National Geographic
In Minnesota
BLAINE - “National Geographic just called,” read the e-mail subject line from Rice Creek Watershed District educator Dawn Pape, “and I’m so excited I could SCREAM!”
It’s not every day that we Minnesotans brush with fame, and when Pape first picked up the phone, she was understandably skeptical.
“I almost hung up on him, thinking he was a telemarketer!” she exclaimed, “Then when he said why he was calling, I was like ‘Wait! Tell me more.’”
As Pape soon learned, National Geographic’s Blue Legacy team was planning their Expedition Blue Planet 2010 and they had selected Minnesota as the first stop on their itinerary.
Expedition Blue Planet is an innovative 138-day, 14,500-mile exploration of water issues across the U.S. and Canada, led by Alexandra Cousteau, the granddaughter of legendary French explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau.
Combining live production of stories in the field with social media engagement, a coordinated local and national press tour, curriculum-aligned classroom materials, and a significant catalog of online information, the 2010 Expedition hopes to engage a mainstream audience in a meaningful discussion on critical water issues.
The expedition is also connecting with local community events along the tour route and helping to organize celebrity performances, fundraisers for local watershed projects and opportunities for families to get involved in restoring and protecting watersheds.
With their giant biodiesel tour bus pointed north to Minnesota, the Blue Planet folks began calling around to learn what new and innovative eff orts might be underway to protect watersheds in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Time and again the expedition team was referred to Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water, a regional partnership started by Rice Creek Watershed District that promotes the use of native plants, raingardens, and shoreline plantings to prevent stormwater runoff from polluting lakes, rivers and streams. There are nearly 60 Blue Thumb partner organizations in and around Minnesota, including local governmental units, non-profit and community organizations, and nursery and landscape professionals. In just three years, the partnership has launched thousands of individual and community projects.
Of course, Blue Thumb partners leapt at the opportunity to join Expedition Blue Planet, and three weeks later, the big blue bus arrived at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis—just in time for the 4th of July festivities.
This “blue team” worked together to distribute 3,000 native plants to event attendees, coordinate fun and educational children’s activities and talk to area residents about preventing stormwater pollution with water-friendly landscaping. Angie Hong is an educator with the East Metro Water Resource Education Program.
To follow the 2010 expedition team as they continue on their journey, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/water. An image gallery and video blog will feature footage from the team stop in Minnesota. To find a Blue Thumb partner near you, visit www.BlueThumb.org.