Is the Creek a Good
Playground?

By Lauren Dean, Laura Englehart,
Austin Kleon and Lia Silver
An interdisciplinary study on
children and creeks
CULTURAL
 How do children perceive
creeks?
 What experiences do they
have with creeks?
 What part do creeks play as a
whole in childhood?
An interdisciplinary study on
children and creeks
SOCIAL


What socio/economic/geographic
factors bring children to creeks?
How does education hinder/aid
children’s perception of nature?
An interdisciplinary study on
children and creeks
NATURAL/SCIENTIFIC
Testing of the area of Four Mile
Creek at Hueston Woods where
children interact with water
Are the nitrogen, phosphorus, pH,
and bacteria levels harmful to
children?


Interview with
Sharon Edwards at
Marshall Elementary


Creator of the Environmental
Mobile Unit
Goal is to create concern,
interest, and awareness about the
environment
Interview with
Sharon Edwards at
Marshall Elementary
4 Steps to Environmental Education




Raise awareness
Knowledge
Skills
Values/Attitude
Interview with
Sharon Edwards at
Marshall Elementary
Why don’t kids play in the creek as
often as they used to?



Generational Differences
Sheltered lifestyles
Fear Factor
Environmental
awareness
peaks in the
eighth grade…
Andy Farell, Naturalist at
Hueston Woods
Leads creek walks and fossil
hunts in our testing locations
 Creek walks favorite activity
in summer, very popular
 Average 20 kids per walk are
usually on vacation with
parents at Hueston Woods

Andy Farell, Naturalist at
Hueston Woods
Catch snakes, turn over rocks
 Nature becomes alive only
when children interact with it
 Discovery / Adventure
 Muddy and Wet

PWEEP Observations in
Pfeffer Park
We observed third
graders during an
educational field trip
to Collins Run as part
of the PWEEP program.

"Kids
love
water, it
doesn't
matter
what
kind."
"This is
fun! My
dad
would
NEVER
let me
do this!"
“Snake!”
“Salamander!”
"My dad told me not to
get my new shoes
muddy."
“Can’t we
just turn
over one
more rock
before we
go?”
Hueston Woods Water
Testing
Children are more
likely to ingest water
and are much more
susceptible to
pathogens in water

Nitrogen / Phosphorus

Nitrogen and Phosphorus are
nutrients that affect aquatic life
and biodiversity. Excessive levels
can have detrimental effects that
harm the environment as a whole,
making stream health poor and
human recreation in the areas
risky.
pH / Bacteria


pH is closely associated with
health and well being because it
is related to eye irritation and
consequent infections.
Bacteria contamination can lead
to water-borne diseases.
RESULTS
Site
Location
Sample #
Nitrogen
(mg/L
NO3)
Phosphorus
pH
Bacteria
(bacteria/
mL)
Upstream
1
3.3
0
8.5
>1000
Upstream
2
3.3
trace
8.0
100-1000
poor
Beach
1
3.3
0
8.5
>1000
Beach
2
3.3
0
8.0
100-1000
poor
Downstream
1
.088
0
8.5
100-1000
Downstream
2
.088
0
8.0
100-1000
Not
Acceptable
Not
Acceptable
poor
poor
ANALYSIS


Nitrogen levels are relatively high
upstream and in the lake. We
hypothesize that this is most likely due
to agricultural runoff. Although the
levels do not exceed drinking water
standards, health concern is still
warranted.
Phosphorus levels are so low that they
are unreadable. This is most likely due
to the fact that phosphorus is the
limiting nutrient in most ecosystems.
ANALYSIS


pH was within the healthy range in the first
samples taken. The second samples tested
were slightly more basic than the healthy
range calls for. However, due to the
abundance of limestone, the 8.5 pH level is
most likely caused naturally. These levels
are relatively harmless.
Bacteria contamination was exceedingly high
so as to be unacceptable or poor for every
reading. Treatment is highly recommended
and contact with the skin is a concern,
especially when wounds or lacerations are
present.
How healthy is the Hueston
Woods Water for kids?

Both nitrogen and bacteria levels
were high enough to warrant
more research and attention for
the samples that we tested,
especially these sites because
they are designated areas for
children.
3rd/4th Graders at McGuffey
Foundation School




Discussion group with twenty 3rd
and 4th graders
Private school / mostly priveleged
children
Half the class lived in areas with
water nearby
All of the class had been to
Pfeffer Park and Hueston Woods
3rd/4th Graders at McGuffey
Foundation School

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
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Spring / Summertime play
Catch tadpoles, fish, mudpuppies,
minnows, crawdads
Skip rocks
Lay in the hammock
Canoe, kayak at camp
Bike, walk dogs
3rd/4th Graders at McGuffey
Foundation School


Like to get muddy / wet
Clear division between outside
and inside play (hosing off shoes
before entering house)
What if there were no
creeks?



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Boredom
Wouldn’t matter (bikes, sidewalks,
dogs, friends, basketball,
videogames)
March to congress / protest
“You would be like the dog that
was chained up”
What would it be like to live
in the city with no creeks?

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Travel to NY, Barcelona (beaches)
Suburbia (houses same, tiny
backyards, boredom)
Couldn’t hear rushing water
Couldn’t get muddy or dirty
CONCLUSION/SYNTHESIS



Creeks ARE relevant and important to
the lives of today’s children
Education and the facilitation of nature
activities (both which depend greatly
on economic/social/geographic status)
are the most effective ways to bring
children to creeks
Children can only benefit from the
creek if it is a healthy physical
environment in itself