Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists and Environmental Stewards
Journey of Water
The Journey of Water: CSI's Youth Education Series
This series of programming provides children and families with hands-on water science education, covering topics such as:
- the water cycle
- wetland ecology
- wastewater treatment
- biomonitoring and benthic macroinvertebrates
- water quality monitoring, and more!
The events in this series provide a unique opportunity to connect to the journey of water right here in the Cayuga Lake Watershed. You will experience where water flows into the lake via streams like Six Mile Creek at the south end, and out of the lake through the Seneca River and the Montezuma Wetlands at the north end.
Join us, free of charge, to learn about how water cycles through our local ecosystems and communities!
To document your journey, we will provide each child participant with a Journey of Water passport! At each stop along the way (all twelve of the Journey of Water programs in the series), each child can “collect” a stamp for their passport.
How do you participate? Children must attend at least six out of twelve Journey of Water programs, your choice of which to attend! Make sure to get your passport stamped too! Turn it in at the end of the season, or after your 6th JoW program, and at the conclusion of the program series in October, we’ll celebrate all who completed their passport by awarding the kids with their own JoW tshirt!
Wild Wetlands, Fantastic Filters
Water Quality Monitoring Cruises on Cayuga Lake
From Creek to Faucet/From Lake to Faucet
Stream Biomonitoring Fun!
NEW in 2025! Tompkins County Farm Tour
Down the Drain and Into the Lake
The Journey of Water youth education series would not be possible without the generous support of the Park Foundation and the M&T Charitable Foundation. Thanks to their support, CSI is able to offer these unique, experiential learning activities free of charge, connecting youth with their local water resources and how these resources are managed. Through this series, dozens of children and accompanying adults gain hands-on, locally focused water science learning opportunities at no cost.
Collectively, CSI’s Journey of Water program series provides a strong, place-based understanding of water management for local youth by leveraging CSI’s in-house water science expertise and partnerships with state agencies and local organizations.
