1996-04-25_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Education efforts pay off for l~Candiyohi What if any useful purpose do mosquitoes serve in a wet- land? What is one of the functions of a wetland? Identify three specific uses of a tree. These and other educational efforts tend to feed off each other, Reimer said. The more people learn about the envi- ronment, the more they want to learn; and the more familiar they are with the SWCD, the more likely they are to call on the district to provide that type of education, he said. While these questions may seem basic to natural re- source professionals, most members of the general public don't know all that much about wetlands, trees, or the environment in general. Educating the public about those issues and helping raise the visibility of the soil and water conservation district {SWCD) were the two primary benefits cf a recent public relations effort by Kandiyohi SWCD, according to Rick Reimer, Kandiyohi SWCD program coordinator. The effort revolved around two radio stations and Willmar High School. Last April, the SWCD gave 102 trees to the high school and helped the students design and plant a windbreak. To publicize the event, the local FM radio station broadcast live from the school that day. In addition, the SWCD sup- plied the local AM station with a number of natural resource questions like the ones given above. Listeners had about 10 opportunities a day over a two-week period to call in, answer the question and win a tree supplied by the SWCD. "By increasing our visibility through these radio promo- tions, we got increased calls from classrooms, civic groups and other organizations to come and talk about different environmental concerns," Reimer said. "1t's definitely a word-of-mouth type of thing." The radio promotions aren't the only thing the district has been doing to maintain a high profile in the community, he added. Over the past few years, the district has stepped up its efforts to educate both schoolchildren and adults in the community. The SWCD sponsors a number of "environmental. days" at various schools throughout the county for sixth grade and older stu- dents. Students visit a variety of learning stations {with topics like lake samples, mapping and surveying, recycling, fisheries, and soils) and hear presentations at each station. For younger children, SWCD staff usually visits their classroom and does some type of hands-on activity, Reimer said. In addition, the district often sends a representative to talk to adult groups, such as the Kiwanis Club, the Rotary Club, local church groups, the Realtors Association, and others. Reimer stressed that while it's difficult to find the time for these activities and easy to put them on the back burner, they have long-term benefits. "The payoff is better educated citizens and a broader base of support for the SWCD," Reimer said.. "1 really see us continually expanding these education efforts in the fu- ture.' 1996 water planners conference scheduled The 1996 water planning conference will be July 23, 24 and 25 in New Ulm. The theme of the conference is "Wafer Planning: What's Upstream?" The Board of Water and Soii Resources {BWSR), along with the Soutii Central Minne- sota Water Planning counties, invites water plan coordina- tors, groups of counties, agencies, and others to submit presentation abstracts, poster displays and award nominations. For mere information, contact Doug Thomas at 612/296- 3767; or Jane Starz at X07/ 233-6642.