Kevin Smith, a Community Outreach Specialist with Keep Forsyth Clean and Beautiful, was honored recently by the state Department of Natural Resources as Trainer of the Year and the City of Gainesville's Watershed Program received the Adopt-A-Stream Watershed Award.<br />
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Smith was recognized for promoting an awareness of nonpoint source pollution, collecting baseline water quality data and creating partnerships, all a part of the state's Adopt-A-Stream program. <br />
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Georgia Adopt-A-Stream (AAS) relies heavily on the support of its local trainers and community coordinators to engage citizens by conducting certification workshops and to be a continuous point of contact for the Program. <br />
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Smith has been an active AAS trainer since 2006 being certified in our chemical, bacterial and macroinvertebrate monitoring programs. He led 44 workshops, certifying over 800 volunteers in 2013 alone. <br />
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GAINESVILLE RECEIVES ADOPT-A-STREAM WATERSHED AWARD<br />
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Gainesville's Adopt-A-Stream Program gave over 220 presentations in five counties reaching people of all ages through schools, fairs, festivals, career days, and public forums. <br />
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With five staff members, three of which are Adopt-A-Stream trainer certified, and the help of their volunteers, the program has held 26 chemical, bacterial and macroinvertebrate monitoring workshops certifying over 450 volunteers in 2013. <br />
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Over the past decade, Gainesville AAS has held annual stream clean-ups as part of the Rivers Alive program. This year, 168 volunteers removed approximately 3,000 pounds of litter from Flat Creek. <br />
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Other water education and outreach events provided by Gainesville's AAS program in 2013 included rain barrel workshops and a rain barrel decorating contest, and continuing restoration of Flat Creek. Over 180 students from six schools participated in the rain barrel decoration contest in 2013, decorating 34 barrels. The barrels were displayed throughout the community for a month and even placed in a parade to spread awareness for water conservation. <br />
