Vol 05 - SL1

February 2005

Welcome to “The Dragonfly Messenger” - the first ever print newsletter

for the stream teams and water educators of Kansas!

New KVHA Program Director 5th Annual SL Student Gathering

Getting our boots wet….. Travis Daneke April 4th, 2005 Matfield Green, KS
Kansas stream teams and community For the 5th Annual Student Gathering (SG
water education programs are most 2005), the Land Institute restored school house
impressive. All these sampling events, in Matfield Green has been reserved. The
stewardship activities, and broader morning schedule is centered around Flint Hills
festivals leave lasting memories. ecosystems —from hydrogeology to
community life. The afternoon will be field
Last fall when I began my work at
based as students work on a
KVHA, I was focused on outreach Designed for secondary wetland service project.
relating to Clinton Lake
students, SL’s Annual
Watershed Restoration and An event flyer & registration
Student Gathering has
Protection. I was thrilled to be materials are inserted in this
become a noted
helping people learn about newsletter.
complex ecological interactions, opportunity for
and begin to develop strong multi-disciplinary
environmental problem solving cooperative learning The 2004 SG was held at Wichita’s
skills. centered around the WATER Center — a municipally
common water funded cleanup of river bound
My duties as a KVHA Program
Director have evolved in a solid
experiences …. plume of contaminated
StreamLink focus. At this point I groundwater. This was a unique
am working closely with former StreamLink opportunity to be a part of a brand new,
Program Director & new KVHA Executive Midwestern landmark environmental
Director, Alison Reber, and KVHA’s other education center. The innovative treatment
extraordinary staff members. Together we are strips the water of pollutants using the simple O2
continuing the traditions that have become a binding process many of the students knew
part of SL as well as reaching for new levels of from basic chemistry. The cleaned water flows
support. through a series of water related sculptures, a
massive aquarium of Kansas fish, and into a
Throughout this newsletter you’ll find Information
stream. Winding it’s way through a restored
about upcoming events, and coverage of
various happenings and current water topics. I Cont. pg 3
am very excited about the fast approaching
StreamLink season and have my eye on the
filling calendar. Keep your requests for
assistance coming in – we have our sights on
meeting everyone’s needs.
We’ve been growing legs for 7 years and now
we’re ready to run!
- Travis Daneke, Program Director

