The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored Angela Maraj yesterday during a District ceremony that recognized outstanding programs that focused on water resources education. Maraj serves as the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Builders/Developers Outreach coordinator in Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota counties. A total of 27 projects were recognized during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Lake Mirror Complex in Lakeland.
In 2005, the producers of the Bob Vila Home Again national television program contacted Maraj to help develop a landscaping segment for a series on the construction of a storm-resistant home. The program featured the building of a new home to replace a home that was destroyed by Hurricane Charley in Punta Gorda. Vilas original idea was to allot five minutes to the landscaping segment. However, he became so enthusiastic about the Florida-friendly landscaping concepts that he decided to devote an entire half-hour show to landscaping, in which Maraj “starred.”
To select the awardees, District staff reviewed school projects funded through the Splash! mini-grant program and grants applied for by community members, local governments and non-profit groups through the community education grant program. District-sponsored programs that use volunteers to educate others about water conservation were also considered.
Many of the District’s grant projects focus on various aspects of all four of the District’s areas of responsibility water supply, water quality, natural systems protection and flood protection.
Part of Charlotte County is located within the District’s Peace River Basin, which also includes portions of Hardee, Desoto, Highlands, and Polk counties.