Increase in Watershed Guardian Grant awards for northeast Iowa teachers and youth organizations

Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Board Chairperson Bill Bennet led the planting of the Regional Urban Stormwater Demonstration Site (RUSD Site) community orchard in Postville. A variety of apple, plum, pear and cherry trees were planted creating a diverse mix of fruit trees that are beneficial to area pollinators. Fruit trees provide all the shade, water quality, air quality and evapotranspiration benefits of regular trees, plus some additional benefits. Fruit trees also provide community members with a healthy food option.

This past school year, teachers in northeast Iowa were invited to bring their students to the RUSD site on the Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development Campus in Postville. Visits to the RUSD Site include a tour of the urban stormwater best management practices and multiple hands-on learning activities that teach students about urban stormwater conservation and how communities affect water quality and flooding. Teachers who bring their students to the RUSD site are eligible for Watershed Guardian Grants to implement urban stormwater best management practices at their school or in their community.

Through continued support from the Alliant Energy Foundation, Northeast Iowa RC&D is increasing the Watershed Guardian Grants to schools from $500 to $1,000. Grants fund student-led projects that work to implement stormwater best management practices such as rain gardens, pollinator gardens, community rain barrel programs, tree plantings and permeable pavers at their school or in their community.

Northeast Iowa RC&D Environmental Education Coordinator Tori Nimrod noted, “We have been working to help communities understand water quality and flood prevention concepts for decades. The Watershed Guardian Program is a great opportunity for communities to partner with their area schools to implement urban stormwater practices within the community that work to improve water quality and reduce flooding. This program also works to empower future community leaders to become ‘Watershed Guardians’.”

The Watershed Guardian Program is also expanding its reach to other student groups such as FFA, 4-H, Scouts, County Conservation Board Education programs, city Parks and Recreation youth programs, and other youth programming. For these entities to become eligible for Watershed Guardian Grants, students should visit the RUSD site to learn about urban conservation.

Teachers and student group leaders wanting to schedule a class tour, be a Watershed Guardian Sponsor, or for more information on the Watershed Guardian Program should visit www.northeastiowarcd.org/projects/stormwater or contact Tori Nimrod at Northeast Iowa RC&D at 563-864-7112.