A Soaking Good Time at the 2nd Lake Superior Watershed Festival
Most organizers would be less than thrilled if their carefully planned event was rained out.
But not Kate Kubiak from the Lake Superior Regional Stormwater Protection Team (RSPT); she didn't
mind soaking rains on the day of the Lake Superior Watershed Festival. "Our goal was to get people
thinking about how rainwater runs off our rooftops, driveways, lawns, and parking lots," says Kate,
"what better way to demonstrate this than a rainy day?"
On June 2nd, nearly 500 people attended the 2nd Lake Superior Watershed Festival in Duluth, MN.
The project was funded in part by Minnesota's Lake Superior Coastal Program. The Festival's theme was Zaagidawaa,
which is Ojibwa for "flow into the lake", which helps emphasize that stormwater runoff (along with the pollutants
it picks up along its path) eventually flows to Lake Superior.
The festival provided a day of entertainment, learning, and fun. Hartley Nature Center, Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources - Fisheries and MinnAqua programs, and the Great Lakes Aquarium hosted activities and booths for
children. Local musicians and Dr. T, a popular environmental entertainer, provided entertainment. Clancy, the
mercury-sniffing dog, also made an appearance. Exhibitors and workshops for adults were well attended, including the
popular "Rain Barrels of Fun."
Evaluation data showed that 30% of festival attendees had never attended an environmentally themed event before.
Even so, many families (18%) were return visitors who attended the first festival back in 2005.
Over 20 local governments and public agencies from northern Minnesota and Wisconsin participate in the Regional
Stormwater Protection Team, who's mission is "to protect and enhance the region's shared water resources through
stormwater pollution prevention by providing coordinated educational programs and technical assistance."
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