Participate
There are currently over 250 groups involved in Streamwatch. They include community groups, schools and others like TAFE groups, education centres and local businesses.
Participating in Streamwatch provides access to:
- water quality monitoring equipment for use in the field
- a supportive network of individuals and groups interested in water quality, catchment health and environmental action
- an online water quality database for entering and viewing results
- curriculum and other teaching and learning resources
- technical advice and support from Sydney Water and the Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA).
Schools
Streamwatch provides a fun hands-on learning experience. Students discover the importance of water quality and catchment health through classroom-based lessons and fieldwork activities. Students learn to interpret their test results and understand how activities impact on water quality in their local area.
Streamwatch can be integrated across many key learning areas in the school curriculum, helping schools achieve syllabus outcomes and meet requirements of the NSW Environmental Education Policy for Schools. Streamwatch can also be run as an extra-curricula program. The resources Streams Alive, Streamwatch curriculum support booklet and the Water Quality: HSC Chemistry and Water Quality: HSC Biology online resources are invaluable to schools whether or not they join Streamwatch.
Participating schools use Streamwatch kits that contain equipment to conduct a range of water quality tests including temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity, available phosphate, dissolved oxygen and faecal coliforms. Macroinvertebrate (water bug) surveys can also be done through Streamwatch.
If your school is located near a waterway that you would like to monitor, please read the Streamwatch school starter pack, send in the request to join form and we’ll be in contact soon.
Community
There are a variety of community groups involved in Streamwatch including Bushcare and Landcare groups, landholder groups, scouts and guides, environment groups and progress associations.
Participating community groups receive Streamwatch kits that enable them to test a variety of water quality parameters including temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity, available phosphate, dissolved oxygen and faecal coliforms. Macroinvertebrate (water bug) surveys can also be done.
Community groups get involved in Streamwatch for many reasons including:
- investigating and understanding their local catchment
- identifying local water quality issues, their source and possible solutions
- assessing water quality impacts of their environmental improvement programs
- taking local action to improve water quality and catchment health
- networking with others who have similar interests.
You can participate in Streamwatch by joining an existing group or starting your own.
If you have a group interested in joining Streamwatch please read the Streamwatch community starter pack, send in the request to join form and we’ll be in contact soon. If you are not part of a group and still wish to join, please contact us and we may be able to put you in touch with a Streamwatch group in your area.
Other
Besides community groups and schools there are others involved in Streamwatch. These groups include TAFE campuses, education centres and local businesses.
These groups are supported in the same way as community groups. If you are involved in one of these type of groups and would like to join Streamwatch please read the Streamwatch community starter pack and send in the request to join form.