7:00-8:30pm: Welcome, Water Advocacy 101, & Legislative Update, Watershed Award

WV Rivers Coalition's executive director, Angie Rosser, will provide an overview of how watersheds can advocate for strong water policy as a 501c (3) non-profit organization and give an update on what’s to come in the 2021 Legislative Session. The evening activities will close with the announcement of the 2020 Watershed Awards.

10:00-11:00am: Celebrating the Great River with a Plan for the Ohio River Basin - 2020-2025, Dr. Harry Stone, Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA)

After ten years of ORBA collaborative Summits and a 17-month period to gather stakeholder input, the Plan for the Ohio River Basin was released by the US Army Corps of Engineers on September 28, 2020, and accepted for implementation by the ORBA Steering Committee. The Plan provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a multi-billion-dollar federal investment in the Basin - including ecological restoration in West Virginia. The presentation will discuss the six goals of the plan, next steps in the implementation process, and how watershed organizations can get engaged - it will take all of us working together to make this happen.

11:00am-12:00pm: Benthic Macroinvertebrate Identification Refresher

Get a macroinvertebrate Identification refresher – Learn expert tips and tricks to help you identify “Benthic macroinvertebrates” in the field, and what they can tell us about the health of our rivers and streams. Participate in an activity following the presentation to be eligible for benthic prizes!

1:00-2:00pm: Marketing Your Watershed Group: Danny Forinash, Charles Ryan Associates

In a digital world, finding an effective marketing approach can be daunting. But by identifying audiences, figuring out where they go for info and defining your goals, organizations have blueprints from which to choose. Whether groups have money to invest in marketing or not, they have proven options. Danny Forinash will give you tips of the trade on how to effectively market your watershed group on social media to recruit new members, communicate with your members and build support for your projects.

2:00-3:00pm Educational Opportunities: Morris Creek Project, WVDEP Youth Environmental Program, WV Rivers/Trout Unlimited Mobile Monitoring Application

Learn how Morris Creek Watershed worked with students at Malden Elementary School to track fireflies, collect water quality data, and increase the bat population at Morris Creek. You’ll also hear about WVDEP Environmental Program and learn about the new initiative of WV Rivers and Trout Unlimited to develop a mobile phone watershed monitoring application.