© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 1 Page 11

Abstract 

High school student volunteers at the Virginia Living Museum, inspired by the 

large amounts of litter they observed in their local waterways, wanted to complete 

a project focused on eliminating pollution and creating habitat for native wildlife. 

Through funding from NOAA Planet Stewards, the students learned about 

freshwater ecosystems, wetland habitats, and aquatic pollution while designing, 

building, and maintaining a floating wetland. During this project, the group worked 

together to build research skills, collect chemical and physical water quality 

data, remove pollution from the waterway, and develop an educational activity 

to encourage others to learn about the importance of protecting the Earth’s finite 

freshwater resources. At the conclusion of the project, students presented the 

work from the project along with their educational activity to the public at multiple 

events focused on the environment and conservation. 

Background

The Virginia Living Museum has a group of passionate homeschool and public school 

students who are constantly seeking to learn and be catalysts for change in their community. 

This group of teens observed litter flowing near the lake situated immediately adjacent to 

Museum grounds. After inquiring about where the litter was coming from, the teens learned 

it was coming in through the stormwater drains that feed into Deer Park Lake from a major 

road intersection and business district in Newport News, Virginia. This discovery prompted 

additional questions about where the water from Deer Park Lake drained and the lifecycle 

of the debris. Their investigation on local maps showed the water from Deer Park Lake was 

draining through a spillway into another local lake and then through another spillway out 

into the James River. Because Newport News is near the mouth of the James River, it was 

clear the litter they saw floating by would soon enter the Chesapeake Bay and eventually 

the Atlantic Ocean. This revelation led to the group’s mission to prevent as much waste as 

possible from exiting Deer Park Lake and further polluting local waterways. 

Floating Wetlands for the Future 

Deanna Orr, Virginia Living Museum, Newport News, Virginia

Wetland plants taken by D. O’Keefe,

Michigan Sea Grant

Photo Credit: NOAA/OAR/Great Lakes Environmental 

Research Laboratory
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 12 The Earth Scientist

Project Development

The key goal of applying to the NOAA Planet Stewards program and starting this project 

was to increase scientific literacy with high school students in the Virginia Living Museum’s 

volunteer program through a student-led project focused on environmental stewardship. 

Student involvement in each stage of the process from background research to project 

implementation was critical to each student’s learning process and the final product of the 

project. Staff and guest professionals provided guidance and assisted in problem solving, but 

the overall project was led by the students.

The students began their project by researching freshwater ecosystems and the origins of 

marine debris. Because this group of students was only meeting once a week to work on the 

project due to different schooling schedules, this research process was primarily studentdriven with guidance on reliable sources, modifying their queries to produce more relevant 

answers, and organizing their findings to share with the group. Each student researched 

a different topic and then shared their findings at the next meeting. While researching 

freshwater ecosystems, students investigated the role of wetlands in removing pollutants 

from aquatic environments. After reading (Chesapeake Bay Program, 2023) and (Coveney, 

et al., 2002), the students became concerned about the water quality of Deer Park Lake as 

it is small with approximately 20 sq ft of wetland habitat. The group became interested in 

removing litter from the waterway, and also in conducting a habitat restoration project 

to expand wetlands around the lake. Completing both 

projects was not going to be possible given the number 

of students and the amount of time they had together 

outside school hours. Further research including (Sample, 

2017) and (Bi, et al., 2019) helped put a combination 

project into perspective: utilizing a floating wetland to 

increase habitat area, improve water quality, and act as a 

physical barrier near the spillway to prevent litter from 

flowing downstream. 

Implementation

Once the idea was solidified, the teens worked to create 

their own list of additional topics they would need 

to research to complete the project: how to create a 

floating wetland, native wetland plants and the wildlife 

attracted to them, and water quality parameters. They 

did independent work and also worked together during 

group meetings to finalize the details for their project. 

With this newly established background knowledge, they 

wanted to meet with experts who could provide further 

details. They prepared questions and had meetings with 

horticulturists and an environmental consultant, along 

with an ornithology student and an environmental science 

student from two local colleges. 

This additional research and discussion with professionals 

began to put the realities of the project into focus: they 

likely wouldn’t have the time during their once weekly 

meetings to construct a floating wetland of the desired size 

Image 1. Students and mentors after one of the first litter cleanups on Deer 

Park Lake. Photo credit: Deanna Orr

Image 2. Students discuss types of native wetland plants suitable for the 

floating wetland with mentors. Photo credit: Deanna Orr
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 1 Page 13

while also collecting litter, conducting water quality testing, and creating an educational 

activity to share about the project. The decision to purchase a prefabricated floating island 

was not made lightly as it utilized over 1/3 of the project’s total budget, but it was the correct 

call given the entire scope of the project. Two 3ft x 5ft floating islands were purchased from 

Floating Islands West (https://floatingislandswest.com/). While waiting for them to arrive, 

the students pressed forward with the other aspects of their project. 

