The Watershed Alliance of York (WAY) will be sponsoring its 4th Annual Watershed Weekend in York County on September 23 and 24.

There will also be a Conference on the Sustainability of York County on September 23.

The purpose of the Watershed Weekend is to increase public awareness about the importance of their watersheds. The idea is to encourage as many WAY partner organizations as possible to plan and sponsor one activity, locally.

For example, a stream cleanup, riparian buffer planting or any activity that will draw people to your watershed and allow them to participate in some manner while learning more about your organization and watershed.

New this year-- anybody sponsoring a stream cleanup is eligible for a grant to cover expenses of equipment, materials and supplies.

Individuals and families are encouraged through multi-media Public Service Announcements to tour one or more of their local watersheds and attend the specific activities being hosted by each group.

WAY will prepare and distribute beforehand a self-guided tour brochure listing all of the planned activities, a brief description and directions to your location.

Partnering organization will be responsible for planning, staffing and implementing their sponsored activity.

WAY will serve a central coordinating role, handling advertising and promotion and provide technical assistance for the venue. WAY’s responsibility will be to get as many organizations and people involved in the tour as possible.

What type of venue should you sponsor? Experience shows us that people want to learn and engage in most hands on activities.

Some examples to consider are: litter cleanups, tree plantings, invasive species removal, hiking, biking and boating. WAY recommends that you keep is simple, fun and safe.

To sponsor an event, please notify WAY by August 15 and provide the following information: Organization Name, Venue Title, Venue Description (1 paragraph), Date(s) & Time(s), Watershed, Contact Person & Information

For more information about how to get involved in Watershed Weekend 2006 or the York Sustainability Conference, contact Gary R. Peacock of WAY by sending email to: gpeacock@yorkccd.org or call 717-840-7430.

7/28/2006