Author: Jillian Daly
The afternoon on the second day of our Teachers on the Estuary workshop involved games and candy money. Our Training Coordinator, Whitney Jenkins, brought out her favorite game to teach folks about watershed management.
Each of the 30 reserves in the National Estuarine Research Reserve system employs a Training Coordinator who provides coastal decision-makers with science-based training and technical assistance for better management of the natural resources in their communities. Whitney recognized that when folks move to the North Carolina coast, their first point of contact is often a real estate agent. So, she reaches coastal agents directly and provides professional development on how to protect the coast, to help inform newcomers.
To introduce the concept of sustainable development and why it matters, Whitney began with a presentation.
With a screen showing photos of sea walls, concrete, fake, and nonnative trees, the teachers understood what Whitney means when she says we have changed the natural hydrology of the land.
Our conventional land development practices have created a high percentage of impervious surfaces in our watersheds. These hardened surfaces, such as parking lots and driveways, prevent water from seeping into the ground, so instead, the water runs off these hardened surfaces. This runoff carries pollution to local waters after rainfall events. Though there are storm drains in parking lots, the stormwater that flows through these devices may not be treated, so all the gas, oil, trash, and other pollutants that have accumulated on the pavement may flush into our local water bodies, such as Taylor’s Creek across from the Rachel Carson Reserve.
She also highlights how towns are often designed around cars rather than people and walkability. Think about a cul-de-sac and how much impervious surface that is only to service a handful of homes. This is illustrated by the image below, which we call the stormwater superhighway. The rain runs down the roof, to the gutter, the downspout, the driveway, the storm drain, and doesn’t see anything green to sink into. Instead, the runoff carries the pollutants built up on these hard surfaces to our local water bodies.
Research shows that as soon as we get 10% of impervious surfaces in our watershed, we begin to experience an impact to our local water quality.
Why do we care about this? We care because we want our water resources available for their intended uses, which are:
- Recreational activities like swimming and fishing
- Clean drinking water
- Healthy habitat for aquatic life
Water quality impairment is when a waterbody cannot meet its intended use. An example of water quality impairment can be seen when an estuary has high levels of bacteria that ban the harvesting of oysters. Oysters are filter feeders and accumulate whatever is in the water into their bodies. If stormwater runoff has carried things like pet waste or wastewater into the estuary, these pollutants build up in the oysters as they feed, and if eaten, can make people sick.
This is just one example of how land use and development are directly connected to water quality and the health of our estuaries. Shellfish harvest closures and swimming advisories, also caused by high levels of bacteria in our swimming waters, are happening all too frequently.
Even though conventional development doesn’t protect water quality, we can still develop the land while protecting water quality through sustainable development.
After the teachers learned the basics, Whitney brought out the Watershed game. The objective is to introduce concepts of sustainable development. The participants circle the map and are divided into teams representing local government, businesses, and residents. Their job is to reduce pollution coming from stormwater before new government regulations are imposed upon them. This takes teamwork and often sharing of resources to achieve a common goal. Candy is the currency, so you know that the stakes are high. Everyone wants a pack of M&Ms after a long day!
By the end of the game, the participants have added vegetated buffers and living shorelines to help filter the water, educated town staff on stormwater control device maintenance, protected critical watershed areas in conservation easements, and installed permeable paving in parking lots. By collaborating and sharing their candy money, the teachers successfully reduced the pollution load to the sound to the pre-established limits, success!
This game is always a hit with real estate agents as well. “Before opening my real estate company, I was in education. When I retired, I was the assistant superintendent for a county school system, but I began my career as a science teacher. I wanted to let you know that this was one of the best professional development presentations I have attended in my 35-year career in education. The way you covered the real estate topics through science was outstanding,” said a recent satisfied real estate workshop participant.
Interested in more information on real estate continuing education courses? Contact Whitney at whitney.jenkins@deq.nc.gov.
