Registration open for Florida Waters Stewardship course

Become a Water Steward – Working With Water, Working With People

To make a difference concerning the issues surrounding water quality and quantity in our communities, we must understand the various ways in which we interact with water. As Floridians, we are connected to our oceans and bays by our faucets and laundries, to our neighborhood ponds and lakes by our yards and streets, and to our regional and statewide neighbors by our surface and groundwater supplies. Course fee is $125 per person, or $200 for two people registering together.

This new program will use expert presentations, online explorations, experiential learning, field experience in watershed science, and communication skills training to foster a greater understanding of these interactions and provide the tools necessary to become stewards of our water resources.

During the course, participants will travel to locations across Pinellas County to explore the natural beauty, learn about emerging water issues, and meet with local experts.

Participants will also work together to plan and implement a stewardship project that makes a difference in the community, attend a relevant stakeholder meeting and explore online resources to learn more about water between class sessions.

The evening classes will meet on the following dates at various locations: Aug. 23, Sept. 6, Sept. 18, Oct. 2, Oct. 16, Oct. 30, Nov. 13.

In addition to the sessions listed above, the group will meet informally on other dates to discuss a class stewardship project in more detail, tentatively Sept. 15 and Sept. 29.

Course requirements:

• Attend at least five of the seven sessions, two of which MUST be the first and last ones (Session #1 and Session #7)
• Attend and briefly describe a stakeholder gathering
• Complete online mini-sessions
• Participate in the online forum discussions
• Be actively involved in our class stewardship project

This course has limited seating/availability. Register early to reserve your spot. Youth (under 18) are eligible to register as long as an accompanying adult is also registered for the program)

For more information about this course, please contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County Natural Resources Agent, Lara Milligan at lara317@ufl.edu or 727-453-6905.