SAVE WATER, EVERY DROP COUNTS: DEFINING SUCCESS FOR EXTENSION DISPLAYS
Yergeau, S.11Environmental & Resource Management Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Toms River, NJ, 08755-1199
Abstract:
With a population close to 9 million residents, New Jersey places a high demand on its limited water resources. The current need is for water conservation outreach targeted at residents to reduce their daily consumption of water and ensure plentiful supplies in the future. The ‘Save Water, Every Drop Counts’ program was started in 2018 with a series of free standing displays that are exhibited throughout towns in Ocean and Atlantic Counties. Objectives of this project are to increase the awareness of residents on water consumption and educate them on practices they can use to conserve water. The displays consist of a presentation playing on a digital picture frame mounted onto a 55-gallon rain barrel. The presentation provides information outlining what people can do every day to save water at home. A flyer accompanies the display so that people who view it can take the information and start work at saving water at home. Between June 2018 and November 2019, the displays have been exhibited at 18 towns and/or events throughout New Jersey with over 80,000 people estimated to have seen the displays. Using these water conservation educational displays, 1,157 flyers have been distributed to residents in the municipalities and at the events where exhibited. This poster covers the practical aspects of developing and constructing the displays, and how we measure impact from remote educational programs. Since the displays provide a form of passive education, impact is difficult to measure but outcome metrics are presented for other Extension educators to use if they wish to develop their own displays.