It’s all in the outputs: Choosing It’s all in the outputs: Choosing partners for successful NPS partners for successful NPS

pollution reduction in pollution reduction in an urban watershedan urban watershedSt. Albans, VermontSt. Albans, Vermont

Karen Bates, Vt. Agency of Natural ResourcesKaren Bates, Vt. Agency of Natural Resources

Jurij Homziak, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, University Jurij Homziak, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, University

of Vermont Extensionof Vermont Extension

Successful Community Successful Community Educational EffortEducational Effort

Community group takes lead role Community group takes lead role

Resource staff invest time and Resource staff invest time and energy at critical pointsenergy at critical points

Project DescriptionProject Description

St. Albans Area Watershed Association, St. Albans Area Watershed Association, high school students and other volunteers high school students and other volunteers provided provided – education on lake friendly lawn care practices education on lake friendly lawn care practices

to homeowners in St. Albans City to homeowners in St. Albans City – specific information on soil nutrient levels to specific information on soil nutrient levels to

help them implement specific practices help them implement specific practices – survey to show change in behaviorsurvey to show change in behavior

Project ResultsProject Results

Survey indicates change in behavior: Survey indicates change in behavior: decrease in fertilizer usedecrease in fertilizer use

Community able to collect most Community able to collect most comprehensive data set of phosphorus comprehensive data set of phosphorus levels in soil from lawns in arealevels in soil from lawns in area– LegislatorsLegislators– Other researchersOther researchers

Addressing urban non-point Addressing urban non-point source pollutionsource pollution

““Develop long-term environmental Develop long-term environmental stewardship and understanding of stewardship and understanding of the Lake Champlain Basin by the Lake Champlain Basin by enhancing educational enhancing educational opportunities….”opportunities….”

Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan for the Lake Champlain Basinfor the Lake Champlain Basin

Education programs led by Education programs led by government and non government and non

governmental organizationsgovernmental organizations

Community-led education Community-led education programprogram

Effective in reaching community Effective in reaching community

Reduces time commitment by resource Reduces time commitment by resource staffstaff

PROCESSPROCESS

Resource Identification

Implementation

Project Initiation

Initiation of project during Initiation of project during basin planning processbasin planning process

Involved existing resources and Involved existing resources and interest in community interest in community

Created forum for brain storming: Created forum for brain storming: identify problem and potential identify problem and potential solutions solutions

Facilitated development of project and Facilitated development of project and roles with partnersroles with partners

Discussion GroupDiscussion Group

Composting Association of VermontComposting Association of Vermont

St. Albans Area Watershed AssociationSt. Albans Area Watershed Association

Gund Institute for Ecological Gund Institute for Ecological EconomicsEconomics

Master Gardener ProgramMaster Gardener Program

Lake Champlain Sea Grant ProgramLake Champlain Sea Grant Program

Chittenden County Stormwater Chittenden County Stormwater Education ProgramEducation Program

Project GoalProject Goal

Achieve a wider recognition within the Achieve a wider recognition within the community of personal responsibility community of personal responsibility and acceptance of lake friendly lawn and acceptance of lake friendly lawn and garden practices and garden practices

St. Albans Area Watershed St. Albans Area Watershed AssociationAssociation

Community Community recognizes water recognizes water quality problemsquality problems

Recently formed with Recently formed with membership of 400 membership of 400

Energetic high school Energetic high school teacher teacher

St. Albans Bay, Lake Champlain

St. Albans CitySt. Albans City

Population of 7500 Population of 7500 over 2 sq. milesover 2 sq. miles

Technical ResourcesTechnical Resources

Provide education on lake friendly lawn care Provide education on lake friendly lawn care and other residential practicesand other residential practices– Master Gardener Program, Gund Institute, CAVMaster Gardener Program, Gund Institute, CAV

Offer free soil tests and summarize resultsOffer free soil tests and summarize results– Master Gardener Program, Gund InstituteMaster Gardener Program, Gund Institute

Send out a survey before and after Send out a survey before and after educational efforts and analyzeeducational efforts and analyze– Lake Champlain Sea Grant ProgramLake Champlain Sea Grant Program

Monetary Resources

Lake Champlain Basin Program – $4,590Lake Champlain Basin Program – $4,590– student and watershed assn coordinatorstudent and watershed assn coordinator– mailings, and mailings, and – data input and analyses by graduate studentdata input and analyses by graduate student

Water Wheel – $2,000 Water Wheel – $2,000 – soil tests and miscellaneoussoil tests and miscellaneous

Sea Grant Program - $1000Sea Grant Program - $1000– Additional analyses by graduate studentAdditional analyses by graduate student

Community Resources

Volunteer hours Volunteer hours – Student work included labeling 750 post Student work included labeling 750 post

cards, folding and addressing 1500 cards, folding and addressing 1500 surveys, taking soil samples, developing surveys, taking soil samples, developing questionaires, giving presentationsquestionaires, giving presentations

Understanding of the communityUnderstanding of the community– Revisions to original project Revisions to original project

