Public Education & outreach is an important part of SCVURPPP’s stormwater management activities. Public outreach events, educational campaigns, advertising, and educational programs are carried out under the umbrella of the Watershed Watch Campaign. This multi-year, multi-faceted outreach campaign raises awareness about protecting watersheds and preventing stormwater pollution.
SCVURPPP conducts several public education & outreach efforts, including: media advertising, Watershed Watch school assemblies, Watershed Watchers programs at Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge, and distributing public health information online and via brochures.
Educators, teachers, residents and businesses:
Check out the Watershed Watch website for informational resources, events and volunteer opportunities in the Santa Clara Valley.
Media Advertising
Advertisements run on TV, radio and digital media to promote less-toxic pest management, green streets, litter prevention, the Santa Clara Valley Green Gardener program, car washing, and proper disposal of household hazardous waste.
Watershed Watch School Assemblies
Bilingual musical assemblies by the musical group ZunZun educate Santa Clara County elementary students and their teachers on watersheds and stormwater pollution prevention. Since 2002, tens of thousands of students and their teachers have attended these assemblies.
We staff public outreach events. Come visit us at our booth!
Watershed Watchers Program at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
SCVURPPP continues to fund the Watershed Watchers Program at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Environmental Education Center. The Watershed Watchers Program conducts numerous activities that build watershed awareness and encourage pollution prevention habits. Boy/Girl Scout troops, youth groups, families and others have participated in marsh walks, gardening events, and wildlife-watching activities.
Other Public Outreach Activities
SCVURPPP provides the following outreach information on the Watershed Watch website, at public events, and in educational programs:
- Safe Fish Consumption – California’s Guide to Eating Fish and Shellfish from San Francisco Bay brochure informs residents and fishermen on the mercury risks of eating certain types of Bay fish.
- Less-Toxic Pest Control – To help hardware, retail and nursery customers choose safer pest control products, SCVURPPP maintains less-toxic pest management literature and labels less-toxic products on shelves.
- Green Streets webpage – informs residents about how to integrate Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) and Low Impact Development features into their own yards and landscapes.
- South Bay Green Gardens website – The South Bay Green Gardens Program is a joint effort between SCVURPPP & the Santa Clara County Recycling and Waste Reduction Technical Advisory Committee to help gardeners conserve water, prevent pollution and promote healthy soils.
Public Education & Outreach Program Documents
Resources for residents, businesses, gardeners, educators and students are available on the Watershed Watch website.