The Still River Greenway Trail has been designed with "passive" environmental education stations which exhibit the environmental restoration demonstrations, along with explanations of key hydrologic wildlife and ecological features of the Still River and its associated flood plains.  There are a total of 42 environmental stations which host two different types of sign.  A 3 foot high station with a blue plaque has text to explain the environmental features of the site, and a 7 foot high signboard that provides a graphical illustration and more detailed text.  These signs provide a self-guided environmental tour of the River and are considered to be "passive."  Brochures are also available for some of the Greenway sections.

Teacher Orientation on the Greenway
In October 2001, a teacher orientation session was held on the Greenway, sponsored by the Danbury News-Times, the Housatonic Valley Association, the National Geographic Association, the Danbury Public Schools, and the Still River Alliance.  At this session, the teachers learned about the flood plain trail and how it can be used to conduct an education class, participated in an invertebrate sampling of the River, and had a demonstration of stormwater loading with the "Environscape Model."

Kids on the River:  An environmental education initiative

An exciting initiative for the Still River Greenway is the development of an active educational curriculum guide that focuses on observation and experimentation activities on the Greenway.  The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) is teaming up with the Danbury Public School System and the Still River Alliance to develop a program called "Kids on the River."

Mission Statement: Establish an interactive program of environmental activities on the Still River Greenway, which will engage the interest of teachers and capture the imagination of students to learn about the hydrology, ecology, water quality, and history of the Still River and its floodplain.

Click here to hear Ruth Mallins of the Housatonic Valley River Trail explain the organization's program  (1.3M - 15 sec.).

This project aims to cultivate an environmental education program on two levels:

Younger students (K-8), centered on the development of a curriculum guide for Middle Schools. The educational curriculum guide will be developed consistent with the standards of the school systems and aimed at teachers to promote observation and experimentation in the River and along the stream banks and floodplains.  The guide will also be a catalyst for future programs aimed at Primary and high school levels.  The guide will provide a milestone for establishing the Greenway as a fully-functional environmental education experience for students, conservationists, outdoor enthusiasts, and the general public.

Advanced students and adult education. The HVA, teaming with the City of Danbury, will work with the local high schools and Western Connecticut State University to create and implement a water quality assessment and monitoring program, utilizing students on "Stream Teams."  These Stream Teams will inventory the physical river corridor in Danbury, identifying land areas and land uses that may be adversely affecting water quality and habitat.  Stream Teams will report their findings to local officials and develop site-specific water quality monitoring strategies and conduct microinvertibrate (aquatic insects) sampling to track water quality changes from various sources.  HVA has successfully tested the Stream Team concept on the Still River this year with students from Marvelwood School.  HVA is a member of the Connecticut Outdoor and Environmental Education Association and has received awards from the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Connecticut DEP for its educational programs.

In order to facilitate the development of the middle school curriculum and the Stream Teams, funding is being requested from the SBC Foundation.  It will take approximately one year to complete the project from the time that funding is received.  The application for funding, if succesful, would initiate the project this summer and culminate in a community event - Environmental Education Week on the Greenway - in the Fall of 2002.  This capstone event would provide the catalyst for an ongoing and self-sustaining mode of environmental education for school systems, scouts, and other youth and conservation-oriented groups.

Visit this page often for further progress reports on the development of these exciting initiatives!

Last update:  December 2, 2001 3:03 PM