Protect Our Ponds: A community-based social marketing task force to

improve water quality

The challenge of controlling nutrients from stormwater runoff

The stormwater system links all of the yards in the neighborhood

Floridians apply 35 million pounds of nitrogen to their yards every year

The fertilizer/algae connection

Nutrient pollution in Florida waterways

Removing nutrients from stormwater is expensive

Several baffle boxes have been installed through Martin County to filter runoff water. Workers here install the concrete lid of a baffle box. Officials hope a stricter fertilizing ban could eventually reduce the need for these efforts.

Closer to Home: Fertilizer and nuisance algae

Solutions must use a combination of approaches

1. Government mandates that target behavior 2. Education about stormwater and landscape

connection 3. Technological solutions combined with community

engagement 4. Improving performance of ponds through

landscaping (buffer planting, littoral and aquatic) 5. Controlling nutrients at the source through

behavior change 6. Recognize that the cultural practices of turf grass

management is greatest barrier to behavior change

Controlling nutrient runoff is key to water quality efforts

What behaviors need to change?

1. Follow the summer fertilizer blackout to reduce runoff

2. Control grass clippings (in street and ponds)

3. Install buffer zone around ponds

4. Increase aquatic plants to uptake nutrients

Increasing shoreline and aquatic plants are the long term solution

Benefits of planted buffer around ponds

• Absorb nutrients

• Prevents fertilizer from

directly entering the

pond

• Littoral plants pump

oxygen into water and

create habitats

• Control nuisance

vegetation

• Provide shoreline

habitat

Qualitative research

Any kind of research that produces findings not arrived at by means of statistical procedures or other means of quantification (Strauss and Corbin 1990).

Where quantitative researchers seek causal determination, prediction, and generalization of findings, qualitative researchers seek instead illumination, understanding, and extrapolation to similar situations (Hoepfl 1997)

Why is qualitative research relevant?

Formative

Engages participants

Describes behaviors in ways quantitative research cannot

Makes quantitative research better

Focus group questions

• What do you like about your neighborhood and your landscape?

• What would you change? What prevents you?

• What do you enjoy about the “lakes”?

• Interaction with landscape contractor

• What is your reaction to different types of landscaping around ponds?

Participant characteristics

• 26 men, 11 women

• Almost all lived on a “lake”

• Average time in home was 10 years

• Most had served in HOA governance

• None did their own landscaping

• Half in “maintenance free” neighborhoods

Cultural & social norms • Value interaction with

neighbors (what neighbors think)

• Appreciation for restrictions-

controlled/consistent

environment- fit in with

neighborhood aesthetics

• Pride of ownership- manicured

look and good upkeep

• Pride in neighborhood and

community

• Wildlife highly valued

Perceptions of algae problem in their backyard ponds

• “Cruddy”, “swampish”, “scummy”, “ a health issue”

• “We’ve had social gatherings at the house and people have made comments… what’s up with your swamp out there”

• ..the smell off of those lakes will take your breath away.

Barriers to shoreline buffers

• Neighbors won’t like it

• Blocks view of the water

• Plants will get out of control

• Cost of maintenance

• Unwanted wildlife

What contributes to the problem? • Design of stormwater systems (everyone

connected)

• Landscaping dominated by turf

• HOA rules that encourage intensive watering and fertilizing of turf

• Landscaping on ponds that makes natural function difficult

• Homeowner preference for one kind of landscape

• Homeowner knowledge about the connection between fertilizer and algae growth is limited

• Maintenance practices cause additional problems

Survey Findings

• 44% of respondents (on-pond n = 429 & off-pond n = 268) did not know landscapers in Manatee County are required to be certified

• 24% have talked to their landscapers about keeping fertilizer away from sidewalks, curbs, and ponds

• 12% have talked to their landscapers about keeping grass clippings out of stormwater drains and ponds

Survey Findings

• Residents who have talked with their landscapers about keeping fertilizer or grass clippings out of stormwater drains and ponds tend to be those who knew that landscapers in Manatee County must be certified

• No other variable (such as age, gender, income, ethnicity, or environmental attitude score) was significantly associated with the likelihood of talking with a landscaper about these issues

0.5

23.1

20.1

18.8

22.4

15.2

5.1

16.3

16.1

48.5

10.7

3.3

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

No valid response

Very Unlikely

Unlikely

Undecided

Likely

Very Likely

Percent Respondents On Ponds

Shoreline Plants

Neighbors

Respondent

How likely are you, your neighbors to accept or request…

0.5

27

16.5

18.5

22.1

15.4

4.4

17.9

13.9

50.1

9.5

4.2

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

No valid response

Very Unlikely

Unlikely

Undecided

Likely

Very Likely

Percent of Respondents On Ponds

Aquatic Plants

Neighbors

Respondent

How likely are you, your neighbors to accept or request…

Social marketing approach to promote compliance with county ordinance

Audience: HOA leadership that hires contractors

Homeowners to help monitor

Landscape contractors

Employees

Behaviors: control grass clippings and debris and comply with fertilizer blackout

Product: Clean ponds, no more algae

Barriers: Change in established practices, more involvement by HOA and homeowners, surveillance

Must have buy-in from community leaders

Engaging in community events

Protect Our Ponds Science Cafe

Walkabout educational activities

Social marketing websites • The Social Marketing Institute

(social-marketing.org)

• Fostering Sustainable Behavior (cbsm.com)

• Tools of Change (toolsofchange.com)

• socialmarketingquarterly.com

• waterwordsthatwork

• On Social Marketing and Social Change

(socialmarketing.blogs.com)