The students began conducting a variety of water quality tests each week including air 

temperature, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, phosphate, salinity, turbidity, 

nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia levels. They also began weekly litter cleanups from canoes on 

Deer Park Lake. The litter they collected was left to dry after being collected from the lake, 

weighed, and then diverted into proper waste channels. The water quality testing and litter 

cleanups were done consistently for over 6 months. 

Once the prefabricated floating islands arrived, 

the students and some of the professionals 

who had provided guidance for the project 

worked together to plant the selected native 

wetland plants. The floating wetland was then 

secured next to the dock instead of immediately 

installing it in its permanent location. This 

allowed easier access to water the plants 

multiple times throughout the week while the 

plants established themselves and grew roots 

long enough to reach the lake water under the 

floating wetland.

After one month of watering, monitoring, 

and growth, the wetland was moved to its 

permanent location and secured 15 feet in front 

Image 4. Students and mentors with the floating wetland after planting was complete. Photo credit: Deanna Orr

Image 3. Students and mentors work to plant native plants 

into the prefabricated floating wetland. Photo credit: Alice Agnew

Image 5. The floating wetland was temporarily attached to the dock to allow easy access for 

watering and monitoring while the plants became established. Photo credit: Deanna Orr
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 14 The Earth Scientist

of the spillway. This placement did not impede the 

flow of water through the spillway, but did direct 

much of the litter flowing through Deer Park Lake 

towards the wetland where it gets caught on the 

leading edge of the structure.

In addition to installing the floating wetland, 

water quality data collection, and litter cleanups, 

the students also worked to create educational 

signage and a hands-on activity to demonstrate the 

importance of freshwater ecosystems.

The teens met with the Education Department at 

the Virginia Living Museum to learn about how 

to engage the public in environmental education 

and how to create a hands-on activity appropriate for a general 

audience. They also worked with the Exhibits Department 

to assist with designing and installing signage about the 

floating wetland. 

Conclusion

Students were involved in determining each and every step of 

the plan, a truly student-centered project. They used many of 

the science practices (NGSS, 2013) as they developed research 

questions, used analytical thinking skills, problem-solved each 

challenge, learned to collect and record data, and developed an 

educational activity to share with the public. 

Water Quality Data: After their initial idea to monitor water 

quality, the students realized their data would need to act as 

Image 6. Students paddle back to the dock after checking on the floating wetland 

after it was moved to its permanent location. Photo credit: Deanna Or

Image 7. Students work to create permanent educational 

signage about the floating wetland. Photo credit: Deanna Orr

Image 8. The permanent educational signage installed in front of the floating wetland. Photo credit:

Deanna Orr

Image 9. Students conduct water quality tests on the dock with the 

floating wetland in the background. Photo credit: Deanna Orr
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Volume XL, Issue 1 Page 15

baseline data because the floating wetland 

would not be installed for a large portion 

of the time they were collecting data. 

While collecting the water quality data 

did not result in any useful information 

in terms of the scope of this project, it did 

create a dataset to be used as reference in 

future projects and provided a learning 

opportunity for the teens. They learned 

to conduct water quality tests and utilize 

scientific tools.

Litter Collection: Collecting litter was by far 

the students’ favorite activity. They said 

they liked to see the immediate impact of 

their work. Their goal for the project was to 

collect 50 lbs of litter. Their efforts resulted 

in 121 lbs of litter being removed from Deer 

Park Lake. They also took notes about the 

types of litter they were collecting. They 

most often encountered drink bottles, food 

packaging, and cigarette butts.

Habitat Restoration: The students set a goal 

of creating 30 sq ft of wetland habitat on 

Deer Park Lake. They accomplished this 

goal which more than doubled the amount 

of wetland habitat in the lake. They selected 

12 native plant species for the floating 

wetland. Since being installed, a variety 

of birds, insects, and turtles have been 

observed utilizing the floating wetland. While it has not been directly observed, it is likely 

the variety of fish species in the lake are interacting with the root systems of the plants and 

utilizing the wetland. 

Educational Outreach: The students worked to develop an activity (https://tinyurl.com/

EARTHScientist) to demonstrate the various types of water and their respective volumes 

on Earth. By completing the measurements, the activity shows how freshwater sources like 

Deer Park Lake compare in volume to oceans, brackish water, and other sources. The second part 

of the activity encourages participants to “pollute” the freshwater sources with common 

household items and then filter the “polluted” water through a “wetland” created by different 

types of filters to demonstrate the role of wetlands in keeping freshwater sources clean. 

