Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
Outcomes: Refined theme goals -- Conducted interviews, facilitated discussions and sought advice from about 40 pollution prevention assessment and action educators nationwide to determine priority activities. Networking -- A priority for this project. The theme team sponsored ten conference posters and three sessions at USDA National Water Quality Research and Extension conferences, with special emphasis on publicizing work of educators from the 1890 (historically Black) and 1994 (Tribal) land grant colleges and universities. The Team email listserve is a forum for sharing success stories, seeking answers to topical questions, and brainstorming ideas. P2A2 staff distribute notices of grant opportunities, conferences, and new and innovative materials; provide direct assistance and/or letters of support to proposal writers; distribute pollution prevention publications; and respond to inquiries. New website -- The new P2A2 website, is a starting point for water quality
personnel to learn about resources. The site connects the users to a database cataloging hundreds of state-based materials. An extensive interactive directory provides listings of people working within the A*Syst network, organized by state, EPA region and program. http://www.uwex.edu/farmandhome/wqpaap/. On-line newsletter -- Twelve quarterly on-line newsletters featured success stories and lessons learned from pollution prevention educational programming conducted by Extension educators or researchers. Over 250 people subscribed to receive email notification of new postings of the newsletter. Success stories from people in the P2A2 network described in the newsletter are featured on the website. Bibliography of agroecological and farming systems research projects with clear implications for water quality -- While research has been done on the impacts of BMPs on water quality, less attention has been paid to the implications of effective alternative cropping or livestock management
strategies on water quality indicators. A central question of this type of research is what is the effect of a whole system of practices, rather than just one practice like cropping systems or rotations, on water quality. Findings are available on the website. Evaluation -- Developed a protocol for pollution prevention programming evaluation, subsequently used to inform the design of the National Water Quality Program reporting tool which has superceded it.
Impacts
Project web site updated 2004. http://www.uwex.edu/farmandhome/wqpaap. Expected impacts include: 1) Pollution prevention researchers and extension educators learn and improve through pro-active networking, access to model materials, and evaluative research. 2) Development and implementation of agricultural Environmental Management Systems educational and assistance programs by Pollution Prevention Assessment and Action (P2A2) researchers and educators. 3) Summary and synthesis of emerging research findings (in particular, farming systems research that compares agricultural production systems' effects on water quality), and their integration into pollution assessment and prevention programming. 4) Increased visibility and reach of voluntary agricultural or home-based P2A2 programs. 5) Increased capacity of pollution prevention extension educators to sustain program funding and to continue to tailor programs to meet regional, state and local needs. 6) Extension P2A2
programming areas, project types, successes, outcomes and lessons are documented for a national audience of educators, constituents, and policy makers.
Publications
- Andrews, E. 2005. "Impacts of the Pollution Assessment and Prevention National Facilitation Project". National Integrated Water Quality Program Impact Report. CSREES National Water Quality Program.
- Ingram, Mrill. 2004. "Agroecology: Supporting Water Quality Education with Research on Sustainable Agriculture". CSREES Pollution Assessment and Prevention National Water Quality Facilitation Project web site. http://www.uwex.edu/farmandhome/wqpaap/AgroEco.html
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Progress 09/15/01 to 09/14/04
Outputs
The Water Quality Pollution Assessment and Prevention Theme Team is a network of Extension and other educators who promote self-assessments, voluntary actions and monitoring by private land-use managers and residents to protect and restore water quality. The project goal is to facilitate integrated extension, research and education programs that enhance the quality, reach, and outcomes of voluntary water pollution assessment and prevention programs, particularly on farms and in homes. Project activities and resources are posted on the project web site, http://www.uwex.edu/farmandhome/wqpaap. This project builds on the foundation laid by the Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst programs in the 1990s. Both serve as model pollution prevention action initiatives. Their use led to a national network of Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst educators. Many states expanded on the *A*Syst pedagogy to develop sister programs such as Lake*A*Syst in Maine, Coast*A*Syst in North Carolina, South Carolina and
Delaware, Forest*A*Syst in Georgia and Tennessee, as well as Healthy Homes in many states. PROJECT OUTCOMES. 1) Refined theme goals: Conducted interviews, facilitated discussions and sought advice from about 40 pollution prevention assessment and action educators nationwide to determine priority activities. 2) Networking: Sponsored conference posters and sessions at four USDA national Water Quality Research and Extension conferences, with special emphasis on publicizing work of educators from the 1890 (historically Black) and 1994 (Tribal) land grant colleges and universities. The Team email listserve is an active forum for sharing success stories, seeking answers to topical questions, and brainstorming ideas. P2A2 staff distributes notices of grant opportunities, conferences, and new and innovative materials; provide direct assistance and/or letters of support to proposal writers; distributes pollution prevention publications; and respond to inquiries. 3) New website: This starting
