Florida Waters Stewardship Program Seeks Participants

LARGO, FL – Florida’s peninsula within a peninsula – Pinellas County – is looking for residents who are interested in in protecting its waterways.

The UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County is hosting the Florida Waters Stewardship Program. Started by Lara Milligan, the natural resources agent for the Pinellas County Extension, the program follows a similar format to other “Master” programs, such as the Master Gardener program. The Florida Waters Stewardship Program focuses entirely on water.

“It is one thing to learn about local water resources, but another to become a steward of those resources, and this program is designed to teach both,” Milligan said in a blog post on the UF/IFAS website.

The eight-session course, set to begin on Tuesday, Aug. 22, will take participants to various locations around Pinellas County to shed light on water stewardship. Participants will explore local watersheds allowing them to view different issues firsthand, learn about practices and policies affecting state and local waterways and enhance communication and leadership skills.

Class members will also create new and updated text, photos and videos for Pinellas County’s online atlas of water resources, Pinellas County Watershed Excursion, located at www.pinellas.wateratlas.usf.edu/wse.

The schedule for the Florida Waters Stewardship Program is:

• Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. – Watershed Basics and Stewardship at Brooker Creek Preserve, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs
• Tuesday, Sept. 5 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. – Water Flow, Then and Now at Honeymoon Island, 1 Causeway Blvd., Dunedin
• Saturday, Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Panel Discussion at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus
• Tuesday, Sept. 19 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Water Laws and Other Tools at South Cross Bayou Water Reclamation Facility, 7401 54th Ave. N., St. Petersburg
• Tuesday, Oct. 3 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Future Water Supply and Emerging Issues at St. Petersburg Water Utility, 1650 Third Ave. N.
• Saturday, Oct. 14 from 2 to 5 p.m. – Stewardship Project Updates at Safety Harbor Library, 101 Second St. N.
• Tuesday, Oct. 24 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Speaking of and for Water at Bilmar Beach Resort, 10650 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island
• Saturday, Nov. 4 from 2 to 5 p.m. – Graduation and Guided Canoe Tour at Weedon Island Preserve, 1800 Weedon Drive N.E., St. Petersburg

The course costs $89 and limited seating is available. Participants younger than 18 can attend the classes if joined by an adult who also is registered.

Visit www.eventbrite.com and search for “Florida Waters Stewardship Program 2017” to register or e-mail Milligan at lara317@ufl.edu for more information.

Photography provided courtesy of Pinellas County Marketing and Communications Department