North Pinellas News

Pinellas County Florida issued the following announcement on July 23.

UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County will launch this year’s Florida Waters Stewardship Program Wednesday, August 25 for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how we interact with and protect Florida water.

Throughout the program, participants will explore local watersheds allowing residents to view different aspects of water and water issues firsthand, learn about practices and policies affecting waters of Pinellas County and the state, enhance communication and leadership skills, participate in a stewardship project and much more.

Participants will meet for three hours every two weeks for a total of seven informal, interactive sessions, including class discussions, field tours and conversations with local water experts. Participants are expected to attend all seven sessions, complete online explorations between class sessions, implement a stewardship project and engage with guest experts and other participants.

The program costs $89 per participant, and those interested can register online at https://fwsp2021.eventbrite.com. Youth under the age of 18 are eligible to register if an accompanying adult is also registered for the program. Scholarships are available. Applications can be found at https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a4c6jGdBTjpKaGx. The deadline to submit a scholarship application is Friday, August 13.

Each class session meets at a different location and includes a site tour and at least one guest speaker. The course schedule includes:

Session 1 - Wednesday, Aug. 25 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.):

• Watershed Basics and Stewardship @ Brooker Creek Preserve in Tarpon Springs with guest speaker Alex Fugate, Environmental Specialist, Pinellas County Utilities Logan Lab

Session 2 - Wednesday, Sept. 8 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.):

• Water Laws and Other Tools @ Pinellas County's South Cross Bayou Advanced Water Reclamation Facility in St. Petersburg with guest speaker Shea Dunifon, Education Coordinator, Pinellas County Utilities

Session 3 - Wednesday, Sept. 22 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.):

• Water Flow, Then and Now @ Philippe Park in Safety Harbor, FL with guest speaker Stacey Day, Environmental Program Manager, Pinellas County Environmental Management

Session 4 - Wednesday, Oct. 6 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.):

• Panel Discussion with local environmental non-profit groups and Stewardship Project Updates @ Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo

Session 5 - Wednesday, Oct. 20 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.): Panel

• Future Water Supply and Emerging Issues @ Keller Water Treatment Facility in Tarpon Springs with guest speaker Tirusew Asefa, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, Manager, Planning & System Decision Support, Tampa Bay Water.

Session 6 – Wednesday, Nov. 3 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.):

• Speaking of and for Water @ Tampa Bay Watch in Tierra Verde with guest speakers, Rachel Arndt, Communications Manager with Tampa Bay Watch and Dr. Sadie Hundemer, Natural Resources Social Scientist

Session 7- Wednesday, Nov. 17 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.):

• Graduation and Water Stewardship In Action @ Weedon Island Preserve in St. Petersburg

Pinellas County Extension is a partnership between Pinellas County government and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences as part of a nationwide network of land grant universities. The University of Florida is an equal-access/equal-opportunity institution.

The mission of Pinellas County Extension is to provide research-based knowledge and education programs enabling people to make practical decisions to improve their quality of life and the world around them. Education focuses on sustainable living, lawn and garden, families and consumers, and 4-H youth development.

Pinellas County Extension offers programming at the Extension office, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, (727) 582-2100. The Largo office is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Extension also offers programming at the Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, (727) 453-6800 and at the Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center, 1800 Weedon Drive NE, St. Petersburg, (727) 453-6500. For more information, visit www.pinellascountyextension.org and find Pinellas Extension on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Pinellas County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in an event or class you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. At least seven days prior to the event or class, please contact the Office of Human Rights, 400 S. Fort Harrison Ave., Suite 500, Clearwater, FL 33756, (727) 464-4062 (Voice/TDD).

Original source can be found here.