The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy is conducting a multi-year conservation, education and cleanup program to address the specific needs of the six sub-watersheds that comprise the Perkiomen Watershed. Pilot activities include signage, newsletters, a watershed conference, implementation of watershed curriculum in early-childhood education programs and municipal outreach.
Status:
In 2006 alone, the activities of this program included: printing and distributing two newsletters (circulation of 1,500 each); providing information and assistance to municipalities through various workshops and materials; coordinating and holding two cleanup events; providing services/programs to 68 school classrooms; conducting a stormwater survey and award system; and holding a photography contest yielding 600 entries.
• Stormwater BMPs at Riverbend Environmental Education Center
Riverbend Environmental Education Center is creating a porous-pavement parking lot, complete with a subsurface storage/infiltration bed and two bio-retention areas, to temporarily store stormwater before it percolates into the soil or discharges from the system. The parking lot and bio-retention areas will also serve as educational demonstration tools for approximately 10,000 visitors who come to Riverbend annually for environmental education programs, summer camp, and daily visits.
Status:
The installation of a parking lot and bio-retention area was completed in 2006, and this includes the installation of educational signage. Riverbend has already participated in several opportunities to use the parking lot as a demonstration site featuring pervious-pavement technology, and it continues to explore new ways to incorporate the project into its educational programming.
• Schuylkill Action Network Website & RiverCast
Two Web-based educational resources are being developed as part of the SWIG Education & Outreach effort: the Schuylkill Action Network’s website, www.SchuylkillActionNetwork.com, and an online forecasting tool located at www.PhillyRiverCast.org. Both efforts have been undertaken by the Philadelphia Water Department to help inform the community about water quality in the Schuylkill River and SAN’s efforts. Philly RiverCast uses real-time information on turbidity, flow, and rainfall to predict bacteria levels and advocate a “safety rating” that clearly indicates current conditions in the river.
Status: Both websites are up and running with regular maintenance, improvements and monitoring. Meanwhile, an effort is underway to secure additional resources for a re-design of SAN’s Web strategy in light of evolving communication needs. Plans are likewise being made to add tools to Philly RiverCast that will allow more flexibility and functionality.
• Coordination & Technical Transfer of SWIG Experience
Coordination of SWIG projects, including documenting, tracking and reporting progress, is being done by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, with technical support from the Philadelphia Water Department. Reaching out and communicating project processes, results and lessons learned is all part of this effort. This includes participation in state and national conferences to relay technical information, data, and the lessons learned by the Schuylkill Action Network.
Status: Experiences have been shared at a variety of local, regional, and national conferences, including the Schuylkill Watershed Congress in 2006 and 2007. There have also been several newspaper and newsletter articles published about the SAN and/or SWIG as a result of this effort. The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary also collects, synthesizes, and compiles progress reports for the Environmental Protection Agency every February and August while the grant is active.
Learn even more about the Schuylkill Action Network’s Education and Outreach Subcommittee, and its efforts to increase public awareness and education tools in the watershed, at: www.SchuylkillActionNetwork.org.
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