Nancy H. Hadley

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• Nancy H. Hadley
• Rebekah J. W. Szivak

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The Problems

• Increased coastal population
• Increased impact on water quality and water-based
  resources
• Economy
• Decrease in number of resource managers

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1973 70 sq. mi. 1994 180 sq.mi. 2030 618
sq.mi.
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• Instead of being part of the problem, they can be
  part of the solution
• If coastal residents are good stewards,
  environmental impacts can be lessened and even
  reversed
• Environmentally aware citizens can influence
  government policies

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Involved
Informed
Interested
Uninformed
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• Provide information so your audience can
• Understand the science
• Recognize the information is credible
• Be motivated to advocate for natural resources
• Know how to act to benefit natural resources
• But, remember information alone is not the answer

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• You need to
• Give the public permission to be resource
  advocates
• Communicate using a diverse array of tools
• Offer hands-on activities to increase engagement
• Delegate responsibility
• Involve all age groups on appropriate levels
• Maintain regular contact

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• Reaches a diverse audience
• Retirement communities
• School children
• Youth groups
• Inner city kids
• Anglers clubs
• More than 50 community partners spanning SC coast

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• Shell recycling
• Shell bagging
• Reef building
• Water quality monitoring

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Environmental Action Volunteers (EAV)  Volunteer
run Shell Recycling Program, Bluffton, SC
Recycled and bagged 3,600 bushels of shells
since 2002
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Shell Bagging More than 20,000 bags since
2001 Filled with 350 tons of oyster shells
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Reef Building
161 reefs at 34 sites since 2001
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Volunteer Water Monitoring
Volunteers monitor water quality weekly and enter
data online. More than 25 sites being monitored
weekly.
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Volunteer Water Monitoring

• Partner with local groups
• Town of Bluffton
• Ashley Cooper Stormwater Education Consortium
• Earthforce
• Michaux Conservancy

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Underdock Oyster Culture

• Recreational aquaculture
• Waterfront property owners may grow their own
  oysters for personal consumption if they are in
  approved waters
• Gives waterfront property owners a vested
  interest in water quality

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Spat collection program

• Homeowners will host bags of oyster shell during
  summer months
• Shell with spat attached will be returned to DNR
  to create oyster reefs during the winter
• Increases capacity for oyster restoration
• Engages different segment of population - may
  segue to underdock oyster culture
• Participants do not have to be in approved waters
  but may become interested in improving the water
  quality

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Conclusions

• An informed and engaged citizenry can assist
  resource managers and potentially reverse
  environmental degradation on a local scale
• Social networks/partnering increases impact
• We cant do it alone we must involve and
  empower the public