Eno River State Park An Environmental Education Learning Experience Designed for the Middle Grades ―Without life, there would still be water. Without water no life.” David Quammen, Natural Acts, A Sidelong View of Science and Nature This Environmental Education Learning Experience was developed by Scott Hartley and Martha Woods, former Park Rangers at Eno River State Park. Revised May 2013 by Brian Bockhahn, Jack Singley and Nathan Swick. North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation Department of Environment and Natural Resources Other Contributors . Park volunteers; Association for the Preservation of the Eno River Valley, Inc.; Riffle and Pool Naturalists; The N.C. Department of Public Instruction; The N.C. Division of Water Resources; The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources; and the many individuals and agencies who assisted in the review of this publication. 1. Introduction Introduction to the North Carolina State Parks System Introduction to Eno River State Park Introduction to the Activity Packet for Eno River State Park 2. Activity Summary Correlation Chart 2 3. Pre-Visit Activities # 1 Map Trivia # 2 The Key to Water Quality 4. On-Site Activities # 1 Go With The Flow # 2 Mind Your p’s and H’s # 3 Sediment: The “S” Word # 4 Water Bugs 5. Post-Visit Activities # 1 Fragile Waters # 2 Growing Water Bugs 1. Vocabulary 2. References 3. Forms Notes That was in 1915. The North Carolina State Parks System has now been established for nearly a century. What started out as one small plot of public land has grown into 67 properties across the state, Preserving and including parks, recreation areas, trails, rivers, lakes and natural protecting North Carolina’s natural resources is areas. This vast network of land actually a relatively new idea. boasts some of the most beautiful The seeds of the conservation scenery in the world and offers movement were planted early endless recreation opportunities. in the 20th century when But our state parks system offers citizens were alerted to the much more than scenery and recreation. Our lands and waters As one of North Carolina’s devastation of Mount Mitchell. principal conservation agencies, Logging was destroying a well- contain unique and valuable archaeological, geological and the Division of Parks and known landmark the highest Recreation is responsible for the peak east of the Mississippi. As biological resources that are an important part of our natural more than 167,000 acres that the magnificent forests of this make up our state parks system. mile-high peak fell to the lum- heritage. The Division manages these bermen's axe, alarmed citizens resources for the safe enjoyment began to voice their opposition. of the public, and protects and Governor Locke Craig joined preserves them as a part of the them in their efforts to save heritage we will pass on to Mount Mitchell. Together they generations to come. convinced the legislature to pass a bill establishing Mount An important component of our Mitchell as the first state park. stewardship of these lands is education. Through our interpretation and environmental For more information contact: education services, the Division of Parks and Recreation strives N.C. Division of Parks and to offer enlightening programs Recreation 1615 Mail Service that lead to an understanding and Center Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1615 appreciation of our natural 919/ 707-9300 resources. The goal of our environmental education Website: www.ncparks.gov program is to generate an [email protected] awareness in all individuals which cultivates responsible Follow us on Facebook and stewardship of the earth. Twitter Introduction to Eno River State Park Numerous macroinvertebrates Efforts to establish Eno River Life in and along are also found in the river. The State Park began n 1965 when the Eno River tiny panhandle pebblesnail, the city of Durham proposed listed as “significantly rare”, is building a reservoir on the Eno. Eno River State Park provides found only in the Eno River. In response, a group of important habitat for a host of Freshwater mussels include concerned citizens formed the animals and plants. A mixture several endangered or Association for the of steep rocky ridges and threatened species such as the Preservation of the Eno River bottomlands creates several yellow lampmussel, Atlantic Valley. The Association was distinct plant communities. pigtoe and green floater. These successful in gaining Many of the wildflowers and and other aquatic community support for its shrubs found in the park are macroinvertebrates can be used proposal that a state park be normally found in the as indicator species to monitor established along the river. In mountains and foothills of water quality. The presence or May of 1972, the state of North North Carolina. Shrubs, absence of these wonderfully Carolina approved the idea, and including the Catawba adapted creatures tells us much the city of Durham withdrew its Rhododendron, and about