River WaterWorks Newsletter, July 2005
http://www.riverwaterworks.org/News/current_newsletter.html
The contents of the July 2005 newsletter are as follows:
1. WaterWorks: A RIVER JOURNEY TO THE SEA
2. THE CAMBRIDGE INN: Official Launch Weekend Accommodations
3. WORLD WATER MONITORING DAY
4. THE DISCOVERY OF YET ANOTHER RIVER!
5. CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION PROGRAMS REPORT
6. INVENTION RESOURCE DATABASE: JULY VESSEL UPDATE
7. REQUEST FOR EQUIPMENT BORROW OR DONATION
1. WaterWorks: A RIVER JOURNEY TO THE SEA
If you are a new subscriber to this newsletter, welcome! The newsletter is published about once a month by the River WaterWorks organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created for the purpose of river and watershed education. The organization's current project is entitled "WaterWorks: A River Journey to the Sea" and is departing from Lake Chautauqua in New York state on Sunday 04.September, 2005. An 18-foot bicycle-powered pontoon boat and its crew will be following the journey that a drop of water takes down the Allegheny, Ohio, and Lower Mississippi River all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. The vessel will be stopping in schools and museums in towns along the rivers to teach people about the importance of water. More details about the project can be found on the website, http://www.riverwaterworks.org .
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2. THE CAMBRIDGE INN: Official Launch Weekend Accommodations
The Cambridge Inn, located on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution (http://www.ciweb.org), has been selected as the official accommodations venue for the WaterWorks launch weekend! If you are interested in coming to Lake Chautauqua over Labor Day weekend to check out the vessel and take part in the launch festivities, consider spending the night at The Cambridge Inn. You can contact the owners, Susan and Dick Luehrs, by phone at 716.357.3292 or on their website at http://www.thecambridgeinn.com . The official launching of the WaterWorks river journey happens at the Chautauqua Institution during Labor Day Weekend on Sunday afternoon, 04.September, 2005.
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3. WORLD WATER MONITORING DAY
River WaterWorks is pleased to announce it is partnering with the ORSANCO River Education Center and the Ohio State EPA for a World Water Monitoring Day Event on 20.October, 2005. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is based out of Cincinnati, OH and runs a water education program on the Ohio River aboard a historic sternwheeler called the "P.A. Denny". The WaterWorks crew will join the "P.A. Denny" to supplement a full itinerary of water education for two fourth grade classrooms scheduled to be onboard for the day. More information about the ORSANCO River Education Center and World Water Monitoring Day can be found at the following websites:
* http://oef.orsanco.org/
* http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org/
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4. THE DISCOVERY OF YET ANOTHER RIVER!
The WaterWorks River Research Department has made a tremendous discovery in identifying yet another river on which the WaterWorks river journey will travel! It was previously thought that the journey would be running a total of five named rivers including the Chadakoin, Conwengo, Allegheny, Ohio, and Lower Mississippi. After digging deeper, and with the help of a book entitled "Natural History Atlas to the Chautauqua-Allegheny Region" we have discovered that the Chadakoin River flows first into Cassadaga Creek for a few miles before joining the Conwengo. We would like to officially welcome Cassadaga Creek to the array of the *six* rivers making up our journey, and can only hope it won't hold anything against us for the neglect it has been shown until now.
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5. CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION PROGRAMS REPORT
The WaterWorks educational program was given a trial run during the week of 18.July as part of the Boys & Girls Club at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY (http://www.ciweb.org/boys_girls.html ). Kids from grades 1-8 got an introduction to the journey and learned about the concept of watersheds. Some elements and activities from the WaterWorks curriculum were tested out, and the program seemed to go over generally quite well!
The Bird, Tree, and Garden Club at the Chautauqua Institution (http://www.ciweb.org/btg.html ) also sponsored a talk that provided a venue to introduce the WaterWorks river journey to the general community of Chautauqua, NY. Those who attended were excited about the prospects of the journey, and look forward to us returning to launch the program on Chautauqua Lake over Labor Day Weekend on Sunday 04.September, 2005.
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6. INVENTION RESOURCE DATABASE: JULY VESSEL UPDATE
The WaterWorks vessel is an 18' pontoon boat that is being modified to have an accommodations space and a bicycle powered propulsion system. The progress of these vessel modifications is being posted on the Invention Resource Database (InventionDB). InventionDB is a new web resource currently in its beta-version designed to provide a medium for people to archive, share, and search for creative projects and resources.
A prototype single-bicycle powered paddlewheel was designed, built and tested on the deck of the pontoon boat during the month of July. The lessons learned from this prototype were incorporated into a more refined design that uses two bicycles to drive two paddlewheels. The vessel is currently under the process of heavy construction to meet the launch deadline for Labor Day Weekend on 04.Septebmer, 2005. Some photos and more information about the progress of the vessel can be found at http://www.inventiondb.com/browse.php?cubeid=435 .
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7. REQUEST FOR EQUIPMENT BORROW OR DONATION
As the launch date for the WaterWorks river journey draws nearer, equipment and resources are being collected for use aboard the vessel. This is a great opportunity for you have a look in your basement, garage, or closet to see if there's anything in there that you'd be willing to donate to the WaterWorks cause. Or, if you'd like, you could just let us borrow some of the stuff, and we'll promise to give it back to you in about six months (as long as it doesn't fall into the river).
We're open to any ideas of things that you may have that you might think we'll be able to use, but we've also attached a specific list of things we're seeking below. Please contact Morgan Simmons by phone at 814.442.8629 or via email, morgan@riverwaterworks.org . Thanks!
Boat Stuff:
* 100 feet Nylon 1/2" Line
* ~20+ pound Danforth-type Anchor + ground tackle
* Small Ratcheting Winch
Domestic Needs:
* Portable Solar camping shower
* Small Alcohol Stove
Electrical Things:
* GPS with a serial cable output
* Barometer - (would not have to be electrical)
* Digital Video Camera
* Digital Still Camera w/ optical zoom
* 12 Volt Solar Cell Array w/ Voltage Regulator
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Copyright 2005, River WaterWorks
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