National Waterways
Pollution Detective

Wanted!

National Waterways Pollution Detectives

These activities are written for Levels 1 - 4 focusing on Science in the New Zealand Curriculum (particularly aims from the Living World, Planet Earth and Beyond and the integrating strands, Nature of Science and its Relationship to Technology, and Developing Scientific Skills and Attitudes).

There are applications to Technology (e.g. design and develop own water testing gear); Social Sciences (e.g. appreciate the effect of man on stream health), Mathematics (e.g. recording data in a statistics investigation) and the Arts (e.g. Exstreamly Creative Kids).

All essential skills may be used and attitudes and values developed.

See page 16 Guidelines for Environmental Education in New Zealand Schools or http://www.tki.org.nz/r/environ_ed/guidelines/enviro_ed_nz_e.php

Is your stream sad, sick and sludgy or sparkling clean and full of life?
We would like to know - and we hope you do too.
In fact, we have got plans to find out what state our streams are in - right throughout New Zealand - and we need your help! Are we as clean and green as we like to think?

If you become a National Waterways Pollution Detective you will be able help us to find out.

View the Multimedia Pollution Detective pages (using Macromedia Flash)

Pollution Detective resources now available in Te Reo Maori or English
(Adobe Acrobat document - 361 KB)

Click here for the NWPD activity sheets

You can make your own clarity tube
using the original version
or the new version (65 KB Adobe Acrobat document)

You can purchase the Pollution Detective Kit
Click here to look at the equipment list and contact details

Click here for the weedy stream bug ID sheet
(197 KB Adobe Acrobat document)

Click here for the stony stream bug ID sheet
(207 KB Adobe Acrobat document)

If you have any questions, just email nwpd@rsnz.org

What do I have to do to be a waterway detective?

We now have a new system for recording Water Quality data, which among other improvements, allows you to see your data, and analyse it with graphs or in Excel.

The new system requires you to Sign up once here, and from then on, use the new form here.

Please email us at nwpd@rsnz.org if you have questions or need help.

(*Low life? You can find most stream bugs at or near the stream bed.)

Wanted! - this fiendish cad, always found hiding in sticks, often referred to as the walking stick cad(dis).

Activities to choose

1. Is your stream "alive" with low life? Stream bugs (macroinvertebrates) can be rounded up and ID'ed, and used to make conclusions about stream health.
Click here for details
Right-click here to save/download the Microsoft Word version

2. "Taking the heat". Is your stream as cool as you? Warm streams are not able to support as much life as cool streams. Some stream bugs and fish are very sensitive to higher temperatures and simply don't survive if it gets too hot.
Click here for details
Right-click here to save/download the Microsoft Word version

3. Got the "dirt" on your stream? You can investigate water clarity and find out. Dirty water can be the number one pollution "villain" in streams - smothering habitat, eggs, gills, and algae, heats the water by absorbing light, and reduces the visual range stream predators (and prey!).
Click here for the original version
View the new version of this activity (65 KB Adobe Acrobat document)
Right-click here to save/download the Microsoft Word original version

4. Inspired by what you have seen or found? Let's show people how beautifully designed these little critters are - you can try an accurate identikit approach, or let your imagination go and create bugs with attitude! See some bugs that Makara School made.
Click here for details
Right-click here to save/download the Microsoft Word version

5. As you can see there are plenty of challenges for Waterway Detectives. You could try any or all of the investigations at a stream near you, just follow the simple rules - safety first, tread lightly and have fun!
Click here for safety tips
Right-click here to save/download the Microsoft Word version

REWARD for your efforts - when you send your data sheet in to us your school will go into a draw for water monitoring equipment!

What does it all mean?
You will get some idea of how healthy your stream is by carrying out the simple NWPD tests, and from your own observations. We will also put together a summary report on our website after all the data and information has been returned and analysed. However, if you are keen to do some more detective work go to either of these two websites for more information:

www.waicare.org.nz - go to "manuals", go to book 6 fact sheets, then select the pages you want (2 -4 for temperature, 5 - 7 for clarity and/or 24 - 28 for bugs).
and
www.ew.govt.nz/educationprogrammes/schools/teachers/classroomunits/streams.htm and go to Chemical/Physical Test: Fact sheets, and Biological Surveys.

You can help us to get the evidence we need!

(Special thanks to Andrew Jenks, Stream Sense and Wai Care coordinator and member of the NWP advisory group for his work on this activity)