Environmental Education Projects

Project Title: A Hole in the Ground

Stimulus for Project: ENVE 560: Investigating and Evaluating Environmental Issues

Grade Level: College-Graduate Studies

Issue-Keywords: sinkholes, karst, erosion

Who is impacted?: students, community

Contact Person: Dr. Terry Wilson

Location: Western Kentucky University campus

Project Description:

This project was done during the Spring of 2009 in one of Dr. Terry Wilson's graduate courses in the field of environmental education.  This particular course is in entitled "Investigating and Evaluating Environmental Issues" and is modeled after the six-step Earth Force service learning program.  These graduate students decided to take on a project that came to be known as "A Hole in the Ground".  Right outside the building where their class met was an enlarging sinkhole. Students decided to break into groups and tackle smaller projects that targeted safety, education and water management. These projects included fencing around the sinkhole area, an educational sign for visitors, a website explaining the project, resources for teachers about karst and water quality, and the installation of a grassway and rain garden.  For more information, please visit the following website: A Hole in the Ground

Project Outcomes/Evaluation Brief Description:
Visitors to the sinkhole can learn about the karst region in which we live from the sign provided. The fencing around the sinkhole will lessen the danger of being close to the sinkhole areas. The website designed by the graduate students is functional. The grassway and rain garden have greatly reduced the volume of water flowing into the sinkhole area during a rain event.