Communicating How Water Works: Results From a Community Water Education Program

Abstract

Based on feedback from attendees at an environmental summit who requested information about regional water sources, a team comprised of a local nonprofit, a state university, and a cooperative extension office created a community water education program. Undergraduate student interns worked with the author to develop a 20-minute science-based presentation that was delivered in 14 different venues in a three-county region of northwestern North Carolina. Following each presentation there was a discussion session that highlighted questions about how water works and community concerns about water availability and management. Program evaluations reflect that people believed they better understood the science related to water quantity and that the key messages in the program were important to their communities.

Keywords:

• collaborative
• community education
• community engagement
• science communication
• water

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Daniel Cobb, Melody Heath, Kaitlin Marone, Max Sigler, and Rachel Storniolo provided a constant reality check while developing the community education materials. Wendy Patoprsty at the Watauga County Cooperative Extension Office and all the members of the MountainKeepers Board of Directors were key to the program's success. The program was funded through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Assistance ID No. 96483107. Anonymous review comments greatly improved this article.