Corps talks harbor deepening at Gould Elementary
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District gave a presentation about the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) to 145 students at Gould Elementary School, Aug. 27. The group included the entire fifth grade class as well as students in the school's gifted program. The presentation was part of a special six-week unit of study focusing on the harbor deepening. Billy Birdwell (pictured), senior public affairs specialist, led the presentation and discussed the key engineering, environmental, and economic aspects of the Corps' 13-year study to deepen the harbor. Tracy Robillard, public affairs specialist, and George Jumara, visual information specialist, assisted with the presentation. The students responded with questions about potential impacts to the Floridan aquifer—a major source of drinking water for the area—and questions about impacts to fish and aquatic ecosystems. According to Jamie McGrath, gifted specialist at Gould Elementary, he chose to highlight the harbor deepening as part of the curriculum because it's a project in their own backyards. The students' objective is to form their own opinions about the project and write letters to government officials expressing their viewpoints. Learn more about the SHEP at www.sas.usace.army.mil. USACE photo by George Jumara.
Corps talks harbor deepening at Gould Elementary
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District gave a presentation about the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) to 145 students at Gould Elementary School, Aug. 27. The group included the entire fifth grade class as well as students in the school's gifted program. The presentation was part of a special six-week unit of study focusing on the harbor deepening. Billy Birdwell (pictured), senior public affairs specialist, led the presentation and discussed the key engineering, environmental, and economic aspects of the Corps' 13-year study to deepen the harbor. Tracy Robillard, public affairs specialist, and George Jumara, visual information specialist, assisted with the presentation. The students responded with questions about potential impacts to the Floridan aquifer—a major source of drinking water for the area—and questions about impacts to fish and aquatic ecosystems. According to Jamie McGrath, gifted specialist at Gould Elementary, he chose to highlight the harbor deepening as part of the curriculum because it's a project in their own backyards. The students' objective is to form their own opinions about the project and write letters to government officials expressing their viewpoints. Learn more about the SHEP at www.sas.usace.army.mil. USACE photo by George Jumara.