Public Education Activities & Community Efforts 2016 – 2017 NPDES Stormwater Report WATER QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH The following education programs are funded by Unincorporated Chatham County and the Cities of Savannah, Bloomingdale, Pooler, and Tybee Island. The Chatham County – Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission Natural Resources Program, Chatham County, the City of Savannah Environmental Affairs Office, and the City of Savannah Stormwater Department help to administer these programs. Newsletters The MPC Natural Resources Program produces newsletters educating the public on water resource issues and publicizing educational opportunities offered by the program. Local events that address water issues are also listed in the newsletters. The “WaterSpout” is now available online through the www.mpcnaturalresources.org website and is distributed electronically through a list-serve agency to over 400 email addresses. The Cities of Savannah, Bloomingdale, Pooler, Tybee Island, and Chatham County are now able to link this publication to their own websites, allowing for a larger outreach. Printed copies of the newsletter are still available upon request. Newspaper Supplements As part of the extensive education program funded by Chatham County and the Cities of Bloomingdale, Pooler, Savannah, and Tybee Island, the MPC Natural Resources staff targets various groups and residents each year for BMP education. In 2016 the MPC and City of Savannah worked to create an insert detailing drainage, flood, water quality and conservation information to residents which was included as a supplement in the Savannah Morning News (October 9, 2016 with over 79,000 inserts) and Savannah Tribune (October 12, 2016 with 8,500 inserts). In addition to the “WaterSpout”, the quarterly “Chatham County Connection” was produced and distributed throughout the County. These documents included various articles on flood mitigation plans, GIS mapping, water quality, and flood-proofing your home. Water Sourcebooks The Water Sourcebooks contain a large number of classroom activities geared towards specific levels of teaching and cover all aspects of water issues including stormwater quality issues. The books have been broken down into four age groups: grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Each contains lesson plans and activities that provide hands-on learning for water-related issues such as pollution, clean water, water conservation and more. The MPC Natural Resources Program purchased these sourcebooks from the Georgia Water Wise Council and offers the sourcebooks at no charge to all schools within Chatham County. 1 Public Education Activities & Community Efforts 2016 – 2017 NPDES Stormwater Report MPC continues to deliver the books and CDs upon request to area school teachers within Chatham County. Delivery includes a face to face introduction to the guide and opportunities for any questions to be directly answered. Stormwater Videos The MPC created two educational videos entitled Before the Rain Comes – Managing Chatham’s Storm Water, and Land Use and Water Quality: Understanding the Relationship. These videos were created to inform the residents of Chatham County about stormwater issues including flooding, runoff, pollution prevention, and land use decisions with regards to impervious surfaces, etc. These videos and other videos about stormwater issues are routinely played on the Chatham County and the City of Savannah’s Public Access channels which are regularly viewed by residents of Savannah, Bloomingdale, Pooler, Tybee Island and Chatham County. These videos are also available to all citizens, groups, and schools within Chatham County and were previously distributed free of charge by the MPC to all of the area high schools within Chatham County. Earth Day 2016 The Earth Day Savannah event was held on April 16, 2016 in Forsyth Park in Savannah with many exhibitors and numerous facets of the environmental field participating. Attendees were able to learn about water quality protection, wildlife and habitat conservation, waste recycling, and many other environmental efforts that are taking place in Chatham County and nearby areas. Many fun and educational activities were provided by Earth Day exhibitors, including the distribution of native trees and shrubs, touch tanks, solid waste exhibits, solar power education stations, and the construction of bird feeders. Some activities were targeted at just plain fun such as face painting, sea turtle toss games, and fun interaction with costume characters. Lastly, visitors were also able to buy local organic produce from the Forsyth Farmers Market. River’s Alive 2016 The City of Savannah had to postpone the annual October Rivers Alive event due to Hurricane Matthew clean-up efforts. The event was rescheduled to take place on April 29, 2017. A filming during a previous River’s Alive Clean-Up event allowed for a short 13-minute video to become a regularly aired program on the City of Savannah and the Chatham County television broadcast channels. The video contains footage of the clean-up, as well as interviews with staff and volunteers on the importance of understanding how our trash can seriously pollute the environment. 2 Public Education Activities & Community Efforts 2016 – 2017 NPDES Stormwater Report Recycling and E-cycling Events The County had two events during the permit period to publicize the proper methods of waste disposal. The County is constantly striving towards trying to remove hazardous materials from the landfills in this region. In May 7th and November 12th of 2016 the County had a document recycling and electronics recycling day at the County Resource Education and Drop- off Facility. On these two days, there was a set location that residents could bring any electronic equipment that they may have had sitting at their home or office as well as bring in any documents or paper for bulk shredding. Adopt-A-Stream The MPC coordinates the Countywide Adopt – A- Stream program that enlists volunteer groups to both monitor the health as well as clean up local waterways for a year. Volunteer groups receive free training and equipment through the University of Georgia’s Marine Extension Regional Training Program. The MPC sends public and private schools information about this program and allows opportunities for participation each year. Promotional information is also distributed during outreach events, mailed to area schools, included in the Water Spout Newsletter and is available to the public online at www.MPCNaturalResources.org. Coastal Georgia Adopt-A-Wetland This volunteer monitoring program was developed by University of Georgia Marine Extension Service and the MPC Natural Resources Program to cater to groups that want to adopt coastal estuarine waterways. Adopt-A-Stream monitoring protocol was developed for freshwater monitoring and was therefore impractical for much of the Chatham County area. Volunteer groups receive free training and equipment through the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service. Public and private schools within Chatham County received information about this program. Information is also distributed during outreach events and on the www.MPCNaturalResources.org website. Currently, the Chatham County Adopt-a-Stream program also benefits from trainings and supplies offered through this program. Countywide Storm Drain Marking Program This program was developed and is administered by MPC Natural Resources staff to educate the public about stormwater pollution, its causes and how to prevent it. All public and private schools 3 Public Education Activities & Community Efforts 2016 – 2017 NPDES Stormwater Report within Chatham County previously received information about this program. Information is also distributed during outreach events. Community Partners for Clean Water Community Partners for Clean Water is a cooperative effort between the MPC and local commercial and institutional landowners. The goal of this program is to promote BMPs that help protect local streams, canals, rivers, and estuaries from stormwater pollution. These businesses/industries receive a BMP Manual with educational information specific to their on-site activities, and information on how to develop a Water Quality Protection Plan (WQPP). Once the participant creates their WQPP, they submit it to the MPC for review. If it is accepted, the participant is then considered a “Community Partner for Clean Water” and is advertised as such. If the WQPP is not acceptable, an MPC staff member will work with the participant to improve it. The program provides incentives, such as free advertising and t-shirts to local businesses/industries for their voluntary participation. Promotional flyers were developed by the MPC and mailed to the individual municipalities’ industries/businesses listed in the jurisdictions’ databases. The promotional fliers are also distributed during outreach events. Presentations by the MPC Natural Resources Staff and Environmental Affairs Office The MPC Natural Resources Program, Chatham County, the City of Savannah’s Stormwater and Environmental Affairs Office, and Chatham County is available to speak about water resource protection to groups of all ages in the community such as area Rotary Clubs, high schools, elementary schools, gardening clubs as well as at seminars. School Outreach and Education Chatham County staff participated in GIS Day in November 2016 to educate over 450 local children on stormwater and floodplain issues with a GIS approach to learning. In addition,