Early last week, I had the immense pleasure to be a part of the Center for Watershed Protection’s Coastal and Island Conference. I can’t say that I enjoyed the being virtual (I miss people!). but I loved the sessions I got to be a part of and will admit to “geeking out” several times during the conference. I was grateful to have been a part of the technical planning committee for this one and look forward to the annual conference after being on the committee for that one as well. If it’s not already on your calendar put it on there! April 13-16 in St. Petersburg if it doesn’t go virtual as well.
Okay back to last week, here’s the sessions I geeked out over: hearing about green infrastructure on the coast of Georgia and the Great Lakes, a board game called “The Watershed Game” (more on that later in this post), flood mitigation in St. Augustine and Southeast Michigan, how educating landscapers and residents on proper fertilizers manages the nutrients downstream in Florida, the amazing work that Mac Stone is doing as a conservation photographer, and how using nature-based solutions and road stabilization is helping island ecosystems, and an island themed happy hour where I got to break out my new straw hat! And now for a deeper dive….
Y’all, it is a well-established fact that I am a complete stormwater nerd and will lose my cool over new products and ways of doing things in the stormwater world, but let me tell you when I learned there was a board game that could help educate people about stormwater and watershed management I lost it! I cannot believe that this existed without me knowing about! They have several versions and I may have put every version of it on my Christmas list. I legitimately want to play it at the next conference we’re allowed to be at in person!!! Check it out: https://watershedgame.umn.edu/
Hearing Mac Stone (website for reference - https://www.macstonephoto.com/) on Tuesday morning talk about his work in The Everglades was awe inspiring. The work that went into getting some of the pictures he’s taken: the mosquito bites and the mud splattered clothes, and the wading into a lot of alligators….yeah I’m out, but his work makes me want to hop in a car and go see it for myself. I live for national park trips and this one just went up several notches on the bucket list. He quoted Marjory Stoneman Douglas “The Everglades are a test. If we pass it, we may get to keep the planet” and that hit hard. How often do people outside the industry think about how what happens upstream impacts the downstream? How long are we going to expect the environment to adapt to all the curveballs we continually throw at it? We responsible for this planet, but do we act like it?
A major theme that I saw throughout the sessions was the emphasis on education. Listening to several of the presenters last week, it was amazing what can happen when we educate people. There were fewer nutrients in streams just be educating residents and residential landscapers to use the right fertilizer. Municipal workers gained a better understand of green infrastructure. A board game could teach people that the way we use land impacts our streams and lakes. A picture can educate people about the sensitivity of nature. It is our job to educate others. So here’s my parting question for today: Who are you going to educate today to ensure we pass the bigger test of keeping our waters clean?