The Watershed Stewards Academy aims to train community leaders to restore local waterways and reduce stormwater runoff in Anne Arundel County. The program educates participants about watershed issues over 15 evening and weekend classes, including assessments, GIS, pollution threats, and restoration projects. Trainees implement a capstone project and join a network of Master Watershed Stewards. The initiative also seeks to engage non-traditional audiences like faith communities by highlighting the connections between faith traditions, environmental stewardship, and watershed protection.

1. A Model for Engaging Non-
Traditional Audiences in
Watershed Issues
Watershed Stewards Academy for
Faith Communities

2. The Need – Restore the
Chesapeake Bay

3. How? By Whom?
• Legislation
• Regulation • Federal, State, and Local
• Enforcement Governments
• Technology • Agencies
• Education and • Non-profits
Awareness • General Public

4. Watershed Stewards Academy is an initiative of Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center
and the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works to empower communities to
restore local waterways.
The Watershed Stewards Academy trains and supports community leaders to serve as
Master Watershed Stewards in the protection, restoration and conservation of our
watersheds, working to reduce the negative impacts of stormwater runoff in Anne Arundel
County. If you live in Anne Arundel County, you can make a difference in the health of our
waterways.

5. WSA recognizes that although the government has the responsibility to provide
leadership, enforcement and resources toward ensuring clean water, without the
collective contributions of all watershed residents, no real progress may be made
toward this goal.
Pg. 96

6. The National Capital Region Watershed Stewards Academy is an initiative of a coalition
of watershed protection groups in the Potomac, Rock Creek, Anacostia and East
Patuxent watersheds -- roughly covering Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in
Maryland and the District of Columbia. Master Stewards will implement projects that
decrease pollution, prevent stormwater runoff, and improve water quality in their
community's rivers and streams, thus positively impacting the waterways of the
National Capital Region and the Chesapeake Bay.

7. National Capital Region
Watersheds
Anacostia Watershed Potomac Watershed

9. America’s Most
Endangered Rivers 2012

10. Restore stream health by a thousand repairs
Train individuals to become community leaders who can help raise awareness of watershed
issues, including problems and solutions:
Assessing watersheds at a neighborhood level with particular attention to stormwater
runoff and pollution sources.
Creating solutions for stormwater and pollution reduction into local waterways by
installing rain gardens, and other ways to reduce the amount of pollution entering
into water bodies.
Educating and Engaging communities through talks at community meetings, fairs,
churches, and other neighborhood organizations.
Training program includes
• 15 class evening and weekend training program
• Education about watershed issues including stormwater runoff, neighborhood
assessments, GIS basics, pollution threats to watershed, and restoration projects
• Presentations from local experts via classroom lectures and field trips
• Capstone restoration project, planned and implemented by teams of students
• Membership in a network of Master Watershed Stewards and consortium member
• Consortium

11. Classroom Instruction & Capstone Projects
Photos by Maria Sgambati

12. Benefits of WSA
• Army of Stewards, and you’re the General
• Facilitates connections between public,
business and government
• Generates a groundswell of awareness and
action benefitting watersheds
• Helps municipalities with the WIP and MS4

13. How To Reach Outside Current
Audience

14. Engaging People of Faith in
Watershed Issues
… For Pious Reasons …

15. and Practical Ones …

16. Tailor WSA curriculum to specific audience
• Connections to Faith Traditions
Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you.
– Wendell Berry
• GIS – Sense of Place
If you don’t know where you are, you can’t know who you are.
– Wendell Berry
• Water: Sacred and Profaned
• When Heaven Meets Earth: Community Engagement
and Empowerment

17. Class Capstone Project

18. When Heaven Meets Earth
Fishable, Swimmable, Baptizable

19. Resources for Pollution Source Reduction

20. Incorporate Creation Care in…
• Worship
• Bible Study and Ministry
• Buildings and Maintenance
• Advocacy

21. NCR WSA Supporters
Many thanks to Wendy Bell, Suzanne Etgen, Jim Foster, Kit Gage, Jenny Reed, Amanda
Rockler, Maria Sgambati

22. The Goal

23. Thank You!
Lee Cain Dottie Yunger
Director of Adult Programs Executive Director
Anacostia Watershed Society Chesapeake Covenant Community
lcain@anacostiaws.org dottie@chesapeakecovenant.org
Program Specialist
Anacostia Watershed Society
dyunger@anacostiaws.org