Chapter

Chapter: 4

Public Education and Involvement Plan

Overall Goals

The goals of NNWC’s Public Education and Involvement Plan are to:

Educate citizens and Council members about watershed health using science-based information so that citizens will have a better understanding of the watersheds they live in
Motivate citizens to improve water quality and fish habitat on their properties and through their daily actions
Provide opportunities for adults and youth to learn watershed science, participate in watershed restoration activities, and gain a stewardship ethic
Promote the role of NNWC so that more local people will understand and become involved in Council activities

NNWC’s educational outreach efforts will emphasize watershed functions, specific water quality issues facing the watershed, salmonid life histories and status, native plant and animal species, invasive species, the connection between economic and environmental health, flooding and the role of floodplain management, wetlands; soils, the Oregon Plan, and the Oregon DEQ’s TMDL process. Other outreach efforts should respond to specific community watershed-related education needs and attempt to build partnerships among diverse stakeholders, youth, teachers, and natural resource agencies.

Background

Since its inception, NNWC has put forth strong publi c education and citizen participation programs that have involved hundreds of adults and youths in a variety of learning and stewardship activities.
Some of the highlights include:

The NNWC quarterly newsletter, "The Flow," published since 1998, is mailed to all residents in the watersheds
Public forums on important watershed related topics
Displays and brochures at fairs, forums, and workshops promote NNWC programs
NNWC’s award-winning biennial Nestucca Bay Clean-up
Partnerships between NNWC and schools provide unique watershed education opportunities for students in grades K-12
ODFW has leased 10 acres near Three Rivers to NNWC and the Nestucca Anglers in part for educational purposes
In 2001, NNWC began implementing a riparian planting program on private lands

Continued education and outreach efforts are important to strengthen meaningful participation in the NNWC and to broaden local knowledge of watershed issues and increased involvement by landowners to restore private lands. Outreach and education efforts also benefit the Council by encouraging the community to share its needs and concerns.

Objectives

Objective 1: In partnership with stakeholders, promote stream and wetland restoration projects on private land.

Education Action #1: Sponsor, facilitate, or support workshops and open houses on a broad range of topics relevant to private landowners, including incentive/easement programs, streamside planting projects, regulatory programs, and conservation practices. These programs may be initiated by NNWC or in response to an observed community need.

Specific Tasks for Implementation:

Identify topic of interest or community need
etermine target audience (prioritize by issue, geographic focus, land use, community need, or other appropriate method)
Determine potential partners
Determine means to reach and invite target audience to programs
Send letters, notices, flyers to target audience (advertisement and personal invitation)
Hold workshops/open houses
Follow-up with landowners/stakeholders
Evaluate participation and make adjustments for future events

Lead/Sponsor: Council staff, government natural resource agencies, private industry, interested citizens.

Objective 2: Promote the role of NNWC at community events and among community groups such as schools, civic organizations, and interest groups.

Education Action #2: Promote NNWC at events and public gatherings such as the County Fair, the library, etc, through presentations, displays and brochures. Presentation should focus on the Council’s successful work with schools and students, and invite participation in Council activities.

Specific Tasks for Implementation:

Identify target audience

Develop presentation and script

Recruit presenters

Schedule presentations

Make presentations

Evaluate effectiveness

Lead/Sponsor: Council staff, members.

Education Action #3: Offer project or program tours to community members, civic groups and interest groups. Involve schools or community groups that have been involved in past projects or ongoing programs.

Specific Tasks for Implement ation:

Determine overall goal such as involving volunteers, recruiting board members, educating community on local issues and NNWC’s activities, educating community leaders, and/or celebrating success

Determine an appropriate program/event that meets the goal and corresponding target audience and partner

Plan and schedule event

Publicize event and invite participants through letters, flyers, newspaper notices, school newsletters, web sites, PTA meetings

Hold event

Evaluate effectiveness

Lead/Sponsor: Council Staff and members.

Objective 3: To work with schools to support ongoing county-wide education programs, and provide hands-on learning opportunities, trainings, and workshops for teachers and interested community members.

Edu cation Action #4: Facilitate, encourage, or sponsor workshops for teachers and interested citizens on subjects such as native plant seed collection, water quality monitoring, or fish and aquatic inventories.

Specific Tasks for Implementation:

Select specific workshops based on NNWC’s Action Plan and planned projects

Conduct outreach to community and contact interested teachers

Go to schools and give presentations on Council activities, workshops and projects

Hold workshops

Follow-up with teachers and citizens and projects

Evaluate participation and make adjustments for future events

Lead/Sponsor: Council staff, members, government agencies, Nestucca Valley School District, and Neskowin Valley School.

Education Action #5: Provide hands-on learning opportuniti es that meet a community need for students such as tree planting, monitoring, and seed collection.

Specific Tasks for Implementation:

Identify activity that addresses an NNWC Action Plan item and teacher/student need

Identify a project site

Contact interested school teachers or visit schools and give presentations on potential service learning activities

Work with teachers to schedule and plan for activity

Hold on-site activities such as carcass dispersal or tree planting. Council staff or sponsor provides necessary tools or equipment, on-site training, and watershed education appropriate for specific activity

Follow-up with teachers and projects. Celebrate success

Evaluate participation and effectiveness and make adjustments for future projects

Lead/Sponsor: Council staff a nd members, Nestucca Valley School District, Neskowin Valley School.

Education Action #6: Support ongoing county-wide education programs such as Outdoor School or the Clean Water Festival.

Specific Tasks for Implementation:

Work with program leaders to select activity appropriate for age group

Work with community partners to plan program

Conduct program

Follow-up with teachers and projects

Evaluate participation and effectiveness and make adjustments for future programs

Lead/Sponsor: TEP, Council staff, members, Tillamook County schools, private schools.

Education Action #7: Provide educational and outreach opportunities that are linked to NNWC activities.

Specific Tasks for Implementation:

Promote education through press releas es about Council activities such as spawning surveys, volunteer water quality monitoring, the riparian incentive program

Include volunteers, both adult and youth, in as many Council activities as are practical, particularly activities that provide a training component. Activities may include, but not be limited to, volunteer water quality monitoring, spawning surveys, and culvert surveys

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