St. Mary’s County Watershed Stewards Academy
Watershed Steward Applicant
Information Sheet
Qualified Applicants will:
• Live, work or belong to the community he/she represents and be actively engaged in
community activities.
• Residency restriction (All are welcome to apply, but priority will be given to St. Mary’s
county residents).
• Be 18 years or older.
• Be proficient in basic computer skills such as Microsoft Office, web browsing and be willing
to learn new skills.
• Be willing to serve as a community resource for environmental and watershed information.
• Complete the Master Watershed Steward certification course
o Attend all class sessions
o Complete a Capstone Project in your community. Capstone projects can be completed
individually or in teams. Master Watershed Stewards will be responsible for
recruiting funding for ½ of a Capstone Project. Projects typically range from $500$2,000. Funds may be recruited from grants, Community Associations, Corporate
Donations, or fundraising events.
• Maintain certification annually by:
o Completing at least 10 hours of continuing education.
o Contributing a minimum of 30 hours of community service on restoration efforts
within your community.
Upon satisfactory completion of the program, the Candidate will have learned about:
• Stormwater management principles and practices.
• Best management practices (BMPs) for controlling stormwater in a residential setting.
• Native plants and their role in protecting the environment.
• The stormwater professionals from the region.
• Designing and installing stormwater management practices through hands-on techniques.
• How to explain stormwater issues to interested citizens.
• Presenting the concept of stormwater management to neighbors and small groups.
• St. Mary’s County’s online Geographic Information System (GIS) and the UMD Sea Grant
Extension SMART tool.
• Identifying and obtaining funding sources to pay for projects.
Certification Course Time Commitment:
The Steward Certification Course typically consists of 45-60 hours of classroom and field
training culminating in a Capstone Project and presentation. Training hours are broken into 1215 sessions and spans approximately 6 months.
Cost:
Tuition is $50 per Steward and is due at the time of acceptance to the program.
Financial Assistance:
Financial assistance is available upon request.
Applications:
Due by Friday, April 22nd, 2016. Applications can be submitted online or downloaded from
http://ter.ps/smwsa.
St. Mary’s County WSA Chapter Coordinator Contact Information:
Nicole Basenback
Name:
Address:
26737 Radio Station Way, Suite E-2, Leonardtown, MD 20650
Phone:
240-309-4189
Email:
nicoleb@umd.edu
St. Mary’s County WSA Chapter Director Contact Information:
Name:
Jackie Takacs
Address:
2005 Largo Rd., Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
Phone:
240-393-6508
Email:
takacs@mdsg.umd.edu