In November 2004, the fourth grade students of School Lane Charter School in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, hosted a Watershed Celebration as part of their Earth Force project.

As part of the program, students developed a PowerPoint presentation, a display of interactive experiments, and an exhibit of art related to their exploration of watershed issues. The fourth graders also held a mini-concert, performing Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Tax," with the lyrics, "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."

By holding the Watershed Celebration, students aimed to heighten awareness in the community about the adverse effects impervious surfaces have on watersheds. The students were also seeking to educate those in attendance about alternatives to traditional paving.

Representatives from the offices of Senator Robert Tomlinson and State Representative Gene DiGirolamo, as well as School Lane Charter School students, teachers, parents and school board members, attended.

Kate Morris and Elise Behm, two Earth Force-trained teachers, had guided the students in their study of watershed issues. The previous summer, Ms. Morris and Ms. Behn had attended an Earth Force professional development training entitled "Watershed Facilitators Institute." When the school year began, these motivated teachers brought what they learned about storm-water issues back to their classrooms. They also returned to their students prepared to share the Earth Force Community Action and Problem Solving (CAPS) process.

Realizing the school was in the process of obtaining bids for resurfacing the playground, the students were interested in exploring the idea of using a permeable surface instead of asphalt. After weeks of engaging in watershed studies, the students themselves were ready to explain why it is important to minimize the adverse impacts of impervious surfaces on watersheds.

Impressed by their initiative, Senator Tomlinson offered to write a letter supporting these students and their Earth Force project to fund the installation of permeable pavement.

The Watershed Celebration successfully gave those students the opportunity to inform their community about the benefits of not paving paradise--or at least their school playground.