Community Collaborations: Zumbro River History & Science

history of the Zumbro River and its watershed.
Target Population: Target populations for this project include older adult residents (age 50+) for the Zumbro River History Programs and family audiences (parents age 25-49, children age 5-12) for science and natural science programs.
How specifically will they be affected? Audience members will learn history and/or science information about the Zumbro River and they will be inspired to learn more about the past, the wildlife, and/or the science of our local river.
How will you know? We will know if participants learned something new, if their children learned something new, and if they are inspired to learn more by asking them questions that address these issues.
How will the larger community benefit? Program participants will benefit by learning more about the history, science, and/or natural history of the Zumbro River. Children who see these programs could be inspired to take a greater interest in history and/or science as they move into middle and high school. Students may also be inspired to do science outside of the classroom by taking part in their own science experiments (following the science safety rules they learn in our programs). In addition, by learning how and why the Zumbro River has changed over time, adults will see how humans impact our environment and may be more motivated to take action for “cleaner water and fewer floods” in the Zumbro Watershed. Those who don’t attend these programs will have the opportunity to attend future education programs including the "Zumbro River History" program developed through this project. In addition, program participants and other members of the public will learn more about the history and science of the Zumbro River through the two education brochures we will create to reinforce and extend program learning. These brochures will be available at presentations and will also be distributed at watershed libraries for public distribution.