The Southwest Florida Water Management District honored two projects that focus on water resources education in DeSoto and Hardee counties. A total of 26 projects were recognized Wednesday during the “Partners in Watershed Education Conference” at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East Hotel.
- Maran Hilgendorf serves as the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center communications manager. She has also coordinated Florida-friendly landscaping workshops for DeSoto and Hardee counties since June 2005. Because there are no Florida Yards & Neighborhoods coordinators in these counties, her efforts fill a gap in the District’s outreach efforts. Approximately 500 people have attended the nine workshops she has led. Two more workshops are planned for early 2009.
- Kayton Nedza manages the Hardee County Water Resources Education Program. Nedza provides environmental education to students through the Hardee County Outdoor Classroom. He leads hands-on participation in field studies and makes water resources a priority in his programming. All third- through eighth-grade students in Hardee County participate in the program. Nedza also leads selected high school classes on specially designed field trips.
Portions of Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands and Polk counties are represented by the District’s Peace River Basin Board, which funds projects in DeSoto and Hardee counties.
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.