Today's speaker was Lauren Hazenson, Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District which serves part or all of 12 cities in the NE Metro area, including Shoreview and Arden Hills. Watershed Districts exist because water doesn't follow political boundaries. These organizations work jointly with cities, counties and the state to deal with surface water quality, ecosystems, flood control and community education. Though a cost-sharing approach they have helped fund over 30 projects in the past 10 years that have benefitted home owners, businesses and the community at large. Some local examples are shoreline restoration projects at both Snail Lake and Lake Owasso, as well as a carp management program at Lake Owasso. Water quality has actually improved in our state over time because there has been a growing awareness of the importance of protecting our water resources and more preventative actions have been taken. Individuals can help support these efforts by taking actions like minimizing the amount of salt used on outside surfaces during the winter, taking on a water-friendly project such as a rain garden or adopting a near-by drain to monitor and clean.
We also had a short presentation from Dr. Alfred Mwamba, the only audiologist in the country of Zambia. Dr. Mwamba works with the Starkey Hearing Institute to improve access to treatment for hearing loss in sub-Saharan Africa countries. Like Zambia, many surrounding countries currently have little to no access to hearing loss treatments. Dr. Mwamba and two associates joined us thanks to a connection with new member Don Martin.