point for learning about water quality resources connects users to a database cataloging close to 1000 state-based materials. An extensive interactive directory provides listings of people working within the A*Syst network, organized by state, EPA region and program. 4) On-line newsletter: Sixteen quarterly on-line newsletters featured success stories and lessons learned from Extension educator programming. Over 250 people subscribed themselves to receive email notification of new postings of the newsletter. A 2005 survey of readers indicated that most readers found the newsletter to be informative, somewhat informative, or very informative. 5) Bibliography of agroecological and farming systems research projects with clear implications for water quality: While research has studied the impacts of BMPs on water quality, less attention has been paid to the implications of effective alternative cropping or livestock management strategies on water quality indicators. A central question of
this type of research is what is the effect of a whole system of practices, rather than just one practice like cropping systems or rotations, on water quality.
Impacts
Project web site and resources updated in 2005, http://www.uwex.edu/farmandhome/wqpaap. Expected impacts include: 1) Pollution prevention researchers and extension educators learn and improve through pro-active networking, access to model materials, and evaluative research. 2) Development and implementation of agricultural Environmental Management Systems educational and assistance programs by Pollution Prevention Assessment and Action (P2A2) researchers and educators. 3) Summary and synthesis of emerging research findings (in particular, farming systems research that compares agricultural production systems' effects on water quality), and their integration into pollution assessment and prevention programming. 4) Increased visibility and reach of voluntary agricultural or home-based P2A2 programs. 5) Increased capacity of pollution prevention extension educators to sustain program funding and to continue to tailor programs to meet regional, state and local needs. 6)
Extension P2A2 programming areas, project types, successes, outcomes and lessons are documented for a national audience of educators, constituents, and policy makers.
Publications
- Andrews, E., J. Kepka, M. Ingram. 2006. Cultivating Water Quality Citizenship. Poster viewable at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/WaterConf2006/ShowAbstract.aspx?Type ID=2&PresID=230
- Andrews, E. 2005. Impacts of the Pollution Assessment and Prevention National Facilitation Project. National Integrated Water Quality Program Impact Report. CSREES National Water Quality Program.
- Bird, E. 2003. Water Quality Pollution Prevention 4A's (Awareness, Assessments, Attitudes, Actions). Slide presentation available at http://www.usawaterquality.org/2003conference/national.html
- Bird, E. 2003. Piecing Together the Policies and Programs Puzzle: An EMS Enhances the Picture for Water Quality and Farms. Poster viewable at http://www.usawaterquality.org/2003conference/pollution.html
- Bird, E. 2004. Overview of Livestock Environmental Management System Pilot Projects. Slide presentation available at http://www.usawaterquality.org/2004conference/pollution.html
- Ingram, M. 2004. Tailoring educational strategies to mobilize landscapers' pollution prevention behaviors. Poster viewable at http://www.usawaterquality.org/2004conference/pollution.html
- Ingram, M. 2004. Agroecology: Supporting Water Quality Education with Research on Sustainable Agriculture. CSREES Pollution Assessment and Prevention National Water Quality Facilitation Project web site. http://www.uwex.edu/farmandhome/wqpaap/AgroEco.html
- Ingram, M. 2003, 2004, 2005. Farm & Home Environmental Management Programs Newsletter: Quarterly issues published and distributed electronically. Available at: http://www.uwex.edu/AgEMS/newsletter/
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
In 2003, project accomplishments include the following: 1) Web site that is visually and functionally integrated with the national extension water quality site and serves as a primary portal for pollution prevention educational materials and contacts. 2) At least 1000 people directly receive the email announcement of the web-based newsletter quarterly. 3) Revised web directory interface for ease of search and print; can be customized to the user's needs prior to printing or file-save. 4) On-line library contains 830 entries of Pollution Prevention Assessment and Action (P2A2) educational materials. 5) Facilitation of 8 posters at the 2003 Water Quality conference in Tucson, 5 focused on under-served audiences. 6) Organized and assisted a 2004 Water Quality conference session on defining and reaching especially under-served audiences, as well as sessions introducing Forest*A*Syst, and Livestock Environmental Management Systems to water quality educators. 7) Staff
received and responded to an average of two email or telephone queries each week regarding P2A2 topics. 8) Presented a poster on livestock environmental management systems at the 2003 Water Quality conference, and led a 2004 Water Quality conference session on lessons learned through the Partnerships for Livestock Environmental Management Systems project and related pilots. 9) P2A2 affiliates distributed about 3500 copies of locally customizable self-assessment MTBE brochures, and received technical assistance for their use. 10) Increased diversity among P2A2 affiliates (particularly from 1890 and 1994 land-grant institutions) recognized through the project Steering Committee, web site directory, conference presentations and posters, and featured in the quarterly newsletter.
