PIKE COUNTY ADOPT-A-STREAM TEACHES WATER EDUCATION, CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY
Natural Resources/Aquaculture
Brooklyne Wassel
County Extension Agent
University of Georgia
Zebulon
Abstract
Water is the fabric that holds communities, landscapes and ecosystems together through time. Additionally, water is recreational, educational and transformative. Though these concepts seem elementary, education surrounding water resources is greatly lacking in communities such as Pike County. This is evident by non-point source pollution, erosion on local construction sites and calls to the Pike County Extension office concerning water. Using Georgia Adopt-A-Stream as a tool kit for resources and vehicle for educational outreach, the Pike County Extension Agent, along with the local Adopt-A-Stream coordinator, held 29 hours of certification workshops across 12 months. This series successfully passed 40 certifications comprised of field demonstrations and written exams which created a network of community members who are passionate about our waterways. Through this collaborative effort in creating ambassadors for our water, the Pike County Adopt-A-Stream group was formed that actively monitors five stream sites throughout the county each month. After four, local educators became Adopt-A-Stream certified, water education is now implemented in the public school system using Adopt-A-Stream, Project WILD Aquatic and other resources provided by the Extension office. Water will continue to be an important issue and topic of education, but through the Pike County Adopt-A-Stream series, our community now has access to knowledge, resources and empowering actions that they can take into their own backyards. This provides the community the ability to truly move the needle in terms of water education and conservation.
Authors: Brooklyne Wassel
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Brooklyne Wassel County Extension Agent, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, Georgia, 30295