The City of Memphis Storm Water Program has expanded what was formerly known as the Pre-Engineering Enrichment Program (PEEP) into the Green Camp! Through Green Camp, our accepted high school students from various high schools across Memphis will explore the impact of urban storm water runoff on our waterbodies though their own hands-on study for one day a week across a three week period (June 7 - June 23) and use the information gained from their study to support or disprove their thesis submitted with their application.
On week one, our three groups of students will compare historical maps to current maps and view the riverfront to see how it has been altered. They will then participate in a clean-up and sort, weigh/count the trash, and learn how long on average it takes to decompose (if it decomposes at all).
On week two, our three groups of students will learn about some of the things the City and State are doing to prevent pollution and protect our waterbodies. They will see trash booms in our waterbodies and man-made wetlands and their role in preventing pollution and determine if they think it is effective. They will also sample an urban waterbody for evidence of chemical pollution.
On week three, our three groups of students will travel to rural waterbodies and perform the same tests as week two on the rural waterbody and wetland in addition to biological sampling. They will compare the rural waterbodies to the urban waterbodies and support or disprove their hypothesis in a scientific paper. The City of Memphis Storm Water Program will proudly publish these papers in September on our website and honor participants who submit their paper at our Fall Public Meeting!