The students set a goal to reach 150 people with their educational activity. They presented 

their hands-on activity at multiple events held at the Virginia Living Museum including 

Earth Day, World Ocean Day, and Clean the Bay Day. They exceeded their goal with 233 

people completing the activity. Their activity was turned into a permanent educational 

option for interpretive volunteers and has continued to be shared with guests since the 

completion of the project. The students’ signage is in a public exhibit area and has been 

Figure 1. Ties to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, 2013)

Performance Expectation

5-ESS2-2.   Describe and graph the amounts of salt water and fresh water in various 

reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth

Science and Engineering Practice

• Describe and graph quantities such as area and volume to address scientific questions

Disciplinary Core Idea

• Nearly all of Earth’s available water is in the ocean. Most fresh water is in glaciers or

underground; only a tiny fraction is in streams, lakes, wetlands, and the atmosphere

Cross-Cutting Concept

• Standard units are used to measure and describe physical quantities such as weight 

and volume

Classroom Connections: Students measure out varying quantities of water to represent 

the distribution of freshwater and saltwater on Earth

Performance Expectation

MS-ESS3-3.   Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a 

human impact on the environment

Science and Engineering Practice

• Apply scientific principles to design an object, tool, process or system

Disciplinary Core Idea

• Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or 

destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes

to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different 

living things

Cross-Cutting Concept

• Relationships can be classified as causal or correlational, and correlation does not 

necessarily imply causation

Classroom Connections: Students will design a filter system to remove pollution from 

freshwater to minimize human impact on the environment
© 2023 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 16 The Earth Scientist

viewed by tens of thousands of guests who have visited the Virginia 

Living Museum since the sign was installed. 

Project Continuation

Additional volunteers have continued collecting water quality data 

since the completion of the student project, but no changes have 

been seen as of February 2023. This is likely due to the size of the 

wetland in comparison to the volume of Deer Park Lake and the 

constant runoff from local roadways.

After completing the project, the students expressed a desire for the 

project to continue, so recruitment began for volunteers who were 

interested in removing litter from the stream feeding Deer Park 

Lake, the lake itself, and surrounding public grounds. There are now 

volunteers who complete 6 clean-ups per month. From September 

2021 through February 2023, these volunteers collected 1077 lbs of 

litter (1198 lbs total if combined with the students’ 121 lbs). What 

was originally a passion project from a small group of teens has 

expanded into sustained community stewardship action. 

References

Bi, R., Zhou, C., Jia, Y., Wang, S., Li, P., Reichwaldt, E. S., & Liu, W. 2019. Giving waterbodies the treatment 

they need: A critical review of the application of constructed floating wetlands. Journal of 

Environmental Management, 238, 484-498.

Chesapeake Bay Program. 2023. Stormwater runoff. Chesapeake Bay Program. Retrieved January 19, 

2023, from https://www.chesapeakebay.net/issues/threats-to-the-bay/stormwater-runoff

Coveney, M. F., Stites, D. L., Lowe, E. F., Battoe, L. E., & Conrow, R. 2002. Nutrient removal from eutrophic 

lake water by wetland filtration. Ecological Engineering, 19(2), 141-159.

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. https://www.

nextgenscience.org/search-standards

Sample, D. 2017. Floating wetlands for treatment of urban and agricultural runoff in ... Environmental 

Protection Agency. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/sites/

static/files/2017-05/documents/floating-wetlands-treatment-urban-agricultural-runoff.pdf

Image 10. Litter clean-ups have been continuous since the official 

completion of the project. Photo credit: Deanna Orr

About the Author

Deanna Orr, Conservation and Ambassador Animal Manager at the Virginia Living Museum, has 8 

years of experience in conservation, informal science education, and environmental field work. She

received her Applied Global Conservation, B.S. from George Mason University. Before joining t

Virginia Living Museum, Deanna built career skills with the help of mentors at organizations including 

the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, the Virginia Institute 

of Marine Science, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. She enjoys hiking, kayaking,

relaxing at the beach, and improving her bird identification skills. Deanna can be contacted at deann

orr@thevlm.or

Additional support: Alice Agnew (Virginia Living Museum), Bo Baker (Virginia Living Museum), 

Emily Hoffman (Virginia Living Museum), Darl Fletcher (Virginia Living Museum), Meghan Garrity 

(Virginia Living Museum), Emmylou Kidder (Christopher Newport University), Ben Thompson (Dramby 

Environmental Consulting), and Katie Lee (College of William and Mary)