Local summer camp creates Clean Water Ambassadors

Will the Infamous Blue-green Algal Blooms return? Most of us know about the harmful algae blooms that happen in the Caloosahatchee, and how terrible it has been in the past for the fish and other wildlife that reside there, as well as many of our popular recreational activities. But many feel helpless and do not know what to do to help. Monitoring, testing, and compiling date on our local waterways is a very important step toward clean water, and the inland areas are at the pinnacle.

Recently, Scott Perry, of LaBelle Fossil Camp, announced that he has added water testing as part of this year’s camp curriculum. Campers will conduct a water sampling program, in partnership with the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program and EarthEcho Water Challenge, to monitor the ongoing changes in the water. Camp attendees will learn how to test, record, and report the temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity of water samples taken from the Caloosahatchee, all while fossil hunting. In essence the campers will become young scientists and ambassadors for clean water.