Through one workshop and an outdoor sign about bioretention swales, Bay Preserve at Osprey site visitors and workshop participants will learn about and see how a bioretention swale conveys, treats, detains and infiltrates runoff. Workshop participants will receive education through hands-on presentations and one-on-one questions and answers about water mitigation, treatment and conservation. Workshop pre- and posttests will be distributed to measure knowledge increase as a result of education received at the workshop. Approximately 50 people are anticipated to participate in the workshop. Approximately 84,900 people are anticipated to be reached through newspaper advertisements, signage and a postcard. District funds will be used for printing the sign, postcards and tests; professional graphics services for design of the sign and postcards; and postage.
Through a community education event, Boyd Hill Nature Preserve visitors will gain knowledge of natural systems, as well as learn water conservation and water quality best management practices. A sign installed on Lake Maggiore Island will describe the lake’s characteristics and a Southwest Florida Water Management District 2004–2005 lake restoration project that improved water quality. Community education event pre- and posttests will be distributed to participants to determine knowledge increase as a result of education received from the event and sign. Approximately 100 people are anticipated to participate in the event and 15,300 people are anticipated to be reached indirectly through the sign, social media and event advertisements. District funds will be used for signage and sign installation materials.
Located in Charlotte County, this project will educate Rotonda West canal-front homeowners on the importance of reducing fertilizer runoff to water bodies. Project implementation will be through educational signage, an aquatics committee meeting, a project kickoff meeting and a volunteer community-based aquatic planting. The project’s effectiveness will be assessed by project pre- and post-surveys that will measure knowledge gain and behavior change as a result of education.
The Marion County Extension will educate Citrus and Marion county residents at an educational event where participants will rotate through four concurrent sessions that will cover the following topics: aquatic ecology and karst geology, native and invasive plants, water sampling techniques and parameters and human impacts to springs. The event will also include a guided canoe trip, a guided nature hike and a water sampling demonstration. Participants will be encouraged to sign a pledge to engage in stewardship practices and encouraged to complete an online follow-up survey. Project goals are to educate residents about the ecology of Rainbow Springs, increase residents’ awareness of aquatic recreational opportunities and teach residents new behaviors that will help reduce human impacts to Rainbow Springs. Event pre- and posttests will be distributed to determine knowledge gain and an online one-month follow-up survey will be distributed to determine self-reported behavior change as a result of education received at the event. Approximately 100 people are anticipated to participate in the event and 5,750 people are anticipated to be reached indirectly through flier distribution and a radio advertisement. District funds will be used for postage, canoe rental, printing for fliers and pledges, mileage, guide fees, water quality sampling analysis, office supplies and a radio advertisement.
The Highlands County Extension will install signage in a demonstration garden at the Extension office to educate homeowners, landscapers, homeowners associations and nurseries on Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) principles. Education will also be provided to residents through four workshops and newspaper articles and fact sheets about the demonstration garden. Signage will include the following topics: (1) FFL principles, (2) micro-irrigation, (3) rain sensors, (4) rain barrels, (5) butterfly gardens and (6) vegetable gardens. Workshop pre- and posttests will be distributed to evaluate knowledge gain, and online one-month follow-up surveys will be distributed to evaluate self-reported behavior change as a result of education received at the workshop. Approximately 1,230 people are anticipated to participate in the workshops and one-on-one master gardener interactions and 39,036 people are anticipated to be reached indirectly through signage, educational materials, website hits, emails and other promotions. District funds will be used for signage.
Through 20 guided pontoon boat trips up the Peace River, this project will educate residents of the Charlotte Harbor watershed region about water quality, aquatic habitats, stormwater best management practices, nonpoint-source pollution and the important relationship between our land and a healthy water body. Participants will be encouraged to complete a watershed pledge. Pre- and posttests will be distributed to determine knowledge increase and one-month follow-up surveys will be distributed to determine self-reported behavior change as a result of education received at the boat trips. Approximately 260 people are anticipated to participate in the boat trips. District funds will be used for pontoon boat trips.
City of North Port staff members will host a workshop, a Great American Cleanup and seminar, and an aquatic planting at the North Port Library pond, as well as install signage. Participants will learn about drinking water supply sources, watershed protection, human impacts to the stormwater system and how to improve water quality. Workshop and seminar participants will be encouraged to sign a watershed pledge. Six strategically placed educational signs will be installed to educate the public on the need to protect the city’s watershed from pollution. Workshop pre- and posttests will be distributed to determine knowledge increase as a result of education received at the workshop. Approximately 120 people are anticipated to participate in the workshop, cleanup and planting and 19,365 people anticipated to be reached indirectly through signage, direct mailers, a newspaper advertisement and the city’s website. District funds will be used for aquatic plants, signage, newspaper advertisement and printing and postage for a direct mail piece.
