"STF" Playdays

Since 2003, nearly 2,000 elementary and middle school aged children have taken part in a unique learning experience known as Slow-the-Flow PlayDays. Offered for local recreation associations, area summer camps and other organized groups within the Cobbossee Watershed, PlayDays consist of a 1/2 day workshop where attendees participate in hands-on activities that focus on water quality issues and watershed education.

FUN Activities help get the message across of how fragile our watershed is by offering activities like:

• Common Water – children learn about local history as they engage in an activity that trace water usage over time, and the effects of that use on lake water quality.
• Web of Life - a simple spool of string makes it easy (and fun) for kids to see how different forms of life are all connected.
• Watershed Model and shrub planting –take part in an actual planting and see why "buffers" are important to help stop erosion.
• OTTER II– overview of water sampling and testing procedures aboard our 22' pontoon boat.
• T-Shirt station – participants make and keep their own T-Shirt with an environmentally-friendly message.

Sponsored by DR Struck Landscape Nursery, Smart Eyecare, Savings Bank of Maine, and Maine DEP, PlayDays are geared for children 12 years of age and younger and have been held for a number of groups including Camp KV for Kids, Gardiner Boys & Girls Club, State YMCA Camp of Maine, Pilgrim Lodge, Ladd Center, Camp Mechuwana, Manchester Recreation, Winthrop Recreation & Augusta Recreation.

An ideal opportunity for volunteers who love working with kids, PlayDays last 3-4 hours each and we can always use help. If you would like to learn more about hosting a PlayDay for your group, or if you are interested in volunteering, please contact Education Director Tamara Whitmore at 621-4100 or via email at tamara@watershedfriends.com.