Education > How to Participate

Would you like to participate in the My Backyard Stream Project?

  • A close-up shot shows a hand holding a white, handheld water quality testing meter partially submerged in a flowing stream. The meter has a small digital display and yellow and blue buttons on its face. A blue lanyard labeled 'Eutech Instruments' is looped around the person's wrist. The water is clear but ripples over a rocky or silty bottom, reflecting the sky. The person is wearing a red and black plaid sleeve. The image captures a moment of environmental monitoring or field testing, likely measuring parameters such as pH, conductivity, or temperature.
  • The image features a young woman with short, wavy brown hair and glasses standing by an outdoor pond. She is wearing a grey striped t-shirt and is holding a blue clipboard with a pen in her left hand and a smartphone in her right. The background consists of lush green trees and tall marsh grass (cattails) growing out of the water. The overall scene suggests she is engaged in field research, environmental data collection, or a nature observation task.
  • A close-up shot focuses on a person's hands holding a smartphone in a vertical position over a body of water. The person appears to be typing or interacting with the screen using their thumbs. In the background, tall, green marsh plants (cattails) grow out of the dark water, and patches of green grass line the muddy bank. The edge of a blue clipboard and a grey striped sleeve are partially visible on the right side of the frame, suggesting a context of field work, data entry, or environmental observation.
  • Two people wearing chest waders are crouched on a rocky stream bank, focused on collecting environmental data. Both are holding smartphones, likely using them to photograph specimens or log information. In front of them sits a white plastic basin containing water and small organic matter, while several kick nets and sampling tools lie nearby on the ground. The surrounding area is a wooded, outdoor setting with a shallow creek bed and bare trees in the background. The image depicts a hands-on field biology or environmental science activity, specifically centered on aquatic sampling and documentation.
  • A group of people are kayaking down a calm, narrow river lined with lush green trees. There are at least five individuals visible, each in their own red kayak and wearing bright red life jackets (PFDs). Several of the kayakers are smiling and looking toward the camera, with a few holding up snacks or making playful gestures. The water is still, reflecting the surrounding foliage and the bright kayaks. The scene captures a sunny, recreational outing on the water, highlighting a group activity centered on nature and outdoor adventure.
  • A close-up shot shows a person in a maroon top holding a smartphone to take a photo of something inside a white plastic basin. Another person's hand is visible reaching into the basin, which contains water, submerged leaves, and small debris. The basin sits on a rocky, outdoor surface, likely a stream bank. This scene highlights a moment of close observation and digital documentation during an environmental field study or biological sampling activity.
  • A wide shot shows a group of students and instructors gathered around a narrow, reddish-brown drainage channel in a wooded outdoor setting. In the center, two students—a woman in a blue tank top and a man in a navy t-shirt—are working together to hold and operate a piece of scientific equipment over the flowing water. Several other individuals stand nearby, some holding clipboards and pens, appearing to take notes or observe the process. The ground around the channel is stained with an orange-red tint, characteristic of acid mine drainage. The scene is set on a sunny day with lush green trees in the background, capturing an active 'Watershed Management' field class engaged in environmental water testing and data collection.
Steps to get started in your classroom with the "My Backyard Stream" project.

1. Start the process with an Ohio University representative visiting your classroom. This representative will explain the project, show your students the process of collecting and submitting photographs, and teach them how to use an Oakton meter to collect parameters of water quality. The Oakton meter(s) will remain on loan to your classroom throughout the duration of data collection.

2. Over the course of the next weeks, each night, a different student will be assigned to go into the field with the borrowed Oakton, take a photograph and complete a data collection worksheet. The photograph and data will need to be sent to us via email. This process continues until all students have had the opportunity to borrow the Oakton and collect their photograph.

3. Once the class has completed the data collection, an Ohio University representative will return to the classroom to collect our materials and our team will begin working on uploading your photographs and data to the webpage.

If you would like to participate in this project or have any questions,
please contact Jennifer Bowman at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service:

Jen Bowman
Director of Environmental Programs
Phone: 740-597-3101
Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service at Ohio University
Building 22, The Ridges Athens, OH 45701
bowmanj2@ohio.edu