John Coffelt, Editor

 The Duck River Watershed Spring Clean-up will be March 4; science classes at Coffee County Middle School are helping raise awareness of that project.  

Science teacher Deb Gray gave students the class goal of discovering how they could educate the community on the importance of having diversity in the watershed.

The first phase of that idea was to make exhibits of the watershed’s biodiversity and place them in the community in places like Coffee County Manchester Public Library and the Administrative Plaza.

Now the students are getting others involved by creating campaigns that will drum up interest in the event.

Gray’s students were allowed to pick the group they wanted to recruit to help.    

Last year’s Watershed Clean-up had about 50 volunteers that collected over 3,000 pounds of trash from the waterway.

“It was very successful, very organized,” Gray said.

Participants signup online and are directed to their unique zone to be picked up. Participants will meet at the Firelake Public Use and Boat Ramp at noon on March 4. The event will continue until 4 p.m.

“My students are excited because I think there is going to be free pizza and T-shirts,” Gray said.

Gray said that a community component was in the project from the beginning.

“We’re in the community and the community is in the classroom,” she said.  

The Duck River Utility Commission Lab Director Kimberly Childress spoke to the classes last week to explain details of the watershed and how her facility prepares that water for the people of Manchester, Tullahoma and Hillsville utility districts. It was a chance for students to see firsthand the work scientists are doing in their community.

Childress said that one key feature of the clean-up is awareness. She said that while on the highways, the public sees don’t litter signs, but on the waterways, boaters and kayakers don’t get those reminders.

“It’s an educational opportunity… to see the impact that be in the environment. A lot of people don’t think about things until they participate,” Childress said.

“(People can learn) about taking care of the watershed and disposing of things properly, using the county’s hazardous waste pickup days to take in unused paints, herbicides and using drug takeback evets to dispose of meds properly,” she said.

Gray said that in addition the event will provide volunteer opportunities for Tennessee Promise.

“It’s a good chance to sustain the area that’s so important to us. I feel like we’ve built that in our students,” she said.

Gray said she would love to hear from people from the community to network a resource for partners for the students. 

“Our water is clean and we’re trying to sustain that,” Gray said.    

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.