….a biennial production of the
Kansas StreamLink Program.
Kansas StreamLink
is a project of the
Kaw Valley Heritage Alliance.
412 E. 9th Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
(785) 840-0700
Fax: (785) 843-6080
streamlink@streamlink.org
KVHA Staff
Alison Reber, Executive Director
Travis Daneke, Program Director
Aimee Polson, Program Director
Rachael Sudlow, Project Assistant
Adam Dixon, Intern
Meg Givens, Intern
Sara Holmberg, Intern
Board of Directors
Dale Lambley, President
Paul Liechti, Treasurer
Jeff Neel, Secretary
Will Boyer, At-Large
Dave Murphy, At-Large
VACANT, At-Large
Funding for KVHA Projects
including Kansas StreamLink is
currently provided by grants from
the KS Dept. of Health &
Environment and by the
contributions of partners and
program users.
KVHA is a federally recognized
501c(3) non-profit organization.
Donations are tax deductible.
8th Annual SL Training and Social
July 10, 2005 Topeka
We plan to hold the 8th T&S at the Crest View Community Center, 4801
SW Shunga Driver, Topeka. Shunganunga Creek flows through a well-
canopied nature park adjacent to the Center.
Similar to the Annual Student Gathering, the annual training is held at a
new site each year. Guest presentations are tailored to specific training
area. This year should be especially interesting given the breadth of our
State Capital’s water relationships. Topeka is the home of our primary
2005 sponsors, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment as well
as several of KVHA’s closest partners. There are many exciting things to
share—we hope you’ll join us.
It’s time to get ready for spring….
A crib sheet to the SL paperwork that makes things work.
Included in this newsletter are the forms you’ll need to tap into the
materials and support SL can provide. The “Request for Assistance” form
has been re-designed to have a listing of the resources we have
available (chemistry kits, reagents, nets, submarines...just kidding :) We
can now provide several kinds of on-site support. The form helps you
frame out some of the basic pieces of information we need in order to
be prepared for your event. Typically an intern will follow up with you to
cover the specifics - especially as the event gets closer.
Remember! We need to have your Participant Application on file to
keep the services coming. The forms keep changing but this version looks
like a keeper. Cross-checking the paperwork is something that the intern
will handle before you are contacted.
Also, we have inserted a flyer for the 5th Annual Student Gathering and
for a series of Basic Stream Assessment Trainings happening this summer
— including the 8th Annual StreamLink Training and Social. The
preliminary registration forms are embedded in the flyer and can just be
faxed to us at 785-843-6080.
We moved!!!!...but just downstairs.
The new address is 412 East 9th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.
Last fall, as we were juggling the sampling season and more staffing
changes, we were also learning about the business end of a hammer.
Our turn of the century grocery store front was in desperate need of a
little TLC and creative brainstorming. The wall of huge south facing
windows, original ceiling, and tongue in groove walls lovely ambiance.
The move downstairs means we have a larger space, are easier to find,
and ground level access—which makes getting ready for events MUCH
easier!
Unless we’re scattered to the wind covering events, there’s always
someone here from 9-5 Monday—Friday.
Student Gathering continued from pg 1
park, the stream converges with the Arkansas River. Students from four high schools the part in
presentations, hands-on activities, a mentor luncheon, and a service project.
We chose Matfield Green for SG 2005 because it’s strongly contrasts Wichita. While gatherings are
always held at different locations, each follows a generally consistent morning, lunch, afternoon
planning formula.
The morning is an opportunity for students to be
exposed to a variety of water related topics.
Students individually tailor their learning
experience by pre-selecting their interest track.
Grouping students by interest is a means of
geographically expanding student’s learning
community.
Capitalizing on the social value of “breaking
bread”, community members join the students for lunch. People with diverse perspectives eat with
small groups of students and answer questions about their career paths. Throughout the years we
have had a variety of water quality professionals, research scientists, farmers, architects, urban
planners, elected officials, museum curators, water district managers, and artists.
After the luncheon, the tables are
turned. Students make
presentations about their water
experiences and answer questions
from fellow students and the
This summer SL and the Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and audience — usually made up of
Streams (KAWS) are pooling our resources to provide a state- teachers and the invited mentors.
wide series of Basic Stream Assessment Workshops. These Afternoons are spent working on a
workshops pair the basic SL training with an introduction to service learning project. In 2004
stream conservation and restoration experiences. The topics we cleared a sprawling algae
we’ll address include stream bank restoration, stream protec- bloom from the WATER Center’s
tion strategies, non-point cleaned effluent stream and
source pollution preven- planted wetland grasses to help
Basic Stream tion and identification, stabilize the developing aquatic
Assessment Trainings and follow up support ecosystem.
These are 2 day hands-on to make these things
workshops about getting to happen in your com- An equally beneficial
know streams and how to munity. conservation project is being
improve their condition. planned for this year.
Registration is $50. This “second tier” train-
ing is part of a state- Teachers are overwhelmingly
Scholarships may be available. aware that high school is a very
wide trend towards
*Scott City community driven wa- __________ (fill in the blank
June 15/16 or 22/23 ter quality protection yourself….) time for the students.
and restoration (see Life planning looms on their
*Russell Aimee Polson’s WRAPS horizon. The Gathering creates
August 18/19th article above). WRAPS lasting memories but more
programs have a tech- importantly it helps students see
*Wakarusa their future.
nical edge but are
August 25/26th
centered on building Please let us know if there is
*Fredonia community capacity to anything we can do to help make
July 14/15 or 21/22 proactively address this happen for your students.
water quality hazards. -MEG
-TMD
 WRAP and Roll at Clinton Lake
By Aimee Polson, KVHA Program Director
Clinton Lake was built in the 1970’s for the Intensified land use along the Wakarusa River
primary purpose of providing flood control, has resulted in an increase of contaminants
recreation, and drinking water for surrounding including fecal coliform bacteria flowing into
communities. Today the lake provides flood the Wakarusa River and a rise in sedimentation
protection for 156 square miles of the Wakarusa rates into Clinton Lake. In other words, the
River valley downstream from the dam, and is “bowl” that holds the water is shrinking in size.
part of a network of lakes that helps control
flooding on the Kansas, Missouri, and Mississippi A group of organizations, government
Rivers. A agencies,
portion of educational
the lake is institutions, and
used to concerned
provide citizens got
water, up to together to
10 million figure out how
gallons per to address the
day, for compromised
Johnson, integrity of
Osage, Clinton Lake
Franklin, and and the Upper
Shawnee Wakarusa
county Watershed
residents (UWW). They
and nearly everyone in Douglas County. The devised a WRAPS (Watershed Restoration and
most heavily used Federal reservoir for water Protection Strategy) that was targeted towards
supply in Kansas, the lake and surrounding areas Clinton Lake, UWW, and its tributaries.
are also used by over one million people
To learn more about the Upper Wakarusa
annually for recreation. Clinton Lake provides
Watershed or WRAPS programs, call KVHA at
many important benefits for Kansans, but as Bret
840-0700 or email aimee@kvha.org.
Michaels of the legendary rock band Poison tells
us, “Every rose has its thorn.”

