2012 LAND GRANT AND SEA GRANT NATIONAL WATER CONFERENCE Portland, OR

In 2009, University of Nebraska Lincoln'a Extension received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) to improve and conserve water resources through stormwater management education for community decision makers. The UNL-Extension Stormwater Team is using a multi-faceted approach to provide Stormwater Management education. Green infrastructure tours and hands- on rain garden workshops are two techniques that have been used successfully. Tours titled 'Green Infrastructure Tour: Stormwater Management's Shifting Paradigm' have been offered annually in Omaha, Lincoln, and Hastings, Nebraska in 2009, 2010, and 2011. The goal of these tours is to provide an opportunity for participants to view and discuss green infrastructure practices being used and to build networking relationships for potential implementation of these practices. In 2011, one hundred and seven municipal employees, green industry/design professionals, Master Gardeners and others increased their awareness and knowledge of green infrastructure methods for urban stormwater management and water resources protection by attending these tours. Ninety-eight percent of participants increased their knowledge of how to design, install and maintain green infrastructure BMPs for stormwater management. A series of workshops titled, 'Rain Garden Workshops and Installations' were held in Nebraska in 2010 and 2011 with the goal of providing participants with basic rain-garden and bioretention design, construction, and maintenance information through in-class and hands-on learning. Ninety-four percent of participants increased their awareness and understanding of stormwater runoff issues for water quality and stormwater BMPs and 100% increased their knowledge of how to design, install, and maintain a rain garden. This presentation will describe the program curriculum of the two outreach methods (tours and workshops), as well as evaluation methodology and results.