Puget Sound Education Communication and Outreach Networks (ECO-Net)

The Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) is a small Washington State agency that was created in 2007 to lead the cleanup of Puget Sound by 2020. The effort is supported by a community of citizens, non-profits, universities, governments, tribes, scientists, and businesses who are helping to implement the Puget Sound Action Agenda which sets priorities and establishes mechanisms for monitoring and accountability. Essential to this has been the creation of ECO (Education, Communication and Outreach) Networks that bring together environmental educators to coordinate and collaborate at least 3 times a year. WSU Extension assisted with the start up of each network by initiating local scoping meetings and laying the groundwork in each county. ECO-Nets are facilitated by locally identified lead organizations and are connected across the entire Puget Sound Watershed through PSP. . By building this network, relationships have been strengthened from the ground up. This network is in place to help disseminate broad awareness and behavior changes, engage new audiences and foster best management practices intended to improve the health of Puget Sound (ex: www.pugetsoundstartshere.org/). In addition to the 12 local networks of outreach professionals ECO-Net also utilize Twitter, Face book, You Tube, BlogSpot, Flicker, and an events calendar. Local ECO-Net facilitators are funded via annual $5,000 contracts from PSP and additional funding is made available to networks for projects related to the Action Agenda. These 12 networks have been in place for two years and membership amongst all networks totals around 400. Benefits of this network for members include increased capacity, collaboration, and networking amongst educators, as well as professional development opportunities. Messages that are consistent sound-wide are reaching citizens, goals from the Action Agenda are being met, and ultimately there has been an increase in behaviors that improve and protect Puget Sound.