Advice From Owlie - Duckweed

ADVICE FROM OWLIE

Q: Dear Owlie,

My family and I just visited the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park. We had such a great time getting to see all the different animals and are planning to revisit soon! While we were there, we noticed something green floating on the water in some of the ponds. It looked like moss or algae, but we weren’t sure of what it was. Any chance you could help us out? Thanks Owlie!

Sincerely,

Keen on Green

A: Dear Keen on Green,

I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed your visit! I can definitely answer your question. What you saw in the water is called duckweed. Duckweed is a type of aquatic plant that floats on or just beneath the surface of still or slow-moving bodies of water. They are the smallest known type of flowering plant, no more than ¼ of an inch long and reproduce by budding. Some duckweed can also produce a specialized bud called a turion, causing the plant to sink to the bottom when it’s cold and grow once again when it’s warm. This explains why you only saw duckweed in some of the ponds and not all of them!

Duckweed is also really important to our wetlands. Waterfowl, such as the ducks and birds at our park, love to eat it! Duckweed also helps to purify the water by absorbing any excess nitrogen and phosphate and even prevents algae growth – so our animals are swimming in some pretty clean water!

Hopefully you can share this information with your family and come back to check out the duckweed again!

Talk to you soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice From Owlie - Photo Contest Announcement

ADVICE FROM OWLIE

Attention all park-goers: The Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park is hosting its very first Instagram photo contest and the winner will receive a gift bag filled with awesome prizes!

Photo submissions will be accepted starting Saturday, December 7^th until Tuesday, January 7^th. Only one photo is allowed per person, per account AND you must be 18 or older to enter.

Entering is easy, all you need to do is:

1. Take a picture in the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park. (It can be of yourself, your family, an animal, or even a plant!)
2. Post your photo to Instagram with the hashtag #ccwphotocontest and tag us (@chinocreekwetlands) in your photo
3. Follow @chinocreekwetlands on Instagram (We’ll be posting important updates and announcements regarding the contest!)

Once the submission period has ended, all the photos will be featured on our Instagram story where the public will vote within a 24-hour period for their favorite photo – so make sure to tell your friends and family to vote! The winner will be announced and contacted via Instagram on Tuesday, January 14^th.

I can’t wait to see all your photos! My advice: head over to the park and enter before it’s too late!

Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice From Owlie - Recycled Water Cycle

ADVICE FROM OWLIE

Q: Dear Owlie, 

I heard that America Recycles Day was November 15! I always make sure to recycle cans and reuse bottles whenever I can, but is it true that water can also be recycled? If so, how does that work? Thanks so much Owlie!

Sincerely,

Water Wise

A: Dear Water Wise,

It’s great to hear from an avid recycler like yourself! It is indeed true – water can be recycled! In fact, recycling water is just as important to the environment as recycling bottles and cans! Here’s how it works:

First, water falls from the sky during a process called precipitation, which is just a fancy way of saying rain. From there, water reaches the ground where it can be pumped via an aquifer. Once it’s pumped, the water flows through the pipes and into our homes where we can access it to brush our teeth, shower, wash dishes, and more! All the water that goes down our drain is then sent to a treatment plant where it’s cleaned and restored. However, this water is not safe to drink. Instead, it’s redistributed into purple pipes to water landscapes such as fields and parks!

Although it is a long process, communities all around the world (Including yours!) rely on recycled water for many different purposes.

Thanks for the great question!

Talk to you all soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice From Owlie- Seed Dispersal

ADVICE FROM OWLIE

Q: Dear Owlie,

My class and I recently went on the Water Discovery Field Trip. We saw a bunch of cool plants and talked about the different ways seeds can be dispersed to grow new plants. Would you mind reexplaining seed dispersal and the different seed dispersal methods to me? I really want to share this awesome information with my family! Thank you Owlie!

Sincerely,

Need for Seed

A: Dear Need for Seed,

I’d love to reexplain! Seed dispersal is the movement of seeds away from their parent plant to a new location. Seed dispersal can happen through one of three ways. The first way is by wind. For example, plants such as dandelions are extremely light and have feathery bristles, making it easy for the seeds to disperse after a gust of wind.

The second way seeds can be dispersed is by water. Imagine a coconut falling off a palm tree and into the ocean. The tide can carry the seed away to a new stretch of land where it can begin growing into another palm tree. Pretty cool, right?

The last and most fun way is by animals! Willow trees, for example, naturally produce cotton-looking seeds that fall to the ground. An animal can walk by and get the seeds stuck in its fur. As the animal travels, the seeds fall off its fur and back onto the ground where another Willow tree can grow in a different location.

Who could’ve guessed seeds could be dispersed in so many awesome ways? Hopefully this helped and you can share with your family!

Talk to you soo(HOO)n!

Owlie

Advice From Owlie—Water Recycling

ADVICE FROM OWLIE

Q: Dear Owlie, my teacher mentioned today that water can be recycled too, but I am a little confused about how that works. I know paper and plastic can be recycled and turned into something else, but how does that apply to our water? I want to become a water recycling expert, so I can do everything in my power to not only conserve water, but help to recycle water too. Thanks Owlie!

Junior Water Connoisseur

A: Dear Junior Water Connoisseur

I am happy to hear from an inquisitive young scholar such as yourself, and it is great that you are trying to take an active role in the community! Water recycling is an important process that contributes to the maintenance of our water supply. Although wastewater is treated to be reused, it does not meet the standards of clean drinking water. Wastewater travels through a five-step process to effectively meet the standards of recycled water.

Preliminary Treatment The process begins with wastewater, or used water collected from showers, sinks, car washes, washing machines, toilets, etc. The water travels through pipes to water recycling plants where rakes are used to screen trash and large debris out of the water.

Primary Treatment Once all large objects have been removed, the wastewater travels to phase two where it is introduced to a substance called ferric chloride. This chemical helps solids settle down to the bottom of the tank for removal. Meanwhile, a large arm-like rake skims the top of the water to remove fats, oils and greases (FOG).

Secondary Treatment The next stage of treatment is a biological process that involves the use of microorganisms to eat away 90% of organic material in the wastewater.

Tertiary Treatment The water is passed through a filtration system that removes up to 99% of remaining solids in the water.

Disinfection After filtration, disinfection occurs when sodium hypochlorite, a super charged bleach, is mixed into the water for a minimum of 90 minutes to remove pathogens (bacteria, viruses, protozoa) in the water. 

Purple pipes act as an indication of recycled water being used, which means it is not drinkable. Recycled water is utilized for landscaping, golf courses, industrial cooling, and groundwater recharge. There is so much more out there for you to learn about recycled water! I have provided you with a good foundation, but now I want you to venture off and seek your own answers. Water Discovery Field Trip Registrations are now open for the 2019-2020 school year! My friends at Inland Empire Utilities Agency hold fun, educational and hands-on activities for ongoing field trips throughout the school year. Students fifth grade and up have an opportunity to visit a water recycling plant in person to see and learn about the process in person. Don’t forget to share your knowledge on recycled water with the rest of your friends in class! 

See you real soo(HOO)n!

Owlie