Poop & ButtsHow Grade School Humor Helps Deliver a Serious Message

Brenda Zollitsch

Principal

BMZ Consulting

Belle Ryder

Assistant Town Manager

Town of Orono

MS4 Permits● MCMs 1 & 2

○ Public Education & Outreach

○ Public Involvement & Participation

● Cookbook approach (If it worked before,

it will work again)○ Follow the Flow

○ Ducky Ads

○ Stenciling “REDUCE YOUR USE OF LAWN

CHEMICALS DRAINS TO STREAM”

○ Think Blue Maine

Stormwater Education = Snooze Fest● Target Audience:

30 - 55 year old homeowners who do their own lawn maintenance○ MS4 Permit Education

○ Garden Show (aka “The Choir”)

■ Mow Better, Overseeding, Weeds, Using Water Wisely

■ Compost Tea, Ground Cover, Fertilizing, Ants

● Street & Stream Clean-ups & Stenciling Events○ Broader Audience

○ Same Approach

■ Lots of facts, not much fun “The Federal Environmental Protection Agency regulates storm

water in urbanized areas. Maine elected to have delegated

authority to self regulate and oversees permit and plan

development. The EPA however has authority to see to it that

the Maine General Permit and the local Municipal Stormwater

Plans are adhered to including local audits and punitive fines.”

Stormwater Education Stagnation

If we’re boring ourselves,

what are we doing to people

who don’t know/care about

stormwater?

A New Path

Many conversations at the Bangor Area

regional stormwater meetings led to a

new commitment to evaluate the

branding, messages, and tools used to

achieve permit compliance.

We blithely set out….

How to Change?

RECOGNIZE THE NEED

TO CHANGE● Ask lots of questions!

○ Particularly of people who don’t

know/understand stormwater

● Find other people who care

about Stormwater!○ SMART program

○ Davis Conservation Foundation

○ John Sage Foundation

● Spend your money on things

you don’t know how to do!

● Be willing to put in the work!

Without spending a lot of your own money!

Asking Questions of Others● Questions for the Target Audience

○ Do you recognize our “brand”?

○ Do you understand our message?

○ What would it take to get you to listen?

● Questions for the Funders○ Do you recognize our “brand”?

○ Do you understand our message?

○ What can we do to make our project

valuable to you?

● Questions for other Stakeholders○ Do you recognize our “brand”?

○ Do you understand our message?

○ What do you think we could do better?

Asking Questions of Yourself● What works (or what do you have to do)?

○ A Regional Public Event

○ Local Stenciling Events

○ Regional message building

● What doesn’t work?○ Bored teammates

○ Stencils worn out/hard to read

○ Old messages

● What is our expertise?○ Public Infrastructure, Engineers,

Scientists, Planning

● What expertise do we need?○ Marketing, Education

● How much can we afford to invest?○ Not much with tax dollars

● What to tackle first?

Stormdrain Stencils Funding Source

John Sage Foundation ($4,000)

To evaluate language, tools,

engagement used for

stenciling

Process

● Used a marketing firm to review current

message and develop a new message

● Hired an intern

● Focus Groups

Stormdrain StencilsResults

We are not as smart as we thought we were…

● New message and image

● Use markers appropriate to location

● Engage “opinion leaders”○ Might be community leaders

○ Might be kids

SMART Program

Rising Juniors and Seniors Tasked To:

● Collect important water data via probes

and sampling.

● Build and use wireless sensor network

units and interfaces.

● Learn to do chemical water analysis on

samples.

● Use on-line mapping and modeling tools.

● Assist community water district managers

to implement their stormwater

management plans.

● Help tell the stormwater “story” through

outreach activities.

They are NOT:

● Trained scientists

● Steeped in permit language

● Married to particular ideas

They ARE:

● Smart

● Steeped in today’s technology

● Eager and Excited

● Engaging younger kids

Creating a Diverse STEM Pathway

with Community Water Research

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKfj1vToQBA

Build from Success

Video was well-received!

Time to relax!?

Nope

● Build a new display

● Make a video game

● Get it done in a month

Physical Activity Reinforces Learning

Kids Play Video GamesDavis Conservation Grant

● “Connecting the Flow”

● $4,000

People Want to Talk to Us?!?!

Use Kids As a Force MultiplierSpeak at their level (3rd-5th Grade)

Give kids easy action items

Use humor to reinforce the message

Try multiple approaches to deliver the message

More Takeaways

● Try new things

● Think outside your box

● Listen to your target

audience

● Use good process to

direct you

● Get outside support

● Evaluate and adapt

Have FUN!