Using Ecosystem Services to Engage Students in Public Dialogue About Water Resources

Abstract

Stormwater management under a changing climate will need to address more frequent and more intense extreme rainfall events. One way to mitigate the costs associated with stormwater runoff is to take advantage of ecosystem services already provided by the natural environment or mimicked through low-impact development practices. We developed a 3-week InTeGrate module, An Ecosystem Services Approach to Water Resources, to enable students to evaluate the impact of urban development on ecosystem services and stormwater runoff. In the module, authentic data (aerial imagery, rainfall and runoff data, the EPA's National Stormwater Calculator) are used to connect classroom knowledge to real-world problems. Modeling exercises are employed to engage students in actual or hypothetical campus- and community-based land-use decisions. The module was piloted in three different types of universities, programs, and courses. Student attitudes in all three environments were measurably changed by their participation in the module: interest in sustainability, intention to declare a related major, the importance of using knowledge gained from the course in their future careers, and the importance that the organization for which they worked was committed to sustainable practices all increased. Notably, students indicating that they were motivated to "take action in their personal and professional lives to create a more environmentally sustainable society" increased from 48% to more than 90%, and almost a quarter of the students became more interested in pursuing a career in earth or environmental sciences by the end of the courses.