WRAPS The WRAPS approach focuses on facilitating a locally-led, watershed-based

planning and management process that embodies a collaborative problem-
101 solving approach involving all key stakeholder groups. The process involves
assessing resource issues and opportunities within a watershed; developing a
plan that outlines goals, objectives, and strategies to address priority needs; and securing
adequate resources to implement the proposed plan. This watershed approach has
been applied successfully in Kansas and throughout the country.
Historically, incentive based programs, which have been driven in part by the level of
volunteerism available and the equitable distribution of program resources, have been
widely used to assist landowners in implementing watershed restoration and protection
practices. In recent years, targeting of program resources to geographic priority areas
has become more widely adopted. A community level, watershed-based planning and
management framework is needed to integrate program resources locally.
 Current Topics: Grass Roots Make a Difference
By Alison L. Reber, KVHA Executive Director
The condition of Kansas’ streams has greatly improved since the 1972 passage of
the Clean Water Act (CWA).*
*The Clean Water Act in Kansas 25 Years Later; KDHE Pub. ZC8012
The essay below was written in
the vein of our 2004 KDHE 319
grant proposal. The 319 grants
are part of the provisions of the
CWA. Our grant was funded in
full - $158,900 plus our sweat
equity of $105,800. –ALR
The generally shared values of
civic leaders, industrialists, and
regulators were critical in order
to pass the 1972 CWA. Along
the way grassroots efforts
anchored these values as our
nation began the process of
restoring and protecting
streams, rivers and lakes.
Using simple but elegant
language, the Act set legacy
baselines for water quality
expectations. Over the long
haul though, simplicity can be
deceptively complex….
In any case, starting the process
was a serious step toward social
acceptance of water quality
responsibilities.
We’ve been able to
dramatically reduce pollution
by focusing on “point sources.”
The methods used provided a
steady reduction in pollutant
concentrations despite the
pressures from population
growth and economic
development. Today, (in
Kansas) both fecal coliform and
ammonia levels are generally
found to be 1/10th the 1976
levels.*
However, in 2002, Kansas
reported to Congress that fecal
coliform bacteria remained a
major cause of stream
impairments and that sediment
and nutrients were impairing our
lakes. New approaches are
needed for managing these
impairment.
Improving the management
of non-point source pollution
is now our biggest water
quality challenge.
Broad but mostly simple
changes in our day to day
behavior is the only way to
improve the nebulousness of
non-point water quality
pollution. Resource protection
comes in many forms.
The health of our environment is
inextricably linked to our social
norms. A 1998 Roper Survey
showed that the general public
commonly holds environmental
protection as being more
critical than anything else
including economic
development. Also noted was
“(a) definite relationship
between environmental
knowledge, concerns and
behaviors.”
(www.neetf.org.subs/1998summary.doc)
Last spring Kansas took the next
step towards cleaner water.
Cohesive, cross-agency efforts
have begun to reach back to
the grassroots level for
guidance and support.
Watershed Restoration And
Protection Strategies (WRAPS)
are now being drafted for high
priority watersheds throughout
the state.
Knowledge is the key to action
only if it is paired with socially
supported actionable behavior.
Behavior can be compelled by
any number of things, but
generally, it can be predicted by
common social values.
One-on-one dialogue is the
fabric of a communities values.
Efforts such as volunteer stream
teams increase individual’s water
quality literacy and contribute to
a communities overall
knowledge base.
As with many social legacies,
these values are served on
plates across our kitchen tables,
on lunch room trays, and
ironically even in the Value
Meals found at the ubiquitous
fast food joint on the corner of
Urban Avenue and Rural Road.
 MUDSCAPES: Getting Down and Dirty
By Meg Givens, KVHA Project Assistant
My employment at Kaw Valley
Heritage Alliance began in early
September of 2004. We were
pinch hitting the move to our new
office and burning up the high-
way from one event to another. I
got a ball of wax explanation of
KVHA, WRAPS, and
StreamLink…. And
