Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/21474

The Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) is administered by the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). It is a campus-wide initiative that harnesses the expertise of UMD faculty and the energy and ingenuity of UMD students to help Maryland communities become more environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. PALS is designed to provide innovative, low-cost assistance to local governments while creating real-world problem-solving experiences for University of Maryland graduate and undergraduate students.

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Author: search.filters.author.Andrelchik, AmySubject: search.filters.subject.Fall 2023

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    Understanding and Improving Anacostia Watershed Water Quality
    (Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2023-12) Andrelchik, Amy; Hunter, Alexis; Hurtado Olson, Aziz; Hyde, Rebecca; Majadly, Ahlam; Moats, Rachel; Morton,Caroline; Pasternak, Barrie; Phan, Que; Pulley, Anna; Reitenbach, Claire; Touray, Fatoumata Wesley Wiggins, Jasmine Wilkins; Goldstein, Rachel Rosenberg Ph.D., MPH,
    The Anacostia River Watershed is an often-overlooked watershed in the backyard of the nation’s capital. While water quality has improved throughout the rest of the United States, the Anacostia Watershed has continued to have poor water quality, including the presence of fecal indicator bacteria that suggest the presence of other disease-causing microorganisms (pathogens). Although it’s not used for drinking water, the presence of pathogens in the Anacostia River is a public health concern as this waterbody is used recreationally and for fishing by a wide group of users, including the largely BIPOC communities that live in the watershed’s communities. Students in MIEH 600 (Foundations of Environmental Health), an introductory graduate course in the University of Maryland School of Public Health, were given the opportunity to examine priority issues identified by the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS): the impact of pet waste and vessel waste on the Anacostia River. Students applied quantitative and communication skills in two assignments: an environmental health fact sheet and a water sample report. Four students chose to create fact sheets and accompanying PowerPoint presentations. All fourteen students participated in water sampling, analysis, and water sample report preparation.