ABSTRACT: A Nutrient Management Education Program for Delaware Youth

DWRC 2001 – 2002 Intern: John Place

Project Advisor: Susan Truehart Garey

In 1999, Delaware passed legislation to establish a Nutrient Management Commission to “develop, review, approve, and enforce regulations governing the certification of individuals engaged in the business of land application of nutrients and the development of nutrient management plans” and to oversee citizen education. The legislation was spurred by significant water quality issues. Many of Delaware’s water bodies are considered “impaired” by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) due to the introduction of excess nutrients from a variety of sources including but not limited to: agriculture, lawn and golf course upkeep, sewage treatment, septic system leakage and industrial discharge and other urban sources. Enrichment of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus in soil and water can lead to groundwater contamination, acid rain, soil acidification, and surface water eutrophication leading to accelerated algae and/or nuisance plant growth in water bodies. The increased growth rate depletes dissolved oxygen in the water, resulting in fish kills, and sediments from dying plants increase foul odors and turbidity.

Unfortunately, home owners often place blame on farmers, when in fact they contribute to pollution themselves through over-application of lawn fertilizers which run off into ground and surface waters. A need exists for youth education in nutrient management to influence citizen behavior and beliefs in the coming generation to support new legislative nutrient management mandates.

University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Agents Susan Truehart Garey (Animal Science) and Becky Marasco (Renewable Resources), with guidance from Extension Nutrient Management Specialist David J. Hansen, University of Delaware Associate Professor in Soil and Water Quality, and Joy Sparks, Delaware State 4-H Program Coordinator, have developed and published the youth curriculum “Soil, Water, and Nutrient Management (SWANM) Youth Curriculum Guide” (2001). This environmental education program was funded in part by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The objective of the internship is to instruct youths on

1. Making a personal difference at home and in the neighborhood to improve water quality and
2. Encouraging the greater community to protect soil and water resources.

The curriculum’s concepts, designed to give youth a broad understanding of complicated nutrient management issues, are:

1. Why the fate of our soil and water matters; importance of soil and water
2. The nature of soil composition and supply; nature of water supply; interrelationships with the human population.
3. Polluting effects of human activity on soil and water
4. Testing for nutrient management in your own backyard

The curriculum was taught to youths ages eight to twelve years old in six week-long summer camps as a series of daily one-hour hands-on small group workshops. The interactive activities follow the experiential learning model also found in 4H curriculums. Additionally, participants had the opportunity to participate in community awareness activities such as developing a local garden, educating others about soil testing, and performing soil tests for neighbors or relatives. The six camp locations were: Dover Air Force Base Science and Math Camp, Dover; State 4H camp, Camp Barnes, South Bethany Beach (2 camps); Newark 4H Day Camp; Harrington 4H Day Camp; and Strengthening Families Day Camp at the Kent County Extension Office, Dover.

Leaders were also trained on two occasions: at the Kent County Extension Office, Dover, and the state 4H leader forum in Newark. Eleven adult leaders and five older teen leaders were taught how to present the curriculum by the intern.

The intern gained experience in education, youth development, nutrient management and water science issues, responsibility, and self-motivation.

A total of 150 children from primarily urban or suburban backgrounds learned the concepts for the first time. The average increase in basic soil and water knowledge as reflected in a pre- and post-test was over 30%. The greatest gains were seen in group containing students who had chosen to participate in the program, whose parents brought them each day, whose group was supervised by a teen leader, and who were not challenged by attention deficit disorders (ADD). Students also benefited when group sizes were smaller, permitting more instructor interaction and supervision on hands-on activities.

The sixteen individuals trained to present the curriculum in the future expressed confidence in their training and in the curriculum to effectively impart nutrient management information to youth.

The curriculum is an effective method to promote sound conservation practices by teaching youths to care for soil and water resources and to relay their concern to their peers.