Adopt - A - Stream

Adopt-A-Stream Mississippi is a cooperative effort between the Mississippi Wildlife Federation and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to involve citizens, like you, in stream stewardship and water quality monitoring. The common theme of the Adopt-A-Stream program is caring for and learning to conserve our water resources. Adopt-A-Stream promotes environmental stewardship through training workshops, outdoor field activities and by introducing participants to watershed action projects.

Goals

• Educate citizens about the value of clean streams, rivers, and estuaries and how pollution from point and nonpoint sources affects water quality, wildlife, and fisheries and ultimately humans
• Collect baseline data on all streams and rivers in Mississippi for use as indicators of stream health
• Use data to promote clean-up of polluted streams and to maintain the health of clean streams for our children

Stream Steward
You or your group can become a Stream Team by simply adopting a stream or river in your area. Stream Stewards may then choose to do seasonal litter pickups, storm drain stenciling, streamside management and restoration, advocacy work, or any number of other activities that will help protect and restore Mississippi's waters. Stream Stewards must register their Stream Team with the MWF and request information on getting started.

Workshops
If you're up to an even bigger challenge, Volunteer Stewards attend a two-day training workshop and learn to survey and map their adopted stream's watershed and to conduct chemical and biological monitoring. The workshops are conducted at Mississippi State Parks by the Mississippi Wildlife Federation and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Space in each workshop is limited.

These workshops are designed to teach citizens how to physically, chemically, and biologically assess the water quality of Mississippi's streams. Workshops are open to any Mississippi citizen over the age of 18 who is interested in the conservation of our state's rivers and streams. Teachers earn 2 CEU's.

Click Here to Download Adopt-A-Stream Brochure

2007 Workshop Schedule

Percy Quin State Park Workshop - June 5-6, 2007
The Mississippi Wildlife Federation and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality will hold a 2-day Adopt-A-Stream Workshop at Percy Quin State Park near McComb, MS June 5-6, 2007.

This two-day program provides an in-depth study of watersheds as well as hands-on training in chemical and biological parameters important to a healthy stream. A watershed characterization tool, using the latest in Geographic Information Technology, will examine the conditions of different watersheds. In addition, the workshop will:

• Increase awareness of nonpoint source pollution
• Introduce surveying and mapping of your watershed
• Introduce Scenic Streams in Mississippi
• Introduce possible actions that can be taken to help your watershed, such as:

• Storm Drain Marking
• Stream Cleanups
• Participation in World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD)
• Advocacy and More

Who Should Participate?
Educators, land managers, advocacy groups, Scout troop leaders, Envirothon Team Advisors, watershed team leaders, environmental educators, concerned citizens and others. For teachers, 2 CEU credits are available.

Registration is $50.00 and includes all workshop materials, meals, snacks and lodging at Percy Quin State Park. Your completed registration form and check should be mailed to the Mississippi Wildlife Federation.

For more information about the workshop, contact Debra Veeder, Adopt-A-Stream Coordinator for the Mississippi Wildlife Federation, at 601-206-5703 or via email at dveeder@mswf.org.