Watershed Outreach
Goals, Objectives, and Outcomes
The ultimate goal of the South Dakota 319 watershed information and education project is clean water through watershed protection. The primary objective of the Information and Education Project is that citizens support and voluntarily participate in programs and practices that protect watersheds.
The measurable outcomes that will achieve this objective are:
Outcome 1. Increased awareness and/or knowledge of watershed ecology.
Outcome 2. Increased awareness of non-point source pollution causes, effects and remedies and awareness of and participation in non-point source best management practices.
Outcome 3. Increased capacity to deliver non-point source information and education.
For more information please contact Anne.
Resources
The SD Discovery Center through the 319 I&E Project offers the following watershed information and education resources:
MINI-GRANTS
The SD Discovery Center administrates provides several minigrant projects:
Mini-grants to reach adult and community audiences. Please see www.sd319minigrants.com for more information.
Mini-grants to provide teachers with supplies for GLOBE investigations.
VOLUNTEER MONITORING
The South Dakota Discovery Center facilitates a citizens monitoring project conducted in partnership with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. See this story map for more information. Contact Anne Lewis to sign up.
CITIZEN SCIENCE
Participate in an app based citizen science program to help provide information that contributes to understanding about watersheds and protects watershed health. Choose from iNaturalist, GLOBE Observer Land Cover and Debris Tracker or contribute to them all! See our page on Sci Starter to get started.
WATER FESTIVALS:
Funds are available to support a water festival or other festival style event for Grades 4-12 with a water component. Water Festivals that receive support from I&E are:
Sioux Empire. (Sioux Falls area)
Grades 4-5
March. Tuesday/Wednesday of University of Sioux Falls‘ spring break
Contact: https://sewf.org/
Big Sioux Water Festival. (Brookings and surrounding counties.)
Grades 4-5
2nd Tuesday in May
Contact: http://www.bigsiouxwaterfestival.org/
Missouri River Watershed Festival. (Yankton)
Grades 7-12
May
Contact: Tim Cowman
Vermillion River Days.
Grade 6
September
Contact: Grace Freeman
Northern Prairie Water Festival. (Aberdeen)
Grades 4-5
Third Thursday in September.
Contact: Lindsey.Simon@sd.nacdnet.net
Central South Dakota Water Festival. (Pierre/Ft. Pierre and surrounding counties.)
Grades 4-5
Fourth Tuesday of September
Contact: Kristine Heinen
Online Water Festival
Grades 3-5
On demand
A kit of materials is available to loan to South Dakota schools and out of school time programs.
Contact: South Dakota Online Water Festival
TRAINING:
We provide professional development to educators and agency staff to equip them to integrate hands-on, high quality watershed learning into their outreach. We are happy to design a training for your educators or staff to meet specific needs. Please see our professional development page for information about scheduled workshop opportunities.
EARTH ECHO WATER CHALLENGE:
The Earth Echo Water Challenge is an international project dedicated to building awareness of water quality through citizen monitoring. The 319 I&E Project supports Earth Echo Water Challenge by providing monitoring kits to schools, Scout groups, 4H clubs and other youth organization. Fill out this form to request kits. In filling out the form, you agree to respond to a short follow up survey, describing how the kits were used.