It’s all in the outputs: Choosing partners for successful NPS pollution reduction in an urban...
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Transcript of It’s all in the outputs: Choosing partners for successful NPS pollution reduction in an urban...
It’s all in the outputs: Choosing It’s all in the outputs: Choosing partners for successful NPS partners for successful NPS
pollution reduction in pollution reduction in an urban watershedan urban watershedSt. Albans, VermontSt. Albans, Vermont
Karen Bates, Vt. Agency of Natural ResourcesKaren Bates, Vt. Agency of Natural Resources
Jurij Homziak, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, University Jurij Homziak, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, University
of Vermont Extensionof Vermont Extension
Successful Community Successful Community Educational EffortEducational Effort
Community group takes lead role Community group takes lead role
Resource staff invest time and Resource staff invest time and energy at critical pointsenergy at critical points
Project DescriptionProject Description
St. Albans Area Watershed Association, St. Albans Area Watershed Association, high school students and other volunteers high school students and other volunteers provided provided – education on lake friendly lawn care practices education on lake friendly lawn care practices
to homeowners in St. Albans City to homeowners in St. Albans City – specific information on soil nutrient levels to specific information on soil nutrient levels to
help them implement specific practices help them implement specific practices – survey to show change in behaviorsurvey to show change in behavior
Project ResultsProject Results
Survey indicates change in behavior: Survey indicates change in behavior: decrease in fertilizer usedecrease in fertilizer use
Community able to collect most Community able to collect most comprehensive data set of phosphorus comprehensive data set of phosphorus levels in soil from lawns in arealevels in soil from lawns in area– LegislatorsLegislators– Other researchersOther researchers
Addressing urban non-point Addressing urban non-point source pollutionsource pollution
““Develop long-term environmental Develop long-term environmental stewardship and understanding of stewardship and understanding of the Lake Champlain Basin by the Lake Champlain Basin by enhancing educational enhancing educational opportunities….”opportunities….”
Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan for the Lake Champlain Basinfor the Lake Champlain Basin
Education programs led by Education programs led by government and non government and non
governmental organizationsgovernmental organizations
Community-led education Community-led education programprogram
Effective in reaching community Effective in reaching community
Reduces time commitment by resource Reduces time commitment by resource staffstaff
PROCESSPROCESS
Resource Identification
Implementation
Project Initiation
Initiation of project during Initiation of project during basin planning processbasin planning process
Involved existing resources and Involved existing resources and interest in community interest in community
Created forum for brain storming: Created forum for brain storming: identify problem and potential identify problem and potential solutions solutions
Facilitated development of project and Facilitated development of project and roles with partnersroles with partners
Discussion GroupDiscussion Group
Composting Association of VermontComposting Association of Vermont
St. Albans Area Watershed AssociationSt. Albans Area Watershed Association
Gund Institute for Ecological Gund Institute for Ecological EconomicsEconomics
Master Gardener ProgramMaster Gardener Program
Lake Champlain Sea Grant ProgramLake Champlain Sea Grant Program
Chittenden County Stormwater Chittenden County Stormwater Education ProgramEducation Program
Project GoalProject Goal
Achieve a wider recognition within the Achieve a wider recognition within the community of personal responsibility community of personal responsibility and acceptance of lake friendly lawn and acceptance of lake friendly lawn and garden practices and garden practices
St. Albans Area Watershed St. Albans Area Watershed AssociationAssociation
Community Community recognizes water recognizes water quality problemsquality problems
Recently formed with Recently formed with membership of 400 membership of 400
Energetic high school Energetic high school teacher teacher
St. Albans Bay, Lake Champlain
St. Albans CitySt. Albans City
Population of 7500 Population of 7500 over 2 sq. milesover 2 sq. miles
Technical ResourcesTechnical Resources
Provide education on lake friendly lawn care Provide education on lake friendly lawn care and other residential practicesand other residential practices– Master Gardener Program, Gund Institute, CAVMaster Gardener Program, Gund Institute, CAV
Offer free soil tests and summarize resultsOffer free soil tests and summarize results– Master Gardener Program, Gund InstituteMaster Gardener Program, Gund Institute
Send out a survey before and after Send out a survey before and after educational efforts and analyzeeducational efforts and analyze– Lake Champlain Sea Grant ProgramLake Champlain Sea Grant Program
Monetary Resources
Lake Champlain Basin Program – $4,590Lake Champlain Basin Program – $4,590– student and watershed assn coordinatorstudent and watershed assn coordinator– mailings, and mailings, and – data input and analyses by graduate studentdata input and analyses by graduate student
Water Wheel – $2,000 Water Wheel – $2,000 – soil tests and miscellaneoussoil tests and miscellaneous
Sea Grant Program - $1000Sea Grant Program - $1000– Additional analyses by graduate studentAdditional analyses by graduate student
Community Resources
Volunteer hours Volunteer hours – Student work included labeling 750 post Student work included labeling 750 post
cards, folding and addressing 1500 cards, folding and addressing 1500 surveys, taking soil samples, developing surveys, taking soil samples, developing questionaires, giving presentationsquestionaires, giving presentations
Understanding of the communityUnderstanding of the community– Revisions to original project Revisions to original project
Educational Forums
10 community members attended10 community members attended
Revisions to Forums
Public access TV taped and aired twicePublic access TV taped and aired twice
Different approach in subsequent year: Different approach in subsequent year: Students go to neighborsStudents go to neighbors15 students X 3 contacts = 45 people15 students X 3 contacts = 45 people
Educational Articles
One newspaper article One newspaper article
two watershed association newsletterstwo watershed association newsletters
Revision to educational articles
Each student wrote a letter to the editor Each student wrote a letter to the editor of local newspaperof local newspaper– A week and a half of letters on lake friendly A week and a half of letters on lake friendly
lawn and garden practiceslawn and garden practices
More educational opportunities
739 households received a survey on bmps739 households received a survey on bmps
Tom Bushey, residentTom Bushey, resident
The surveys mailed out by the students The surveys mailed out by the students got him thinking about what he was doing. got him thinking about what he was doing. In response he stopped using fertilizer and In response he stopped using fertilizer and
moved his lawn clipping pile away from moved his lawn clipping pile away from streamstream. .
