For any project, gathering data is vital – how else can we understand the results of our efforts? For the Shubael Pond Innovative and Alternative Septic System Project, it is important for us to be able to measure how much wastewater and rainwater is flowing into the ground. It is also critical to understand and record the pond’s water temperatures and levels.

That’s where Laura Erban, one of the scientists we work with from EPA ORD, comes in. Laura installed a weather station this past August at Fair Acres Country Day School in Marstons Mills. The school is located on the pond’s shore, just opposite the Sand Shores neighborhood where the septic system pilot project is being conducted. This weather station was designed to collect and record data every fifteen minutes, and this data can then be viewed remotely.

In addition to being a great location for the weather station, Fair Acres also presented a great opportunity to teach the school’s students about water quality and how water flows. When Laura visited the weather station in October, she met up with eleven kindergarten students and their teacher Miss Linda to discuss the weather station and what it does. Not only did they have great questions for Laura, but these five-year-old children already knew about the water cycle — evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

As Laura noted, these children are the future stewards who will protect our watersheds. We are grateful to be able to work with partners like Laura and the Fair Acres Country Day School.