Community Watershed Awareness through Storm Drain Marking

Year 2008
Proponent Pacific Stream Keepers Federation
Project type Engagement
FSWP funding source DFO Fraser Basin Initiative
Grant amount $29460
Total project value $124552
ID number 08 EE D37

Location: Fraser River Basin, Fraser River Basin

Project Summary

Community Watershed Awareness through Storm Drain Marking:  Purchase and distribution of yellow decal to mark storm drains

Mission:  Healthy streams for salmon.

Goal: To educate about storm drains and their connection to water quality and salmon habitat as well as encourage best practices in communities. Provide support to municipalities and communities   through coordination of supplies and equipment in order to build on their capacity to coordinate storm drain marking and distribute educational materials.

Method/Process:
  *Mark a yellow fish on roadways beside storm drains
  *Distribute pamphlets which explain the connection to streams and provide best practices
  *Record or map activity

Organization:
  *Supplies, equipment, pamphlets are obtained / compiled to create kits
  *Distribution to a network of municipalities and community groups who facilitate storm drain marking activities in their watersheds
  *Volunteers undertake the activity in their neighbourhood

This project is ideal for community groups who wish to ‘help the salmon’. This engaging educational activity has low impact on our waterways by emphasizing stewardship through on-shore activities. As more and more British Columbians hear of the need to protect our waterways it has become vital that we nourish this enthusiasm and provide a simple and immediate opportunity for their participation.

This project provides an entry level opportunity to participate in their community where people live, work or play. It is a powerful tool that helps communities connect to their watersheds.  It achieves this connection by providing a meaningful hands-on activity that is both action oriented and directly helps salmon and salmon habitat.  Participation in this activity has positive results:
    *creates satisfaction through self-education and educating others towards behavior change
    *this feeling of satisfaction encourages people to get more involved and to take ownership for the health of watersheds and the life they contain
    *this feeling of ownership inspires people to make more behaviour changes 1
The project contains several educational messages;
    *it informs on the need for good quality water in our streams for salmon health and survival
    *it explains how storm drains systems are connected to streams
    *it highlights how streams and salmon rely on positive human actions
    *it provides best practices and encourages behaviors that promote stream health for salmon
  1Even if people participate in one event, this will increase their ecological identity and has a strong potential to change their behaviour at home where they will likely recycle, pester neighbours and friends to do the right things, plant trees at home, etc. The more the individual participates, the more their behaviour will change.
From a presentation by Veronica (Ronnie) Wahl, UBC at the GBPS Conference,Vancouver, March 2007.


See also:

http://www.pskf.ca/