And more educational opportunities
Soil testsSoil tests– Master Gardener Master Gardener
interns provided 90 interns provided 90 residents with lake residents with lake friendly lawn and friendly lawn and garden practices fact garden practices fact sheets and free soil sheets and free soil test results. test results.
29 students in two sets of stream ecology 29 students in two sets of stream ecology classes and the effect of their enthusiasm on classes and the effect of their enthusiasm on parents, neighbors, peersparents, neighbors, peers
And more educational opportunities
The Survey
AccuracyAccuracy
The survey administered in 2004 had a The survey administered in 2004 had a 23.6% response rate (173/739). 90% 23.6% response rate (173/739). 90% confidence ± 5.5% errorconfidence ± 5.5% error
The survey administered in 2005 had a The survey administered in 2005 had a 15.06% response rate (115/739). 90% 15.06% response rate (115/739). 90% confidence ± 7.1% errorconfidence ± 7.1% error
Property characteristics of Property characteristics of residential lotsresidential lots
< 1/4 acre
1/4 - 1/2 acre
> 1/2 acre
Lawn care practicesLawn care practices
41% use fertilizer41% use fertilizer
69% apply 69% apply inorganic fertilizerinorganic fertilizer
For nitrogen: over For nitrogen: over 25% over 25% over applicationapplication
Willingness to change lawn care Willingness to change lawn care practicespractices
95
3929
0
20
40
60
80
100
willing or verywilling
neutral
not wiling
Measured Change in BehaviorMeasured Change in Behavior
Statistical Method For Testing Statistical Method For Testing Differences in SurveysDifferences in Surveys
One tailed t-test (Ho = no difference in One tailed t-test (Ho = no difference in pre- versus post education proportions, Ha pre- versus post education proportions, Ha = difference between pre and post = difference between pre and post education proportions). education proportions). – Widely used, proven robust and powerful test, Widely used, proven robust and powerful test,
although technically not applicable to although technically not applicable to proportions (minor quibble, reference SISA proportions (minor quibble, reference SISA Simple Interactive Statistical Analysis Simple Interactive Statistical Analysis http://home.clara.net/sisa/http://home.clara.net/sisa/))
Increase in people not fertilizing Increase in people not fertilizing lawns – highly significantlawns – highly significant
59
69
54
56
58
60
62
64
66
68
70
No use of lawn fertilizer
2004
2005
Increase in soil testing - significantIncrease in soil testing - significant
1.4
8.6
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Fertilize based on soil test results
2004
2005
Decrease in respondents’ reliance on Decrease in respondents’ reliance on fertilizer company’s recommendations – fertilizer company’s recommendations –
highly significanthighly significant
70
40
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Reliance on bag instructions orplanned step program
2004
2005
Survey Results Survey Results
Education works: willingness and ability to Education works: willingness and ability to change practiceschange practices
Concerns Concerns – cost cost – appearance of lawnappearance of lawn– ease of application ease of application – water quality water quality
Soil MapSoil Map
Next StepNext Step
““Don’t Fertilize in Spring” CampaignDon’t Fertilize in Spring” CampaignEducate area suppliers of fertilizers Educate area suppliers of fertilizers
Phosphorus responsible for water Phosphorus responsible for water quality quality problems in bay problems in bay
Spring application is unnecessarySpring application is unnecessary Results of soil tests in area indicate high Results of soil tests in area indicate high
P P levelslevels
Lessons LearnedLessons Learned
Community-led education partnered with Community-led education partnered with technical assistance is successfultechnical assistance is successful
Surveys are effective ways of determining Surveys are effective ways of determining measurable outcomemeasurable outcome
Critical points for assistanceCritical points for assistance
Identify and obtain partners and fundingIdentify and obtain partners and funding
Provide technical expertise, including Provide technical expertise, including analysis of collected dataanalysis of collected data
Comments/FeedbackComments/Feedback
Jeff Rouleau, teacherJeff Rouleau, teacher
“ “The project was incredibly worthwhile and The project was incredibly worthwhile and provided experiences that kids will never provided experiences that kids will never forget.”forget.”
““Kids are very idealistic and we should use Kids are very idealistic and we should use this in a good way to take action. A kid will this in a good way to take action. A kid will take something enormously large and still take something enormously large and still believe they can do something about it.” believe they can do something about it.”