COVID 19: An update on our programs and projects

WSA Master Watershed Steward Certification Course  Class 12 Steward Candidates  have completed  2/3 of their coursework since last October, with 4 classes remaining this Spring.  While some of the content for these classes will be converted to online platforms (and thus also available for any Certified Stewards who would like a refresher!), the field based sessions including the Capstone Intensive and the Class Project will be reschedule when the “coast is clear”.  Capstone Project are being planned with the majority scheduled for fall installation.   

Backyard Buffers  Currently buffer bundling and distribution is scheduled for April 14-15, however there is a good chance this date will change.  Stay tuned for updates!

Replant Anne Arundel  Josh and Alyssa are hard at work developing outreach materials and fun tools  for Tree Troopers.  The initial Tree Trooper training will be rescheduled when the “coast is clear”.  A second training is planned for June 6th.  Most trees will be planted from September-November 2020.

Stormwater Success  This WSA short course for property manager and HOA leaders  is scheduled for May 4, 9, and 16th, but like everything else this spring, we are adopting a “wait and see” approach.  More information may be found at: http://aawsa.org/stormwater-success-event

If you have questions about any other WSA programs, please contact Noelle Chao, nchao@aacps.org. 

2020 Watershed Steward and Consortium Member of the Year

Each year the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy honors volunteer Master Watershed Stewards and the environmental professionals who support their action for clean water.  The Master Watershed Steward of the Year is awarded to a Steward who excels in engaging their community to reduce pollution. The Consortium Member of the Year is awarded to an environmental professional who makes a significant impact on projects for clean water. The Master Watershed Steward and Consortium Member of the Year Awards were presented at WSA’s Annual “Leap into Action” Conference.

Master Watershed Steward of the Year Award

Master Watershed Steward Alison Milligan (left) was honored for her dedication to sharing her expertise of native plants with Stewards and her community. Alison exemplifies grassroots action and community leadership. She has single handedly planted over 6,700 native trees, shrubs, and perennials in 2019 alone. Last year, she volunteered almost 700 hours of her time advocating for the use of native plants in the landscapes of Anne Arundel County. When she is not acting as a direct resource, sharing her depth of plant knowledge with other Stewards and County residents in person, she writes Latin for Gardeners for our monthly Stewards Scoop newsletter.

WSA Consortium Member of the Year Award

Jim MacNicholl (right) was awarded Consortium Member of the Year for his work with the BayWise Master Gardeners. Jim serves as a tremendous resource for our Stewards, sharing his knowledge and expertise of native plants and project implementation freely. He has supported dozens of Capstone Projects and helped to forge a durable partnership with the BayWise committee of the Master Gardeners, where he serves as co-chair along with Robin Gill. Jim is truly an information and resource conduit, attending most of WSA’s workshops and sharing that knowledge with his wide network. He thoughtfully considers how to broaden our impact and address barriers to environmental action. And, best of all, Jim is never too busy to get his hands dirty.

Congratulations to Alison and Jim!

Thank you to Jack Turner for providing artwork for the awards.

No Moore Pet Waste in the Magothy

Guest post written by Susan Cohen, Class 11 Steward Candidate

Just after I moved into the Moorings on the Magothy community in January 2018, I adopted a rescue puppy. I began walking her in the neighborhood and meeting my neighbors, those with and without dogs.  Everyone wanted to say hello and pet 8 week-old Zooey, which allowed me to make over 35 new friends very quickly and to meet almost everyone who owned dogs.  One of the first things I noticed about my small community of 80 townhomes was that there was a pet waste problem. I began modeling good pet waste clean-up behavior immediately (using eco-friendly bags, cleaning up after every time, and carrying a flashlight at night)  but only a few of the neighbors seemed to notice. So for my first WSA action in the community I began a pet-waste awareness and action campaign.

While I did raise the issue at a HOA meeting and present facts about pet waste and the environment, I did not feel this was effective—group think has a way of focusing on the negatives. I believe that talking directly to neighbors, one-to-one, is the more effective way to help them feel connected and to help them take responsibility for mitigating environmental problems it the community. For my pet waste campaign I dreamed up a plan to talk with every dog owner in the community and give them an eco-friendly pet waste bag filled with information about pet waste, organic dog treats, and my contact information which was attached with my WSA card by a hemp string.  This way, I could also hang the information on the front door if I was unable to talk with folks directly.  I also wanted to find a way to get other members of the community involved in meeting their neighbors and empowering them to help keep the pet waste out of our communal yard.

By the time I enacted the pet-waste campaign in my neighborhood, I had determined which households were the worst offenders, so I asked those specific neighbors if they would like to help me with the pet-waste campaign. I was positive and did not indicate that I had noticed that they were more likely than other neighbors to leave pet waste in our communal yard areas. I was delighted when these specific neighbors agreed to help and I talked with them about the environmental and other reasons for being responsible for their dogs’ pet waste.

Within Moorings on the Magothy there are three distinct sections, so we approached those sections on different days. We either spoke directly to the dog owners or left the pet-waste informational goody bags on the front door with my contact information. WSA also provided me with pet waste information signage which we posted in very visible areas in the community.

While the problem is not 100% solved, it is significantly improved. I will do a follow-up this fall and try to get the teenagers in the neighborhood more involved.

All in all, it the pet waste education action was effective, the neighbors noticed the change, and it is no longer an issue that emerges during HOA meetings or causes finger pointing in the neighborhood.  But I do feel it will require occasional follow actions to maintain awareness and to celebrate and reinforce the positive changes.