Statewide Education and Outreach

Imagine seeing a bus drive by with a picture of a skimpy man’s bathing suit and the message, “The scariest thing to hit the water since Uncle Jack showed up wearing one of these.” Do you know the answer? Stormwater, of course!

Statewide Outreach Factsheet

A significant part of the Rhode Island Stormwater Solutions project involved taking our stormwater message directly to the public, and we used a variety of methods to accomplish that. From bus kings, such as the one mentioned above, to bus shelter posters, radio spots, cartoons, and articles published in papers, newsletters, and online sources throughout the state, we spread the message that stormwater is a big problem and urged Rhode Islanders to take simple steps to reduce stormwater impacts to local water resources.

In order to conduct the best campaign possible, we conducted a baseline awareness survey around the state to determine what Rhode Island residents already knew about stormwater. We learned that sampled Rhode Islanders believed that industrial and wastewater treatment discharge were the biggest threats to water quality. Using the results of that survey, and with the help of a marketing firm, we conducted a public awareness campaign that promoted our Know Where It Goes slogan and this website.

Our 2008 public campaign included humorous ads on local bus shelters, bus kings, radio spots and life-sized “Scary Dad” displays at popular recreation spots throughout July and August 2008. We estimate 72% of Rhode Island’s population saw the bus kings during that time period, and the bus shelters were viewed by approximately 100,000 people

We worked with popular Rhode Island cartoonist Don Bousquet to produce a series of more than 30 cartoons with relevant stormwater messages. Some of these cartoons have been published in newspapers throughout the state and are regularly used by our municipal partners.

We contributed stormwater related articles to print and online media sources, resulting in more than 30 publications and addressing topics such as local storm drain marking efforts, stormwater-friendly lawn care, stormwater impacts, and low impact development.

We developed a series of stormwater resources for schools, including: an inventory of stormwater programs available to municipalities; Enviroscape® stormwater model training and loan program; indoor and outdoor lesson plans aligned to RI Grade Span Expectation Standards; and a Rain Garden Service Project Manual for high school students. We incorporated stormwater education into the annual URI Learning Landscape and URI SMILE programs, reaching more than 3000 children during the life of the project.

We went on the road, delivering presentations about stormwater at a multitude of public venues around the state, including nearly 30 fairs, farmer’s markets, and rotary club meetings, with an estimated audience of nearly 2000 residents.

Today we continue to publish articles related to stormwater in print and online media sources, participate in youth stormwater education programs, and regularly deliver presentations about stormwater at public venues throughout the state. All of our educational materials are available on our website for use by municipalities, non-profit organizations, educators, and anyone interested in stormwater outreach and education