Marcel's Sad Story

                             Imagine Bayou St. John as it meanders through the
                             countryside, past the fields, narrowing as it goes through the city,
                             connecting the lake to the river.  In the bayou lives a fish.
                             His name is Marcel.  (Point to the fish in the clear water in the jar.)
                             How does it feel to be Marcel?

                             Marcel swims down the bayou past an eroding
                             bank. When it rains what will happen to the
                             bank? What if it rains a great deal? (Put soil
                             into the water.) How does it feel to be Marcel?

                             Suppose part of the soil eroding into the
                             water came from some farmland. The farmer
                             has just put fertilizer on the field. Instead of
                             staying on the field and helping the crops, the
                             fertilizer rides "piggy-back" on the eroding
                             soil and goes into the bayou. What effect will
                             the fertilizer have on the plants in the bayou? If
                             the plants grow too abundantly and too fast
                             the bayou can't continually support them and
                             supply the necessary nutrients. They die, fall
                             to the bottom, and start to decompose.
                             Decomposing things use oxygen. What else
                             in the bayou needs oxygen? How does it feel
                             to be Marcel? 

                             Farm fields aren't the only source of fertilizer
                             in a bayou . Homes may also be a source.
                             Where the bayou is connected to the lake
                             several families have built their homes.
                             Perhaps their septic tanks drain into the
                             water or some of the fertilizers they've put on
                             their lawns has washed into the water.
                             How would this make Marcel feel?
                             As the bayou narrows near the city, our friend
                             Marcel continues to swim.
                             Even though the city people don't pollute the
                             water directly, what they do at their own
                             homes or subdivisions can affect the quality
                             of the bayou's water. Have you ever seen a
                             car leaking oil? Where does the rain wash
                             this oil? (Put pancake syrup, representing oil,
                             into the jar.) How does it feel to be Marcel?

                             Suppose the city has a park next to the bayou.
                             People litter in the park and some of it blows
                             into the water. (Put pieces of paper into the
                             jar.) How does it feel to be Marcel? 

                             As the bayou leaves the city there are several
                             refineries located along it. Although the
                             regulations are strict, they are still
                             dumping some chemicals into the water.(Put detergent
                             and hot water into the water.) How does it
                             feel to be Marcel?

                             The waste water treatment plant for the city
                             is also located along this section of the bayou.
                             Rules aren't quite as strict as they are for
                             factories and the treatment facilities
                             aren't as thorough as they could be. The
                             plant does its best but still has to put some
                             polluted water into the bayou. The bayou has a
                             large volume of water though and the plant
                             only puts a small amount of pollution into it.
                             It shouldn't cause too much of a problem.
                             Right? It would be like putting 2 drops of
                             this food coloring into this jar of water. (Stir
                             it.) How does it feel to be Marcel? 
                                   The End (of a sad fish story.)

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