{"id":4492,"date":"2021-04-16T08:45:05","date_gmt":"2021-04-16T13:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iowawatercenter.org\/?post_type=news&p=4492"},"modified":"2021-04-15T23:02:51","modified_gmt":"2021-04-16T04:02:51","slug":"epa-region-7-launches-the-trash-free-waters-healthy-environments-challenge-for-students","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.iowawatercenter.org\/news\/epa-region-7-launches-the-trash-free-waters-healthy-environments-challenge-for-students\/","title":{"rendered":"EPA Region 7 Launches the Trash-Free Waters Healthy Environments Challenge for Students"},"content":{"rendered":"
04.13.21 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 announced the launch of the Trash-Free Waters Challenge. Under the umbrella of the EPA Healthy Environments Challenge program, the Trash-Free Waters Challenge is designed to develop student understanding of trash in the environment, and help them learn how they can help mitigate its impact on water quality, wildlife, and human health. Educators and other youth leaders can get started by visiting the EPA Healthy Environments Challenge webpage<\/a>\u00a0to find helpful instructions on how to complete the social media challenge, and then challenge others using the hashtag #HealthyEnvironmentsChallenge and webpage link.<\/p>\n Teachers, educators, parents, and organizations can use the Trash-Free Waters activities to:<\/p>\n EPA’s Trash-Free Waters program is focused on keeping waters trash-free by working with communities to reduce the amount of trash entering U.S. waterways and the world\u2019s oceans. Much of the trash and plastic items found in the oceans came from land a long way upstream. Trash can be carried by rain, wind, and floods into roadside ditches and storm drains that eventually lead to nearby creeks, streams, and rivers. This trash can be carried for hundreds of miles until it empties into the ocean. Plastic items in water are a significant concern because of their harmful effects on the environment, wildlife, and human health.<\/p>\n Learn more about the Trash-Free Waters Challenge:\u00a0www.epa.gov\/aboutepa\/region-7-trash-free-waters-challenge<\/a><\/p>\n Learn more about Trash-Free Waters:\u00a0www.epa.gov\/trash-free-waters<\/a><\/p>\n\n