Highlights of Taylor Creek Watershed Internship Project:
- Students from Cleveland, Southlake, Rainier Beach and Renton High Schools currently participate in the internship program.
- Interns participate in a water quality monitoring program on Taylor Creek, including physical, chemical and biological testing.
- Interns develop and present lessons on the following topics: watersheds, water cycles, salmon lifecycle, non-point source pollution, and more.
- Interns work with fourth and fifth grade students in classes at Dearborne and Van Asselt Elementary School.
- Interns lead elementary school students during field trips to Taylor Creek, where many of the elementary school students have their first experience at a stream or in the woods.
- Interns and elementary school students participate in work parties with Friends of Deadhorse Canyon on the 3rd Saturday of the month.
- Interns and elementary school students created a Metro Bus Shelter mural depicting animal and plant life of Taylor Creek. The bus shelter is installed at the corner of Rainier Ave. South and Henderson Street, just a few blocks from Rainier Beach High School.
- In 2003, interns and their Mercer Slough mentors created the guidebook, Making Waves: Watershed Education in Your Community, A Handbook for Teens.
- The interns at Taylor Creek hosted, along with the Friends of Deadhorse Canyon, an Earth Day celebration at Lakeridge Park on April 15th 2006.
- During the summer of 2006, Interns engaged the general public at Pacific Science Center in informal, hands-on, interactive demonstrations about their local watershed with Discovery Carts. Two mobile carts were developed: Intro to Your Watershed and Impacts on our Watershed. These carts were visited by more than 380 visitors during the three Saturday summer sessions.