The Illinois-Indiana Master Watershed Steward Program engages participants as stewards of natural ecosystems and resources through science-based education in their communities. Watershed Stewards promote healthy watersheds by increasing their understanding of potential causes of water resource degradation and providing the knowledge and tools they need to identify, prevent, or resolve water quality problems. The curriculum focuses on topics such as water quality science and the impacts of climate change, invasive species, and agriculture on water bodies. The program toolkit provides all materials necessary to guide hosts and Master Watershed Steward participants through eight interactive sessions. Upon completion of the training, Master Watershed Stewards are prepared to engage in restoration science, community science, and community education programs with local partners.
This project also includes an optional Watershed Game, where participants learn about practices, plans, and policies that improve and protect the quality of a stream, lake, river or coastal region while making land use and management decisions in a fun, and low-stress environment. The object of this team-building simulation is for each participant or team to use limited financial resources to reduce excess nonpoint source pollution to levels that meet a clean water goal. The Watershed Game illustrates that cooperation is an essential part of managing water and land use. Participants learn to consider and involve all land uses within a watershed as they work to achieve their clean water goals.
Watershed Steward Program is offered statewide in Illinois and Indiana as a collaboration between Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Extension. The program can be delivered either in person or virtually. With eight sessions covering 20 hours of participant education, this program allows multiple Extension educators and partners to teach and engage with participants at either a county or regional scales. Additionally, educators can adapt the sessions to fit the needs and interests of their participants.
In 2024, Illinois Extension led a pilot Watershed Steward program in Boone County with 10 adult participants. Staff also led two stand-alone Watershed Game events for the East-Central Illinois Master Naturalists and the Illinois Native Plant Society.
Additionally, Purdue Extension, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, and Illinois Extension conducted train-the-trainer sessions with seven Illinois Extension staff in 2023 that included Watershed Game training. In 2024, 11 Illinois Extension staff from both states attended Illinois-Indiana Master Watershed Steward train-the-trainer.
For more information, see go.illinois.edu/WatershedStewards.
Partners of this project include Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, University of Illinois Extension, Purdue University Extension, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
