Verde Watershed Ambassadors
An Oak Creek Ambassador acts as a highly educated liaison to the local and tourist driven economy in Sedona, Arizona. They inform and educate visitors to the watershed, collect litter and feces on a regular basis and improve the overall visitor experience. A program like this provides countless aesthetic, health-based and environmental improvements to the fragile landscape.
Over three summers, the program has removed over 12,000 lbs of trash, 800 lbs of feces, and 400 diapers.
In the past, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) funded the Oak Creek Ambassador Program. through its water quality improvement grant program. After a great deal of success, we hope to continue this extremely invaluable program in the summer of 2016 and begin establishing a foundation for a self-sustaining program.
With the money from this campaign, we can afford to employ one Ambassador for 14 weeks.
This Ambassador will work near developed recreation sites and natural areas along Oak Creek talking to visitors, picking up trash, human and dog waste, and making presentations to campground visitors.
The funding ADEQ has provided in the past has been invaluable to success in starting the program. Continued funding from multiple organizations and agencies will allow a transition from sole ADEQ funds to a more localized, sustainable community based funding mechanism.
This program has brought youth into the watershed to educate and inform visitors and locals about the current issues facing the watershed. The Ambassadors provide a much needed friendly face – not to punish or enforce, but rather to encourage through example and sharing of information. This method seems to work very well with visitors, who oftentimes come unprepared and unversed in Leave No Trace Ethics.
Nonpoint source pollution like dog and wildlife waste eventually ends up in Oak Creek, and this boots-on-the-ground education based watershed stewardship is a great way to address recreational impacts in the Oak Creek Watershed before they reach the creek.
Oak Creek is perpetually on the “non-attaining” list due to the persistence of the indicator fecal coliform bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) suggesting fecal contamination. This is a potential health issue that is only going to get worse if we all do not become more aware of it and do something about it.
We are so grateful for all the local and regional support for our non-profit, the Oak Creek Watershed Council and for our programs like the Oak Creek Ambassadors.
We truly believe that together we can make a positive difference in our environment - enhancing and preserving Oak Creek for many future generations to come!
Our current Oak Creek Ambassador Program
