Case Studies

Mypo Monitors

Monitoring Site

Various sites, Mypolonga (Lower Murray Catchment)

Information about the group

Mypolonga Primary is a small school of 80 students situated between Murray Bridge and Mannum. The school has established strong environmental programmes and has been involved with Waterwatch since 1998. Students have developed a yearly diary to record their environmental activities throughout the year. The diary makes water testing very easy, identifies Landcare meetings and bore monitoring dates and goes home in students' report folders for parents to understand their environmental programs.

There is strong, positive support for the school in the local community, staff efforts are valued and appreciated, and they actively participate in community projects that make the school a vital part of the community's life.

Why they got involved in Waterwatch

Because Mypolonga depends on the Murray River to irrigate dairies and orchards, students were concerned that the health of the river would impact on their families' livelihoods. Studies of River Systems are an important part of the curriculum, and students found when studying the River Murray that they themselves could have a direct impact on educating others about ways to monitor and improve water quality.

Achievements or activities

Achievements

• The students have demonstrated a great deal of enterprise by running their own business - The 'Mypolonga Primary School Shop' which is visited weekly by the Proud Mary Paddle Steamer.
• The students are presently updating a video they produced about Mypolonga to include a section on their environmental activities.

Activities

• Bore Monitoring - students are monitoring 17 bores throughout the Mypolonga Irrigation Area in partnership with the Central Irrigation Trust.
• Regular water quality monitoring (six times per year) and macroinvertebrate sampling.
• Raising awareness about water quality testing via presentations to the University of the Third Age (30 mature age students) and the Society for the Provision of Education to Rural Australia (80 educational leaders from around Australia).
• Students and their teachers attend Landcare meetings and working bees. They are currently propagating plants, revegetating the riverine site and recording the flora and fauna within the area. Parents are now becoming involved in the Landcare Group through their children. Students have also planted 3000 trees around the local Town Tank.