Assessing and Building Local Watershed Steward - Perrin

The NC Watershed Stewardship Network

Christy PerrinCo-coordinator, NC Watershed Stewardship Network

Sustainable Waters & Communities Coordinator, WRRI

Soil & Water Conservation Society 2015 Annual Conference

Empower more effective watershed stewardship because water is critical to

economic, environmental, and community health.

Mission

NC’s officially impaired waters (on EPA Clean Water Act section

303(d) list)

How can we support local watershed efforts?

Documenting the needs in NC

1. Online survey watershed professionals (n=161)

2. 7 regional focus groups watershed volunteers (n=50)

3. Online survey watershed volunteers (n= 79, (137 surveys started)

We heard from professionals:

Geographic spread of respondents from survey 1

Skills of paid staff

Volunteer coordinationDesigning educational programs

Stream restorationFacilitation or stakeholder engagement

Watershed planningWatershed assessment

Designing outreach activities Event coordination

Implementing educational programsImplementing outreach activities

Grant writingNatural resource conservation planning

GIS/mapping/surveying

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Data from Survey 1: Paid Staff

Social marketing

Web development

Wetland restoration

Water quality monitoring

Influencing policy and/or permit decisions

0% 10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Skills of paid staff

Data from Survey 1: Paid Staff

Geographical distribution of skills

Who’s got skills?

Skill Have Need

BMP Design

Grant Writing

Influencing Policy

Watershed Planning/assessment

Designing Outreach

Data from Survey 1: Paid Staff

We have skills

Skill Have Need

BMP Design Local government, private

Grant Writing Nonprofit, CoGs, university-based

Influencing Policy Local government

Watershed Planning/assessment

Federal, private, state

Designing Outreach

Nonprofit, state, universityData from Survey 1: Paid

Staff

Provide training or connect peopleOr both?

Skill Have Need

BMP Design Local government, private

CoGs, nonprofits, some SWCD

Grant Writing Nonprofit, CoGs, university-based

Local government

Influencing Policy Local government

Federal, nonprofit, SWCD

Watershed Planning/assessment

Federal, private, state

Local government, SWCD, university-based

Designing Outreach

Nonprofit, state, university

Local government^Data from Survey 1: Paid

Staff

Preferred methods of receiving information

LinkedIn

Facebook

Phone calls

Webinar

Online newsletter

Manuals/handbooks

Conference

Listserves

Website

Face to face meetings

In-person training workshops

1 2 3 4

Opinion: 1 = Don't like it at all, 2 = It's ok, 3 = Like it, 4 = Like it a lot

Data from Survey 1: Paid Staff

We heard from volunteers

Volunteer watershed stewardship leadership skills qualities

Time Be able to set achievable

goals Ethic of responsibility Be willing to organize Ability to focus but willing

to change Persistence

Hope Pragmatism Passion/motivation Good communicator Having local connections Strong-willed (thick-

skinned)

Data from Focus Groups: Volunteers

What training would help you succeed?

Learning about available technical resources (46%)

Developing / implementing a strategic plan (42%)

Writing and/or administering grants (41%)

Developing/ implementing watershed plan (38%)

Conducting/reporting on water quality monitoring (36%)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

With what groups have you worked in last 3 years • Chamber of

Commerce• Homebuilders• Under served

communities• Large businesses• Civic groups (e.g.

Rotary)• Farmers• Faith based

What motivated you to take action on watershed

issues?

I felt a connection to the land and waterways (>80%)

Training preferences

Readi

ng fa

ct sh

eets

on m

y own

Sing

le da

y wor

ksho

p

Readi

ng a

guid

eboo

k on m

y own

Sing

le on

-line

web

inar

On-lin

e web

inar

serie

s

Wor

ksho

p seri

es

Mul

ti-da

y con

feren

ce0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Unlikely

Undecided

Likely

# o

f re

spondents

Data from Survey 2: volunteers

Most likely:Read fact sheetsAttend single day workshop

Least likely:Workshop series, multi-day conference

Importance of statewide networking tools

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Important Neutral UnimportantAxis Title

Axis

Tit

le

Data from Survey 2: volunteers

Some helpful conclusions

Many opportunities to partner and cross train

Volunteers are likely to get engaged because they feel connected to their water resources

Respondents would likely attend one day workshops

Statewide networking is welcomed

Online interactive networking tools are welcomed

Volunteers need help reaching out to some audiences

Steering Committee

• Abermarle Pamlico National Estuary Partnership

• Centralina COG• City of Raleigh• Conservation Trust for North

Carolina• Elkin Presbyterian Church• Haywood Waterways

Association• NC Cooperative Extension• NC Ecosystem Enhancement

Program• NCDA&CS Division of Soil &

Water ConservationMichele DrostinUNC Institute for the [email protected]

Christy PerrinWater Resources Research [email protected] 919- 513-1152

• NC Division of Water Resources

• NC Regional Councils• NC Sea Grant• NC Wildlife Resources

Commission• Piedmont Triad Regional

Council• River Guardian Foundation• Town of Wake Forest• Water Resources Research

Institute• Triangle J Council of

Governments• Piedmont Triad Regional

Council• UNC Institute for the

Environment• Upper Coastal Plain COG

More people leading and working on watershed projects.

People begin &sustain local efforts in all areas across NC, including areas that lack resources. Local efforts sustained by diverse & balanced

sources Stewards collaborate broadly for greater

success People make decisions that protect water

resources, improve community health & economic development.

Our Goals

Provide online tools - connect people, share resources

Foster partnerships: public, private, nonprofit

Maximize skills through training and networking

How do we work?

Help leverage limited resources

Communicate successes

Provide online tools

Online webtool: summer 2015 for beta

Watershed planning workshops

“How to” with focus on collaborative, science-based process

4 regional workshops

Success studies: Sparking connections between people and water resources

Sneak preview: e-newsletter

Michele DrostinUNC Institute for the [email protected]

Christy PerrinWater Resources Research [email protected] 919- 513-1152

www.ncwatershednetwork.org

www.facebook.com/NCwatershedstewardshipnetwork