Educational Forums

10 community members attended10 community members attended

Revisions to Forums

Public access TV taped and aired twicePublic access TV taped and aired twice

Different approach in subsequent year: Different approach in subsequent year: Students go to neighborsStudents go to neighbors15 students X 3 contacts = 45 people15 students X 3 contacts = 45 people

Educational Articles

One newspaper article One newspaper article

two watershed association newsletterstwo watershed association newsletters

Revision to educational articles

Each student wrote a letter to the editor Each student wrote a letter to the editor of local newspaperof local newspaper– A week and a half of letters on lake friendly A week and a half of letters on lake friendly

lawn and garden practiceslawn and garden practices

More educational opportunities

739 households received a survey on bmps739 households received a survey on bmps

Tom Bushey, residentTom Bushey, resident

The surveys mailed out by the students The surveys mailed out by the students got him thinking about what he was doing. got him thinking about what he was doing. In response he stopped using fertilizer and In response he stopped using fertilizer and

moved his lawn clipping pile away from moved his lawn clipping pile away from streamstream. .

And more educational opportunities

Soil testsSoil tests– Master Gardener Master Gardener

interns provided 90 interns provided 90 residents with lake residents with lake friendly lawn and friendly lawn and garden practices fact garden practices fact sheets and free soil sheets and free soil test results. test results.

29 students in two sets of stream ecology 29 students in two sets of stream ecology classes and the effect of their enthusiasm on classes and the effect of their enthusiasm on parents, neighbors, peersparents, neighbors, peers

And more educational opportunities

The Survey

AccuracyAccuracy

The survey administered in 2004 had a The survey administered in 2004 had a 23.6% response rate (173/739). 90% 23.6% response rate (173/739). 90% confidence ± 5.5% errorconfidence ± 5.5% error

The survey administered in 2005 had a The survey administered in 2005 had a 15.06% response rate (115/739). 90% 15.06% response rate (115/739). 90% confidence ± 7.1% errorconfidence ± 7.1% error

Property characteristics of Property characteristics of residential lotsresidential lots

< 1/4 acre

1/4 - 1/2 acre

> 1/2 acre

Lawn care practicesLawn care practices

41% use fertilizer41% use fertilizer

69% apply 69% apply inorganic fertilizerinorganic fertilizer

For nitrogen: over For nitrogen: over 25% over 25% over applicationapplication

Willingness to change lawn care Willingness to change lawn care practicespractices

95

3929

0

20

40

60

80

100

willing or verywilling

neutral

not wiling

Measured Change in BehaviorMeasured Change in Behavior

Statistical Method For Testing Statistical Method For Testing Differences in SurveysDifferences in Surveys

One tailed t-test (Ho = no difference in One tailed t-test (Ho = no difference in pre- versus post education proportions, Ha pre- versus post education proportions, Ha = difference between pre and post = difference between pre and post education proportions). education proportions). – Widely used, proven robust and powerful test, Widely used, proven robust and powerful test,

although technically not applicable to although technically not applicable to proportions (minor quibble, reference SISA proportions (minor quibble, reference SISA Simple Interactive Statistical Analysis Simple Interactive Statistical Analysis http://home.clara.net/sisa/http://home.clara.net/sisa/))

Increase in people not fertilizing Increase in people not fertilizing lawns – highly significantlawns – highly significant

59

69

54

56

58

60

62

64

66

68

70

No use of lawn fertilizer

2004

2005

Increase in soil testing - significantIncrease in soil testing - significant

1.4

8.6

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Fertilize based on soil test results

2004

2005

Decrease in respondents’ reliance on Decrease in respondents’ reliance on fertilizer company’s recommendations – fertilizer company’s recommendations –

highly significanthighly significant

70

40

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Reliance on bag instructions orplanned step program

2004

2005

Survey Results Survey Results

Education works: willingness and ability to Education works: willingness and ability to change practiceschange practices

Concerns Concerns – cost cost – appearance of lawnappearance of lawn– ease of application ease of application – water quality water quality

Soil MapSoil Map

Next StepNext Step

““Don’t Fertilize in Spring” CampaignDon’t Fertilize in Spring” CampaignEducate area suppliers of fertilizers Educate area suppliers of fertilizers

Phosphorus responsible for water Phosphorus responsible for water quality quality problems in bay problems in bay

Spring application is unnecessarySpring application is unnecessary Results of soil tests in area indicate high Results of soil tests in area indicate high

P P levelslevels

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

Community-led education partnered with Community-led education partnered with technical assistance is successfultechnical assistance is successful

Surveys are effective ways of determining Surveys are effective ways of determining measurable outcomemeasurable outcome

Critical points for assistanceCritical points for assistance

Identify and obtain partners and fundingIdentify and obtain partners and funding

Provide technical expertise, including Provide technical expertise, including analysis of collected dataanalysis of collected data

Comments/FeedbackComments/Feedback

Jeff Rouleau, teacherJeff Rouleau, teacher

“ “The project was incredibly worthwhile and The project was incredibly worthwhile and provided experiences that kids will never provided experiences that kids will never forget.”forget.”

““Kids are very idealistic and we should use Kids are very idealistic and we should use this in a good way to take action. A kid will this in a good way to take action. A kid will take something enormously large and still take something enormously large and still believe they can do something about it.” believe they can do something about it.”