Name: Cassidy Lord
Year: First-year Masters
Major: Forest Resources
Submission: Where’s My Creek? - Educational Guide
Prize: $250
Commentary: Cassidy Lord gets straight to the point: Athens has a water quality problem, and Athens residents need to know about it. Where’s My Creek? is a 3-tiered educational plan that teaches residents about their local watersheds in the hope of fostering environmental responsibility for watershed conservation in Athens. First, residents find their home watershed on a large map, then they are given a card (“watershed snapshot”) with data about their home watershed, and finally, residents receive a magnet that will remind them what their watershed is. Meticulously researched, each snapshot is concise, with facts related to a specific watershed: Which watersheds have high levels of fecal pollution? Which is the most pristine waterway? Where is Brooklyn Creek anyway? Additionally, Where’s My Creek? explicitly considers the feelings of residents, so that facts are portrayed in a way that both accurately reflect water degradation in the area without making the residents feel helpless to act. In fact, each snapshot offers manageable changes that individuals can make to be more environmentally responsible, such as picking up pet waste and reducing fertilizer application. For its clarity, attention to detail, and compassionate consideration to the emotional complexities of learners, we award Where’s My Creek? 2nd place prize in the Graduate category. Written by contest judge Ariel Ackerly