then mudscapes.
My initial response
to Alison’s brain-
child was “ You do
WHAT with 50 gal-
lons of river
mud?!?” But I
showed up for
work the next day
anyway and went
with her to the Topeka Water Fes-
tival.
I watched the whole process and
the enthusiasm of the kids and
quickly saw the lasting impact it
was having on these children’s
mind and ideas about their sur-
rounding. I’ll explain the process
below so that you can get an
idea of what is involved in a
“Mudscape” but this is definitely
one of those “see it to believe it”
experiences.
Before the students arrive, the
stage has to be set. Three long
folding tables that are set up in a
“T” and tarps are tightly fitted
over the tables by hooking
bungee cords to the tarp rivets.
This really helps keep the tables,
the kids, and the ground around
the tables clean.
Next comes the mud…. 20 or so
containers each holding a couple
of gallons of mud each are
dumped onto the tables with a
frugal amount of water (too much
water makes it sloppy-runny.) The
mud is “kneaded” until it is soft
and moldable and ready for
the kids to work on. The mud’s
a medley of streamside and top
soil collections from around the
state with a bit of dime store
sand and peat. Someone’s usu-
ally stashing the mud containers
under the tables, fill-
ing the wash tubs,
and unpacking the
hand towels (cloth
works WAY better
than paper!), hand
sanitizer, and stickers.
The kids arrive in a
rush… In the next 30
minutes they'll work
through the 4 part cy-
cle. It takes three
people working in close tandem
to keep the group moving. As
person A leads one part, B & C
re-prep the stage. Then B takes
over for A and begins the next
piece. Keeping everything
moving—especially the mud is
hard but exciting work.
Two creative steps are sand-
wiched between two centering
steps.
The first step involves calming
the children down as they
come in from their last activity.
Sitting on the ground they talk
about what they saw out the
window of the bus as they
came to the festival, rainfall,
and the water cycle. This gets
the kids thinking about water in
their surrounding and land-
scape of everyday life.
The second step is to calmly
and thoughtfully guide the chil-
dren into the creative process.
While still sitting with Alison, we
give the children the “rules” for
working at the mudscapes ta-
ble. The children are told to ap-
proach the table with rolled up
sleeves and find a spot
around it, they are also told to
use their hands, as if they were
water molding it’s way
through valleys and hills, to
create what they see around
them every day and to work
together to decide how they
will live.
Students become city
planners, conservationists,
land owners, and, well,
forces of nature when we
allow them to put their
hands to work.
When everyone’s focused, we
slowly work our way around
the table quietly tapping chil-
dren on the shoulder individu-
ally and whispering for them
to go select items from a table
set up a few feet away. (The
approach seems to keep
chaos in check; kids usually
stay focused on their creations
even when they notice the
activity shifting.)
The students begin to make
landuse decisions, selecting
prime locations for little
wooden houses, farm fences,
cows, pigs, horses, and chick-
ens, long thin pieces of rub-
bery plastic that can simulate
roads, green dish scrub
sponges that look surprisingly
like grass turf, matchbox cars,
trucks and tractors, and tiny
frogs, fish and bugs: anything
that will bring the landscape
to life.
The third step, shifting to hand-
washing, is the most challeng-
ing one to facilitate. They are
so tuned in to the little world
(Continued on page 7)
 they have just created and the noise decibel around the table is above
anywhere my voice can reach. It is a team effort to pry their little hands
out of the mud for cleanup: coarse “washing” in tubs of dish water and
cloths. We put stickers on the kids with clean hands so all helpers know
who needs to stay out of the mud.
The fourth and last piece is the wrap-up. Almost like a huddle, the group
surveys their efforts and shares conservation ideas. Their hillsides have
grasses and trees, natural water is separated from livestock, streams and
lakes are filled with wildlife, and so on… Along with their watershed devel-
opment, they give us an unusual insight into their social values and aspira-
tions.
They’ve built what they believe the world should be...including
what they’ve ever really learned , what they see, and what they
want in the world around them. Each mudscape is as unique as its creators.

