Education Plan, the Present Level of Knowledge and Understanding of the General Public Must Be Understood
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COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION & OUTREACH PLAN for REZONATE! COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION & OUTREACH PLAN FOR REZONATE! Prepared for Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality 515 East Amite Street Jackson, MS 39201 Pearl River Valley Water Supply District 115 Madison Landing Circle Ridgeland, MS 39157-9243 Prepared by FTN Associates, Ltd. 6508 Dogwood View Parkway, Suite B Jackson, MS 39213 The Cirlot Agency PO Box 16087 Jackson, MS 39236 FTN No. 3120-713 October 31, 2011 October 31, 2011 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District (PRVWSD) developed the Ross Barnett Reservoir Initiative to improve and protect water quality in the Reservoir and its surrounding watershed. The Reservoir is a primary drinking water source for the City of Jackson. The quality of water affects the stakeholder quality of life and economic development in central Mississippi. The educational component of this Initiative, known as Rezonate!, will educate local stakeholders about the importance of good water quality in the Reservoir and its watershed and what they can do to maintain clean water. Actions recommended in this Education & Outreach Mr. Whiskers is the Rezonate! Plan will make citizens aware that their everyday activities have an impact mascot. on the Reservoir’s water quality. This Education & Outreach Plan is part of an overall strategy to protect and restore water quality in the Reservoir watershed, outlined in the Comprehensive Protection and Restoration Plan for the Ross Barnett Reservoir Watershed, Mississippi (FTN 2011). The Comprehensive Protection and Restoration Plan promotes the use of green infrastructure – a cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly approach to stormwater management. The Comprehensive Education & Outreach Plan for Rezonate is a tool to educate the public about water quality issues faced by the Ross Barnett Reservoir watershed. These issues include sediment originating from disturbed soils and construction sites and excess nutrients and pesticides applied to landscaped areas. Pathogens can reach surface waters from pet and animal waste and leaking septic systems. Invasive plant species growing in the Reservoir and trash found in recreational sites near the Reservoir round out the six primary water quality issues facing the Reservoir watershed. The Comprehensive Education & Outreach Plan for Rezonate focuses specifically on these issues. Actions recommended in the plan will equip citizens with the skills to better manage their everyday activities to improve water quality in the Reservoir watershed. i October 31, 2011 The Comprehensive Education & Outreach Plan for Rezonate has been developed based on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publication Getting in Step: A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns (EPA 2003). As recommended by EPA, this Education & Outreach Plan establishes goals and objectives for specific targeted audiences, or citizen groups living and working within the Reservoir’s drainage area. Goals are general statements that express the broad focus of activities. Objectives are defined as measurable actions that will lead to achieving the goals. There are six audiences included in this plan: 1) general public, 2) educators and students, 3) homeowner associations (HOAs), 4) recreational and civic groups, 5) decision-makers, and 6) developers and contractors. Quantifiable outcomes of the objectives will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of outreach activities for each audience. The following list details some of the first steps outlined in the Education & Outreach Plan, which need to be accomplished early in the plan in order to meet education/outreach goals. 1. Complete a survey in the watershed area to assess the beliefs and perceptions of the local stakeholders. In order to accomplish many of the activities in the education plan, the present level of knowledge and understanding of the general public must be understood. Before conducting the survey, MDEQ personnel should coordinate with other groups, including Keep the Reservoir Beautiful, the Ross Barnett Foundation, and the Federation of Reservoir Area Homeowner Associations. These organizations should be given the opportunity to provide input into the survey questions. Information gleaned from the survey would be useful for operations of all of these groups. 2. Use the mascot “Mr. Whiskers” and collateral materials on a regular basis in order for the public to begin the association of the Rezonate logo and improved water quality in the Reservoir watershed. This requires attending local events on a frequent basis and coordinating with planners of local events. A list of events are attached in the Education & Outreach Plan, but include Pepsi Pops; Dragon Boat Races; sporting events held on or near the Reservoir; annual festivals held by the cities of Ridgeland, Flowood, Madison, and Brandon; and events at the Museum of Natural Science and the Children’s Museum. 3. The development of a condensed, easy-to-market, one-week program that can be taken into the schools as programs conducted by outside individuals for teachers and students. This will promote the use of the complete 3-week curriculum for the Curriculum Challenge for schools in the watershed area. Project managers should consider partnering with Keep the Reservoir Beautiful efforts to work local schools to co-promote both efforts. ii October 31, 2011 4. Establish model areas for rain garden and rain barrels in different areas of the watershed. These will bring awareness of the ease and beauty of stormwater management, as well as, introduce stakeholders to the concept of green infrastructure. 5. Hold training workshops and/or other educational opportunities for contractors, developers, and business and government officials. These educational opportunities need to be aligned with a developing certification process for stormwater management and other nonpoint source pollution control measures. The Education & Outreach Plan includes a 5-year implementation schedule. However, this is just the beginning. Successfully reducing nonpoint source pollution and improving water quality in the Reservoir watershed will require a long-term commitment on the part of Rezonate project managers, partner agencies, and especially the citizens who live and work near the Reservoir. The activities recommended in this Plan will serve as the starting point for developing an educated and motivated citizen group who are dedicated to maintaining good water quality in the Reservoir, now and for generations to come. iii October 31, 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. i LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................... ix INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................1 Initiative Goals .....................................................................................................................4 Issues ....................................................................................................................................5 Education & Outreach Goals and Objectives ......................................................................5 Schedule and Budget............................................................................................................5 Target Audiences .................................................................................................................6 1.0 GENERAL PUBLIC ............................................................................................................8 Goal 1.1 Rezonate Initiative Awareness ....................................................................8 Objective 1.1.1 Baseline Survey and Annual Follow-Up Survey ....................................................8 Objective 1.1.2 Attend Local Events .................................................9 Objective 1.1.3 Speaking Engagements ..........................................10 Objective 1.1.4 News Releases, Stories, and Collateral Materials ................................................11 Objective 1.1.5 Collateral Materials and Flyers for Local Events...........................................................12 Objective 1.1.6 Signs for Roadways and Recreational Areas ......................................................................13 Objective 1.1.7 E-Newsletter ..........................................................14 Objective 1.1.8 Update Rezonate Website ......................................15 Objective 1.1.9 Post Monthly Updates on Social Media Sites.............................................................15 Objective 1.1.10 Inform Residences about Rezonate ........................16 Objective 1.1.11 Update Media Kit ...................................................17 Objective 1.1.12 Develop Watershed Maps ......................................17 Objective 1.1.13 Plan and Conduct WaterFest Annually ..................18 Objective 1.1.14 Collaborate with Other Agencies ...........................18 Objective 1.1.15 Rezonate Citizen’s Guide ......................................19 iv October 31, 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Objective 1.1.16 Annual Performance Review .................................19 Goal 1.2 Inform Members of Focus of Rezonate .....................................................20