Extension Pinellas County Offering Waters Stewardship Program

ST. PETERSBURG, FL —The UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County on Friday announced details about this year's Florida Waters Stewardship Program, which begins August 25 and offers participants a chance to gain a deeper understanding of how citizens interact with and protect Florida waters, the organization said

UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County is a partnership between the Pinellas County government and the University Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) and provides research-based knowledge and education programs focused on different topics, including sustainable living.

The Waters Stewardship Program, according to a release, will give participants a chance to explore local watersheds and learn about practices and policies affecting waters of Pinellas County and Florida. There also will be an opportunity to participate in a stewardship project.

The course will feature seven informal, interactive sessions, which meet for three hours every two weeks until Nov. 17. The sessions will include class discussions, field tours and conversations with local water experts. There also will online explorations between sessions and the stewardship project. The program costs $89 and registration can be done online.

The Waters Stewardship Program course schedule includes:

Session 1 - Wednesday, Aug. 25 (9 a.m. to noon):

Topic: Watershed Basics and Stewardship

Location: Brooker Creek Preserve in Tarpon Springs

Guest Speaker: Alex Fugate, environmental specialist at the Pinellas County Utilities Logan Lab

Session 2 - Wednesday, Sept. 8 (9 a.m. to noon):

Topic: Water Laws and Other Tools

Location: Pinellas County's South Cross Bayou Advanced Water Reclamation Facility in St. Petersburg.

Guest Speaker: Shea Dunifon, education coordinator at Pinellas County Utilities

Session 3 - Wednesday, Sept. 22 (9 a.m. to noon):

Topic: Water Flow, Then and Now

Location: Philippe Park in Safety Harbor

Guest Speaker: Stacey Day, environmental program manager at Pinellas County Environmental Management

Session 4 - Wednesday, Oct. 6 (9 a.m. to noon):

Topic: Panel Discussion with local environmental nonprofit groups and Stewardship Project Updates

Location: Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo

Session 5 - Wednesday, Oct. 20 (9 a.m. to noon):

Topic: Future Water Supply and Emerging Issues

Location: Keller Water Treatment Facility in Tarpon Springs

Guest Speaker: Tirusew Asefa, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, manager of planning and system decision support at Tampa Bay Water.

Session 6 – Wednesday, Nov. 3 (9 a.m. to noon):

Topic: Speaking of and for Water

Location: Tampa Bay Watch in Tierra Verde

Guest Speakers: Rachel Arndt, communications manager with Tampa Bay Watch, and Dr. Sadie Hundemer, natural resources social scientist

Session 7- Wednesday, Nov. 17 (9 a.m. to noon):

Topic: Water Stewardship In Action. Program Graduation

Location: Weedon Island Preserve in St. Petersburg

Youth under the age of 18 are eligible to register for the Waters Stewardship Program if an accompanying adult is also registered for the program. Additionally, scholarships are available. Applications can be found online. The deadline to submit a scholarship application is Friday Aug. 13.

More information about the Waters Stewardship Program and other courses is available on the UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County website.