What Does
“2 mg/L of Nitrate”
Mean to You?
Taking Springs Protection Education
to the Next Level
Ondine Wells
Peter Colverson
Normandeau Associates
UF Water Institute Symposium, February 2012
Fundamental Question
Are our current educational strategies
reducing the nutrient loads
to our springs?
Nutrients In the Springshed
Scientists:
- Sources
- Concentrations
- Impacts
Educators:
- BEHAVIOR of
those contributing
nutrients to the
basin
Photo: Washington State Water Quality Consortium
Springs Working Groups
• Engage a diversity of
stakeholders within the
springshed
• Provide forum for
unbiased education
and sharing of
scientific data
Talking about Springs:
Acronyms, jargon, and legalese
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mg/L
Ppm
TMDL
BMP
BMAP
MFL
Hydrologic gradient
Discharge
Numeric nutrient criteria
Significant harm
Finding the Right Medium
The Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) target
developed (a monthly average of 0.35
milligrams per liter [mg/L] of nitrate [NO3])
was determined to be sufficiently protective
of the aquatic flora or fauna in the Santa Fe
River. Achieving reductions in nutrients
(NO3) is expected to reduce any pollutant
impacts associated with DO.
Excerpt from Executive Summary of the Basin Management Action Plan for the Santa Fe River Basin, January 2012
Finding the Right Medium
Photo Credit: Larry Korhnak and Dina Liebowitz
Educational Signage
Following the Paper Trail
Report Cards
Sponsored by Three Rivers FNPC, Inc. / Prepared by Wetland Solutions,
Inc.
Prepared by Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute
http://www.floridasprings.org/downloads/florida_138_v5b5uasj.pdf
http://wetlandsolutionsinc.com/files/paper_reports/Ichetucknee%20200
8%20Final%20Report%20Card.pdf
Photo Comparisons
Devil’s Eye, Ichetucknee Springs State Park
Photos by John Moran
These photos were displayed at Florida Museum of Natural History as part of
The Blue Path exhibit developed by Florida’s Eden.
1995
2006
Citizen Science & Data Sharing
Making science and data accessible
• SPRINGSWATCH
• SRWMD Water
Data Portal
http://www.mysuwannee
river.org/nitrates.htm
Experiential
• Canoe Trips and Basin
Tours
• Ichetucknee PARKnership
at Fort White Middle and
High Schools, started 2002
2010-11:
 709 students
 84 days at park
 33 labs/projects
completed
Photos: http://www.floridasprings.org and Ichetucknee PARKnership
Success?
Are behaviors changing?
What motivates
someone to change their
behavior?
Community-Based Social Marketing
Shifting our focus from awareness to behavior change
Written
Graphic
Awareness & Understanding
Participation
Social Marketing
Change in Attitude
Behavior Change
Social Media vs. Social Marketing
Social Media
“Web-based and mobile technologies used to turn
communication into interactive dialogue”
Social Marketing
“The systematic application of marketing, along with
other concepts and techniques, to achieve specific
behavioral goals for a social good.”
(Source: Wikipedia)
Creating a Social Marketing Program
• Identify the problems (what is causing the
impairment).
• Identify the problem behaviors and the new
behaviors you want to promote.
Know your Audience
Each springs basin has a unique identity
Know your Audience
Each springs basin has a unique identity
northfloridaherald.com
Know your Audience
Each springs basin has a unique identity
Identify Your Audience’s Barriers to Change
Goal: To have customers bring their own shopping
bags to the grocery store.
Barriers: Can you think of any?
• Forgot bags in the car
• Forgot bags at home
• Want plastic bags
• Don’t perceive a benefit
• Don’t own shopping bags
• Don’t want to pay for decent bags
Social Marketing Tools
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Pledges
Incentives
Prompts
Provide Feedback
Create Norms
Rethinking Evaluation: Impacts
Beyond Brochures and Attendance
• Survey responses (self
reported, observed, measured)
• Fertilizer sales
• Fertilizer labeling and bag size
• Water usage data
• Septic tank inspections and
upgrades
• Measuring Water Quality (ex.
nutrient levels)
Next Steps
• Training educators in Social Marketing
• Consistency in approaches and messages
• Incorporating social marketing tools into
programs and using new technologies
• Changing the way we evaluate success
Questions?
Ondine Wells
[email protected]
Peter Colverson
[email protected]