EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
In order to get landowners involved in implementation, education and outreach and assistance with the design and installation of best management practices will be needed.
C-Spout Run Initiative The “C-Spout Run� initiative will serve as a key mechanism for completion of future education and outreach activities in the watershed. Currently, the C-Spout Run partnership consists of local government representatives, non profits, and state agencies. These organizations have been working together to promote the restoration of the Spout Run watershed for several years, and remain committed to moving this effort forward. In 2012, partners applied for and were awarded a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grant to provide support for restoration projects and education and outreach activities. As part of this project, The Downstream Project will develop a multimedia outreach campaign to promote the C-Spout Run partnership and the projects completed through this initiative. Downstream has already developed a Wordpress blog to share information about the TMDL process, and current activities in the Spout Run watershed. The residential working group suggested using this weblog to develop an online, interactive version of the TMDL implementation plan. In addition, the group suggested developing a restoration game to post on the website, and a series of videos and before and after photos demonstrating the benefits of BMPs. The Downstream Project will also be working with partners to capture a series of streambank restoration projects on video from start to finish including planning and construction, and ending with the reintroduction of trout at the restoration sites. Short progress videos and still photographs will be added to the C-Spout Run Weblog as a video journal of the project. Email and RSS feeds will be used to notify subscribers of postings and progress. At the end of the project the video journal will be combined into a single piece on DVD. This outreach campaign will play a key role in increasing local awareness of water quality issues in Spout Run and increasing the sense of community ownership of this unique resource.
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