the health of our river. plan to construct the reservoir. wildflowers, such as yellow Presently, water quality in the By 1975, 1,100 acres of land lady’s slipper, showy orchids Eno River is good. The river is had been acquired with help of and wild geranium, find classified as a public water the Association, the Nature suitable habitat in the river supply and it also suitable for Conservancy and the Division valley. swimming, fishing and wading. of Parks and Recreation. The River hosts more than 61 Continuing development and Today the park protects 14 species of fish. The Carolina water withdrawals upstream miles of river and over 4,300 madtom (a catfish) and the give cause for concern about acres of associated lands in Roanoke bass (a game fish) the river’s quality. Only Orange and Durham County. appear in the Natural Heritage through sustained vigilance and Program List of the Rare protection efforts can the Animal Species of North river’s water quality be Carolina. preserved. NOTE: Weather and river The environmental education The environmental education conditions permitting, on-site learning experience, Living learning experience, Living activities will be held on the Water, was developed to Water, will expose the student banks of the river and in the provide hands-on to the following major river. Students will wade in environmental education concepts: shallow rocky areas. They activities for the classroom and should dress appropriately Water Quality the outdoor setting of Eno (long pants and tennis shoes) Indicator Species River State Park. This and bring a change of Water Testing clothing. The students may educator’s activity packet, Watershed encounter ticks, poison ivy designed to be implemented in River Basin and snakes, although this is grades 6-8, meets established not likely as long as students Point and Nonpoint curriculum objectives of the Source Pollution stay in appropriate areas. North Carolina Department of Chemical reagents are used in Aquatic Macroinver- Public Instruction. Three types water quality testing. Because tebrates misuse of these chemicals can of activities are included: Aquatic Food Webs be hazardous, standard Natural Resource chemical protection 1) pre-visit activities Management procedures will be required. 2) on-site activities Stewardship Goggles and rubber gloves 3) post-visit activities will be provided for all The first occurrence of a students handling testing kits. On-site activities will be vocabulary word used in these These must be worn at all conducted at the park, while activities is indicated in bold times during test procedures. pre-visit and post-visit ac- type. Their definitions are The educator will assist in tivities are designed for the listed in the back of the seeing that all safety classroom environment. Pre- activity packet. A list of the precautions are followed. It is visit activities should be reference materials used in also the responsibility of the introduced prior to the park developing the activities educator to be aware of visit so that students will have follows the vocabulary list. special considerations, the necessary background and medical needs, etc. of vocabulary for the on-site This document was designed participants and be prepared activities. We encourage you to be reproduced, in part or to take appropriate to use the post-visit activities entirety, for use in North precautionary measures. Park Carolina classrooms. If you to reinforce concepts, skills staff should be informed of wish to photocopy or adapt it and vocabulary learned in the any special considerations for other uses, please credit pre-visit and on-site activities. prior to the group’s arrival at the N.C. Division of Parks and the park. These activities may be per- Recreation. formed independently or in a series to build upon the stu- dents’ newly gained knowl- edge and experiences. The following outline provides a brief summary of each activity, the major concepts introduced and the objectives met by completion of the activity. I. Pre-Visit Activities 1. Map Trivia Using a transportation map and river basin map, students will learn that the Eno River watershed is part of the Neuse River Basin. They will trace the river from its headwaters to the ocean and identify key geographic locations, as well as potential point and nonpoint sources of pollution. Major Concepts: River basin Watersheds Point and nonpoint pollution Learning Skills: Observing, communicating, inferring Reading and interpreting maps Estimating distances Objectives: Interpret and use the legends on the North Carolina state transportation map to answer five questions. Locate five geographic locations within the Neuse River watershed. Identify potential sources of point and nonpoint pollution in the Neuse River Basin. 2. The Key to Water Quality The students will practice using dichotomous keys to identify unknown tree leaves and macroinvertebrates found in the Eno River. Students will learn that macroinvertebrates are important indicators of water quality.