City of Bushnell will distribute 200 water conservation kits to municipal water customers, educating residents about how water use impacts the environment and how installing high-efficiency devices will save water and money. The kits will be promoted through a direct mail newsletter informing customers to pick up kits at the City of Bushnell City Hall. When customers receive their kits, City of Bushnell staff will review customers’ one-year water consumption history with them, educate them about water conservation, explain how to install the water conservation devices and require them to sign a pledge to install the devices and complete an online one-month follow-up survey. Pledges will be posted on the hallways of the city hall for one month. The conservation kits will include the following items: low-flow hose nozzle, hose timer, hose repair kits, rain gauge, faucet repair kit, faucet drip counter, low-flow showerhead and aerators. A one-month online follow-up survey will be distributed to participants to determine which conservation items were installed. In addition, the City of Bushnell will submit water consumption reports of customers who received the kit comparing water use one-month after installation to one-year prior to installation. Approximately 200 people are anticipated to participate in the one-on-one educational sessions when they receive their kit and 1,200 people are anticipated to be reached indirectly through the newsletter. District funds will be used for printing and postage of newsletters and conservation kits.
Through an open house event and social media, this project will increase residents’ awareness and appreciation of water resources; their understanding of issues impacting water supply, water quality, natural systems and flood protection; and encourage stewardship of water resources. To promote the event and to reinforce key water-related educational concepts, a small paid advertisement will be placed in the Tampa Tribune each week for six weeks prior to the event. Within each week’s advertisement, there will be a different water resource concept and a web address to a blog site with links to an online pre-survey, the District’s website and other relevant sites with additional water resource information, activities and games. The open house event will reinforce the water resource concepts detailed in the ads and blogs. Open house event pre- and post-surveys will be distributed online via SurveyMonkey to determine knowledge gain as a result of education received from the online blogs, websites and event. Approximately 300 people are anticipated to participate in the event and 400,000 people are anticipated to be reached indirectly through newspaper advertisements. District funds will be used for temporary directional signage, event banners, newspaper advertisements and printing for event program.
Using community interaction with an online education resource, this project will promote communication and capacity building to District residents to further understanding and sustainable use of karst groundwater. The website will include (1) downloadable infographics that visually demonstrate karst groundwater issues, best management practices and groundwater data, (2) a forum for community discussions and (3) an interactive events calendar to stimulate participation in water-related events. The website will be promoted through advertising on community listserves and through reduced-pricing Valpak coupon advertising in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, as well as on Valpak’s website. Online post-surveys will be distributed to determine areas of the website that can be improved from participant feedback and knowledge increase as a result of education received from the website. Approximately 50,000 people are anticipated to be indirectly reached through Valpak inserts. District funds will be used for Valpak coupon inserts for 10,000 households and website design.
Through four educational signs and a volunteer invasive plant removal, this project will educate more than 851,000 annual visitors to Walsingham Park in central Pinellas County on wetland native plants, the impacts of invasive exotic plants, natural systems and how individuals may protect wetland systems. The invasive plant removal will benefit water resources and natural areas by improving wildlife habitat and by removing invasive exotics and their seed source, thus preventing their dispersal downstream. Event pre- and posttests will be distributed to determine knowledge gain as a result of education received at the plant removal and the number of trash bags of invasive plants removed. Approximately 45 volunteers are anticipated to participate in the invasive plant removal and 226,160 people will be reached indirectly through signage, email listserves, newsletters and a newspaper ad. District funds will be used for trash bags, signage, kiosk construction supplies, event advertising and printing of event promotional fliers.
Tampa Bay Living Green will partner with the Council of Neighborhood Associations to announce the initiative to provide six neighborhoods each with hands-on workshops covering topics such as water conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) and rain barrel installation and use. During each workshop, participant households will each be given a rain barrel and instruction for use. Workshop participants will be encouraged to sign a pledge to be “Water Smart” and also to invite a neighbor to participate in a neighborhood FFL demonstration garden installation. Of the six neighborhoods, three will be selected to host a neighborhood FFL demonstration garden installation. Residents who sign a pledge will receive a “Water Smart” window decal for their home. Workshop pre- and posttests will be distributed to determine knowledge increase and an online one-month follow-up survey will be distributed to determine self-reported behavior change as a result of education received. Approximately 600 people are anticipated to participate in the workshops and plantings and 4,600 people are anticipated to be indirectly reached through neighborhood newsletters, email and social media. District funds will be used for rain barrels, plants, neighborhood association newsletter inserts and window decals.