Impacts
Project web site updated 2004. http://www.uwex.edu/farmandhome/wqpaap. Expected impacts include: 1) Pollution prevention researchers and extension educators learn and improve through pro-active networking, access to model materials, and evaluative research. 2) Development and implementation of agricultural Environmental Management Systems educational and assistance programs by Pollution Prevention Assessment and Action (P2A2) researchers and educators. 3) Summary and synthesis of emerging research findings (in particular, farming systems research that compares agricultural production systems' effects on water quality), and their integration into pollution assessment and prevention programming. 4) Increased visibility and reach of voluntary agricultural or home-based P2A2 programs. 5) Increased capacity of pollution prevention extension educators to sustain program funding and to continue to tailor programs to meet regional, state and local needs. 6) Extension P2A2
programming areas, project types, successes, outcomes and lessons are documented for a national audience of educators, constituents, and policy makers.
Publications
- Overview of Livestock Environmental Management System Pilot Projects. [slide presentation available through: http://www.usawaterquality.org/2004conference/pollution.html]
- Tailoring educational strategies to mobilize landscapers' pollution prevention behaviors. [poster viewable through http://www.usawaterquality.org/2004conference/pollution.html] poster presentations
- 8 quarterly issues of the FARM & HOME ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS NEWSLETTER:winter, spring, summer, fall 2002;winter, spring, summer, fall 2003. Available at: http://www.uwex.edu/AgEMS/newsletter/
- Water Quality Pollution Prevention 4A's (Awareness, Assessments, Attitudes, Actions) --National Theme Facilitation [slide presentation available through: http://www.usawaterquality.org/2003conference/national.html]
- Piecing Together the Policies and Programs Puzzle: An EMS Enhances the Picture for Water Quality and Farms [poster viewable through http://www.usawaterquality.org/2003conference/pollution.html
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
Project staff gathered participants into the theme team via two dozen substantial interviews, many exploratory conversations, invitations by E-mail, collection of activity biographies, and development of a thematic bibliography. Project staff worked with the Theme Team Steering Committee to define program purposes & facilitation project objectives. The purpose of this program is to cultivate water quality citizenship through: ecological understanding, individual and corporate ownership of water quality (local and global), and improved management skills (personal life, household, farm, business). Facilitation project goals are to: 1) Support continuous improvements in the effectiveness of pollution prevention educators and educational materials; 2) Increase the visibility and reach of extension pollution prevention programs; and 3) Facilitate effective evaluation, and document accountability to the needs and goals of pollution prevention program constituents. Project
staff collaborated with theme team members to create an organizational structure consisting of a Steering Committee and a broad learning community composed of Extension educators, researchers, and NRCS, EPA and other environmental educators. The Steering Committee includes representatives from 1862, 1890 and 1994 land grant colleges in each of the 10 U.S. EPA Regions, along with representatives of the U.S. EPA, USDA/NRCS and USDA/CSREES. The program connected people who hadn't known (of) each other, and cultivated a learning community on common ground. The common focus of educators in this learning community (about 80 members to date) is to promote personal and corporate responsibilities to protect water through personal life, household, and farm and business management practices. Common educational strategies of this learning community include self-assessments, sharpened observational skills, and other strategies that allow and encourage individuals, households or organizations to
examine, in a non-confrontational framework, their role in contributing to the problem or to the solution, to choose attitudinal change, and to take concrete actions. Common audiences or constituents include individual households, urban and rural youth, agricultural producers, other businesses concerned with land or resource management (such as landscapers), and public or private associations or organizations. Project staff distributed pollution prevention products and information. The project developed a web site (http://www.uwex.edu/farmandhome/wqpaap) accessible through , and through both the web site and hard copies, leveraged other national as well as state-level projects by distributing four quarterly newsletters, an environmental management systems booklet and video, a Drinking Water and MTBE brochure, and a theme team directory. The Theme Team Steering Committee developed evaluation and reporting objectives and drafted a tool for national
reporting of theme team activities and accomplishments.
