What Is the Watershed Stewards Academy? The Howard County chapter of the Metropolitan Baltimore Watershed Stewards Academy is a 15-class course that trains, supports and empowers community leaders to serve as Master Watershed Stewards in the protection, restoration and conservation of Howard County watersheds.
Why Are Master Watershed Stewards Needed? A watershed is the land area that drains to a common body of water, such as a stream, lake or bay. Changes to the land, such as forest clearing and the addition of roads, driveways, parking lots and rooftops, greatly increase the amount of stormwater runoff that reaches our local waterways. This runoff is swiftly carried to our local streams and rivers and can cause flooding and erosion, and wash away important habitat for critters that live in the stream. Stormwater runoff also picks up and carries with it many different pollutants that are found on paved surfaces such as sediment, nitrogen, phosphorus, bacteria, oil and grease, trash, pesticides and metals.
What Is the Training Designed For? The Howard County Watershed Stewards Academy (HoCoWSA) is a training program to
empower residents to improve the water quality of local streams. Stewards become community leaders in reducing harmful effects of polluted stormwater running off into our streams.
The Academy provides Stewards knowledge and expertise from lecturers, training in using watershed assessment tools for analyzing stormwater runoff and hands-on experience installing a solution to a stormwater management problem. A consortium of experienced stormwater
management practitioners will provide Stewards with on-going support for their community projects.
Master Watershed Stewards Will:
Who Developed the Program? The HoCoWSA has been developed by an Advisory Committee with members from University of Maryland Extension-Howard County, Center for Watershed Protection, Howard County Office of Environmental Sustainability and Dept. of Public Works, Columbia Association, Howard County Legacy Leadership Institute for the Environment and the local volunteer community. We have benefitted from the advice and cooperation of the Watershed Stewards Academies of Anne Arundel County and the National Capitol Region. Grant funding to develop this program came from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Howard County.
Why Are Master Watershed Stewards Needed? A watershed is the land area that drains to a common body of water, such as a stream, lake or bay. Changes to the land, such as forest clearing and the addition of roads, driveways, parking lots and rooftops, greatly increase the amount of stormwater runoff that reaches our local waterways. This runoff is swiftly carried to our local streams and rivers and can cause flooding and erosion, and wash away important habitat for critters that live in the stream. Stormwater runoff also picks up and carries with it many different pollutants that are found on paved surfaces such as sediment, nitrogen, phosphorus, bacteria, oil and grease, trash, pesticides and metals.
What Is the Training Designed For? The Howard County Watershed Stewards Academy (HoCoWSA) is a training program to
empower residents to improve the water quality of local streams. Stewards become community leaders in reducing harmful effects of polluted stormwater running off into our streams.
The Academy provides Stewards knowledge and expertise from lecturers, training in using watershed assessment tools for analyzing stormwater runoff and hands-on experience installing a solution to a stormwater management problem. A consortium of experienced stormwater
management practitioners will provide Stewards with on-going support for their community projects.
Master Watershed Stewards Will:
- learn best management techniques to reduce pollution at its source and "slow the flow" of stormwater from neighborhood watersheds into local streams;
- use their new skills to implement "Capstone Projects," such as rain gardens and rain barrels;
- educate the public about need to need to prevent stormwater pollution;
- engage and educate a wide range of citizens in critical water quality improvement projects;
- serve as a resource for family, friends and the community on actions they can take to improve their watersheds; and
- receive technical support from a consortium of professionals on design, implementation and fundraising for Capstone Projects (to be completed 6-8 months after the final formal course).
Who Developed the Program? The HoCoWSA has been developed by an Advisory Committee with members from University of Maryland Extension-Howard County, Center for Watershed Protection, Howard County Office of Environmental Sustainability and Dept. of Public Works, Columbia Association, Howard County Legacy Leadership Institute for the Environment and the local volunteer community. We have benefitted from the advice and cooperation of the Watershed Stewards Academies of Anne Arundel County and the National Capitol Region. Grant funding to develop this program came from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Howard County.