Institute: Maine
Year Established: 2016 Start Date: 2016-03-01 End Date: 2017-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $15,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $30,001
Principal Investigators: Aram Calhoun
Project Summary: The Vernal Pools for Me project highlights and enhances the connection between stakeholders and their vernal pools by encouraging understanding of these special, small water resources through a portfolio of outreach materials. Primary school children will learn about the diversity of animals that use vernal pools and conservation through songs and a hybrid coloring book and field guide. Middle school and high-school students will benefit from web-based videos. Lay people will benefit from easily accessible and engaging web-based outreach material such as social media and blogs. This interdisciplinary outreach project builds on knowledge and opportunities provided by (1) research conducted under the Sustainability Solutions Initiative and NSF-CNH Of Pools and People grant on community based conservation of pools, (2) the Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) for the New England Region of the Army Corps of Engineers created by the Vernal Pool Streamlining Working Group to put pool conservation in the hands of local people, and (3) a $47,789 Environmental Protection Agency grant. Our current request for post-doctoral and undergraduate support, printing costs, travel, and an independent service contract will enhance the EPA funding to provide a stronger outreach and support component to our work that reaches beyond our citizen science and other stakeholder efforts associated with the SAMP to better engage the broader public.