Impacts
Project impacts include the building of a diverse learning community among Extension and other environmental educators concerned with water pollution prevention through voluntary citizenship behaviors and actions. The 80+ members of this learning community expanded their range of knowledge and tools, they distributed thousands of publications about MTBE contamination of groundwater, and about agricultural environmental management systems, and they clarified their educational missions. The project enhanced the cultural diversity of the January 2003 Extension Water Quality conference by assisting 4 representatives of 1994 land grant (Native American) colleges, and 7 representatives of 1890 land grant (historically black) colleges to attend (most had not attended these meetings in prior years).
Publications
- Farm and Home Environmental Management Programs of the UW Extension Environmental Resources Center. 2002. http://www.uwex.edu/farmandhome/wqpaap
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
The grant for this project was received in October, 2001 by the National Farm*A*Syst / Home*A*Syst Program Office. The theme team has a listserv with membership of about 40 individuals and growing. A graduate project assistant (Doug De Master) was hired in January 2002 to assist with theme team and product development. Project coordinator Dr. Elizabeth Bird, with assistance from Mr. De Master, has been conducting interviews with key theme stakeholders, regional coordinators and EPA liaisons to the USDA water quality program. Two theme team meetings were held at the March, 2002 National Water Quality Coordinators Conference in Boise, Idaho. A draft work plan for the theme team has resulted from these conversations and meetings. The plan includes improving the integration of pollution assessment and prevention education and research, and improved reporting indicators, processes and products. Evaluation data will be collected for thematic impact reports using summary
statistics and stories. The web-based directory of federal agency leaders, regional coordinators, and state extension educators working with Farm*A*Syst, Home*A*Syst, and Healthy Homes programs has been updated at (click on Resources). The directory eventually will include cooperating personnel associated with agricultural environmental management systems, volunteer monitoring, and other land management business or residential programs for assessing and preventing water pollution. A web site for the project has nearly been established. The first issue of a quarterly on-line newsletter was published in December 2001, and the second issue is forthcoming in April 2002. Over 4000 people on have received a paper copy of the newsletter (the last that will be available to those with Web access) and a Summary of the 1999-2000 Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst Impacts Report. The full Impacts Report will be distributed by the end of March to all personnel listed in the directory
plus relevant regional and federal program leaders and policy-makers. It will be available as a PDF file via all of the above Web sites as well. The catalogue or library of *A*Syst program materials is searchable via the above Web sites, or the entire database of more than 700 publications is viewable. The project has begun to educate water quality educators, agricultural producers and others about agricultural environmental management systems. An introductory brochure and videotape will be mailed to interested parties shortly, including the cooperators on a 9-state pilot testing of livestock environmental management systems. These materials, and a forthcoming more in-depth booklet portray the EMS process in line with international industry-based environmental standards (ISO 14001). Dr. Bird presented materials and gave a short briefing on agricultural EMS to the National Water Quality Coordinators Conference in March 2002.
Impacts
Impact: Impacts of 2001 activities include increased understanding of agricultural environmental management systems opportunities by water quality educators, and a renewed network of support and mutual learning among water quality extension educators who conduct pollution assessment and prevention programs for land managers and private residents.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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