Project Clean Streams is intended to demonstrate the importance of good water quality through stream walk field trips to teachers and students.

Program Objectives
Stream Walks
Stream Walk Applications
Fecal Coliform Sampling

Program Objectives

• To teach and equip teachers and students to measure water quality at waterways near their schools and in their communities
• To develop teacher confidence and competence in leading scientific field trips to community streams
• To provide students with a hands-on science lesson and the opportunity to see water pollution problems first hand
• To create an opportunity for teachers and students to play an important role in monitoring the health of the region’s waterways

If you participated in Project Clean Streams in the past and want to conduct sampling, please read Fecal Coliform Sampling.

Stream Walks
PRIDE now is accepting applications for an in-school training program. Current recipients of PRIDE Environmental Education Grants are eligible to apply.

The program will consist of a PRIDE education staff member visiting the school or stream site. Teachers and students will participate in the stream walk, learning to monitor the chemical properties of water and collect and identify macroinvertebrates as biological indicators of the water quality.

If the field trip site is not on school grounds or within walking distance of the school, the teacher(s) is in charge of arranging transportation to and from the site. PRIDE will reimburse the school system for the cost of transportation after the trip has taken place.

One class (maximum of 30 students) will be allowed to participate at a time. Students will be provided rubber boots and gloves for stream activity, but will need to dress appropriately with comfortable shoes. They will get dirty and possibly wet!

Before the stream walk, the teacher(s) will be responsible for preparing the students with background information and a pre-field trip activity. PRIDE will provide the necessary materials in a curriculum packet.

After the stream walk, teacher(s) will be responsible for leading a follow-up activity with the students (also provided in curriculum packet), and/or directing students in entering data in the Project Clean Streams database. PRIDE will leave with the teacher a water testing kit and needed supplies to continue taking students to the stream in the future. 

While deciding on your field trip site, please keep the following information in mind:

• The stream must be on school or public property, or written permission from the landowner must be submitted with application.
• The stream must be located close enough to the school that the students may easily walk or be transported.
• The stream should be of knee-depth and have a rocky bottom and gradually sloping sides for easy access.
• The stream should have water in it year round.
• The area surrounding the stream should have ample room to set up a work table and for students to gather safely.
• A photo of site must be submitted with application.
• If you have difficulty in selecting a site, please contact education staff for assistance.

Stream Walk Applications
A limited number of field trips will be conducted each semester. Click here to print the application package in PDF format or click here to access the application package in FlashPaper format. The application package includes the application form, checklist agreement and site selection instructions. Only 2006-2007 PRIDE Environmental Education Grant recipients are eligible to apply.

If your application is approved, a PRIDE Education Coordinator will contact you to arrange the date, time location of the stream walk. You will receive a curriculum packet in the mail.

Fecal Coliform Sampling
PRIDE will pay for lab analysis of water samples collected by educators who previously participated in Project Clean Streams. The educator is responsible for scheduling the analysis with the lab and delivering the sample to the lab. Labs are located in Bowling Green, Hyden, Lexington, London, Salyersville, Somerset and Pikeville.

Educators who want to arrange for PRIDE to pay for fecal coliform analysis should contact PRIDE by e-mail or by calling 888.356.6527.

PRIDE no longer offers unified fecal coliform sampling in the fall or spring, nor provides runners to take samples to labs.