annual event has been a great learning experience for the girls and Western Carolina and the Old 96 Council recently announced that they will pursue extending this program to girl scouts throughout the state.
During the workshop, Girl Scouts participate in a variety of activities to earn their Water Drop Patch. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital and Western Carolina jointly developed the program curriculum required to receive this patch. The Girl Scouts rotate through the following four workstations throughout the day:
- Stream Hike
On the hike, Girl Scouts learned to identify flora and fauna. They also collected stream samples for testing. - Testing Stream Samples
Using the water samples gathered on the stream hike, the Girl Scouts tested the water for phosphorus, microscopic organisms and other potentially harmful materials. - Durbin Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour
This tour included an overview of Western Carolina’s Biosolids/Water Reuse Program. - Overview of Enoree Watershed
This workstation featured a discussion of watersheds and how to protect them. Girl Scouts also learned about Western Carolina’s WAIT Program (Wildlife and Industry Together) and participated in providing food for the wildlife by creating pinecone bird feeders.