The Devil’s in the Details…. Miniature House Painters Visit!

I have a background in early childhood
education and know that sensory experi-
ences, creative freedom, and social inter-
action give the mind the best opportunity
to learn, remember, and apply ideas.
Mudscapes is a wonderful balance of
these educational principles. This activity
definitely “sticks”
The children come to the activity bounc-
ing with “field trip” rush and the thrill of
getting to do “the forbidden” - getting
dirty! Twenty hyper kids and 50 gallons of
mud should be a recipe for disaster—
more than one teacher has requested a
festival scheduled sans Mudscapes. I
would have sympathized before last sum-
mer but this system is intense & slick….
What makes it work is being able to man-
age and focus energy. The rapid suc-
cession and careful execution of each
step is integral to making the whole pic-
ture come out for the kids. Without the
centering activities, there would be no
focus to the activity. Without the creative
aspect, the activity amount to a chance
to get dirty fingernails. And, while it is true,
we lose a lot of mud to the wash tubs,
with few exceptions, the students leave
the activity as clean as they arrived.
If you get a chance, visit us at the next
water festival. You’ll enjoy it almost as
much as the kids!! -MEG
In a typical year, Mudscapes manipulables
become a part of 70+ landscape creations.
Materials have a high “mortality” rate.
Scouring variety stores statewide we raise
eyebrows as we buy up all the farm animals,
wildlife notions, and relevant miniatures we
can find.
Since the office remodeling dust has settled,
we’ve been pining to exercise our new
found painting skills. A rainy afternoon and
volunteers from KU’s Alternative Spring
Breaks Program provided the perfect
opportunity!
All the wooden houses, barns, fences and
trees have been painstakingly hand
painted to help them withstand the washing
and scrubbing it takes to keep Mudscapes
a fresh adventure for each new group.
Many thanks for the help!
Non-News News…. Alison and Travis visited
Matfield Green a few weeks ago, became
acquainted with the town greeter (a very friendly,
very small bulldog), shared a meal with a few of
the locals, and spent some quality time finding a
“short cut” to I-35.
 Kansas StreamLink
412 E. 9th Street
Lawrence, KS 66044-2629
Kansas StreamLink’s Dragonfly
plans to visit you each
spring and fall!
Amid standard columns,
features, factoids, and occasional
frivolities, we hope to build stronger
statewide awareness of local water
education efforts. We hope you find the
articles informative and inspiring enough
to become a regular reader. Guest
writings, reflections, artwork, and
creative inspirations are wholeheartedly
invited for consideration. Many thanks
and enjoy!
Our Windows have Minnows!
Volunteers from the E.A.R.T.H. program
at KU’s Center for Community Outreach
painted our store front windows with a
colorful Kansas watershed scene.
The mural, designed by Alison Reber
and Rachael Sudlow, took several
Saturdays to paint and is an inspiring
asset to the office. The stream section
of the painting is reflected in a native
fish tank giving the appearance of a
stream filled with darters, shiners, and
mad toms. The tank is also the focal
point of a small central sitting area.