Deadline approaching to register for free continuing education for Arkansas media and Conservation Districts
By Kristin Higgins
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Meet sources for future water quality stories
- Learn how water quality is tested through hands-on activity
(305 words)
LITTLE ROCK — Reporters can meet sources for future water quality stories and brush up on their understanding of water pollution at an Oct. 15 workshop hosted by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture in Jonesboro.
The Nonpoint Source Pollution Media & Communications Seminar will be a chance for reporters and editors to discover water quality data resources and learn how waterways become impaired. During the same workshop, Conservation District employees will spend the day with Extension faculty learning about communication strategy.
The joint program includes a morning panel discussion about media and conservation practices, and a hands-on water quality sampling activity at the pond behind the Alumni Center on the Arkansas State University campus.
Takeaways from the seminar include:
- Sources for future water quality stories
- Better understanding of how water samples are collected and analyzed
- Ideas for local stories on water quality
Registration is now open at http://forms.uada.edu/nps. This professional development program is free to attend and lunch is included. Sessions start at 8:30 a.m. and end by 4:30 p.m. The deadline to register is Oct. 9.
The goal of the educational program, sponsored by a grant from the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, is to help media representatives and local Conservation Districts form relationships that support better communications of water quality issues.
For more information about the program, contact Kristin Higgins at 501-671-2160 or e-mail khiggins@uada.edu.
The Arkansas Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and Arkansas Press Women have helped spread the word about this program. Check out photos from the September seminar on our Facebook page – www.facebook.com/uappc.
With stakeholder input and water quality data, the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission has identified 10 priority watersheds impaired by nonpoint source pollution. These watersheds receive priority consideration for education and restoration or prevention efforts. The map below shows the location and breadth of these impaired watersheds.
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media Contact: Mary Hightower
Dir. of Communication Services
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
mhightower@uada.edu
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