Dr. AJ Reisinger, from the Soil and Water Sciences Department at UF, got hands on with students from Western Pines Middle in Palm Beach County, in order to better understand watersheds, pollution, and nutrient cycling in our water resources.  Eighth grade teacher, Karen Villalobos, spent a few weeks hatching plans with Reisinger on how to best tackle standards connected to the water cycle as part of a review of content taught.  The goal was to review several target standards through real-world applications.  

Dr. Reisinger was able to explain his role and how he interacts with city officials and citizens for best practices in water management.  Students experimented with non-point and point sources for water pollutants and how they can affect watershed by manipulating variables using an Enviroscape model. By the end of class, it was clear that students understood how introduction of pollutants and nutrients can enter and even alter the water cycle. 

The scientist’s visit managed to impact the learning of 115 middle schoolers.