Adopt-a-Stream
Kriste Lindberg, Education Specialist
Sara Stonaha, Education Specialist
City of Bloomington
Adopt-a-Stream
• The Adopt-a-Stream program utilizes volunteers to conduct water
quality monitoring, do storm drain marking, and
cleanups/workdays.
• It is an opportunity for
volunteers to get involved
with taking care of their
natural environment.
• The program encourages
community ownership
and expands existing
resources.
City of Bloomington
Why did we choose this project?
• There’s a need!
• The IDNR recently “lost” the Adopt-a-River program due to
funding restrictions.
• It fits in well with our existing citizen scientist programs such as
Adopt-a-Trail and Storm Drain Marking and incorporating Hoosier
Riverwatch.
• This is a pilot project and we will be creating a state-wide
program for other municipalities and organizations to model after.
• We’ve found an opportunity and are running with it…
City of Bloomington
Timeline
• We have created a timeline
City of Bloomington
Accomplishments
• Accomplishments along the timeline include:
 Working on pilot projects in the City of
Bloomington to base Adopt-a-Stream on.
Pilot projects: Cascades Creek (Ivy Tech),
Clear Creek (Indiana University)
City of Bloomington
Accomplishments, continued
• Accomplishments along the timeline include:
 Continue tailoring project as a boiler-plate for other
municipalities and groups to use while creating our official
program (based upon the existing Adopt-a-Trail program)
 Web site rough draft
 Orientation agenda rough draft
City of Bloomington
Still to come,
In the future, we will:
 Continue to update “Adopt-a-Stream Application
Packet” and “Adopt-a-Stream Organizing a Cleanup”
manual and related forms with City of Bloomington
Legal Department, City of Bloomington Utilities
Department, and Monroe County, and Hoosier
Riverwatch
 Activate the web site
www.bloomington.in.gov/adopt-a-stream

Finalize orientation agenda
 Initiate outreach to recruit participants
City of Bloomington
Still to come,
In the future, we will:
 Provide orientation
 Meet with participants on site at streams
 Train volunteers to Hoosier Riverwatch Workshop
 Train volunteers to storm drain marking
 Launch Adopt-a-Stream logo contest in public
schools during the Fall 2012 semester
City of Bloomington
Still to come,
In the future, we will:
 Work with Indiana University students on video
during the Fall 2012 semester
 Release completed “boilerplate” to other
municipalities and organizations
 Serve as resource for participating municipalities and
organizations
 Launch Facebook page (with approval)
City of Bloomington
Considerations
If you are interested in adapting our program for your use here are some
points to consider in advance:
• Building a Strong Program
• Do you currently have some type of citizen scientist or adopt-asomething program established? Should this program be “finetuned” before taking on another program?
• Assess Your Staffing Resources
• Can you or other staff train and monitor volunteer activities?
• Try It, Before You Buy Into it
• Can you run your own “pilot projects” to determine if and how you
need to modify Adopt-a-Stream to fit into your department or fill a
need?
City of Bloomington
Adopt-a-Stream
• We wish to thank the following:
City of Bloomington
Hoosier Riverwatch
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Indiana University
Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy
Ivy Tech
Monroe County
City of Bloomington
Kriste “Crappie” Lindberg
Education Specialist
lindberk@bloomington.in.gov
Sara “Sunfish” Stonaha
Education Specialist
beattys@bloomington.in.gov
City of Bloomington
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City of Bloomington