***Don't miss the video at the end of this post by Franklin Middle School students who participated in the Community Stewardship program***
Listen to the commentaryReal Audio : MP3 download
Today’s Environmental Almanac comes to you courtesy of students from Zanne Newman’s class at Stratton Elementary School in Champaign. This Spring, some of Newman’s fourth graders have been working with University of Illinois students enrolled in a service learning program called Community Stewardship through Environmental Education, which is offered cooperatively by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program, the UI Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, and the Center for Teaching Excellence.
Through this program, the university students have taught the school children about some of the invasive species that are disrupting aquatic ecosystems in Illinois, and collaborated with them on stewardship projects designed to create public awareness about these creatures. [Photo: Stratton 4th graders recording their songs with WILL audio production manager Mike Pritchard, and with UI student Sam Gallardo, who provided guitar accompaniment, in the background.]
The students from Stratton decided to communicate their messages in songs, the lyrics of which are printed below. These songs were also recorded for radio with the help of WILL audio production manager Mike Pritchard, and you can listen to them by clicking on one of the audio links at the top of this post.
We’re Water Fleas
We’re water fleas, we’re like bees,
We have sharp spikes on our knees,
We can also spread with a lot of ease,
We’re water fleas.
There’s no way you can stop me
There’s no way you can stop me
I’ll bring down your fishing industry with an army,
I’ll beat out your natives, and your fish can’t eat me.
There’s no way you can stop me
There’s no way you can stop me
We’re water fleas!
Fishhook Flea Rap
Yo yo Mr. Fishhook Flea,
You're trouble to the billion dollar fishing industry,
I wanna get rid of you and set my lake free,
I’m not sure how but prevention is the key.
Once you're here you're hard to get out,
You clog up my nets and make my fish pout,
So listen up everybody have no fear,
If you want these pests gone clean up your gear.
Zebra Mussel Scallywags
Yo ho, yo ho we’ll take your ship,
Yo ho we’re zebra mussels ya know!
We’ll clog up your pipes, we’ll drive up the price,
We’ll take your water and you won’t know where it goes.
Yo ho, yo ho the lake will overflow,
You will never be able to catch us you know!
You can't stop us.
Yo ho, yo ho we came from Russia, now you better shova!
Zebra Mussel Pirate Song
Yo ho yo ho, if you wanna get rid of these zebra mussels, then heed this advice and listen up.
They come over here from the Caspian Sea,
'Til theyre dumped in our lakes and then they’re free.
They travel in groups, they clog up our pipes,
They kill native mussels, and cause a great fright.
Yo ho, yo ho preventing their spread is the key.
Rusty Crayfish Blues
Don’t want you here
We want you gone
Go away!
You won't be bait,
We'll clean our boats,
You’re not our pet,
If only you
If only you
Go away!
We Are Crayfish
We are crayfish,
We are crayfish,
We are crayfish.
We are the mighty crayfish and we came from Ohio,
Our lakes of crayfish we aren't takin' care of so,
And we are very dangerous you know.
We eat the eggs of native fish,
Your poor fish don't make it out of the dish,
Those fish make a tasty dish.
If you swim in our lakes we will make you dance,
If you swim in our lakes we will make you dance,
Because we will pinch your pants.
The Community Stewardship through Environmental Education course culminates with the “Nab the Aquatic Invaders! Community Stewardship Fair,” where all of the groups involved with the program will be present their projects. The fair, which is free and open to all, takes place on Thursday, April 23, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Champaign Public Library.
