Education and Outreach Program

Pollution from storm water runoff is a leading contributor to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The Master Watershed Stewards of York County, PA, organize the Street 2 Creek Storm Drain Art Project. Using an annual artist contest, project leaders use artwork around drains to raise citizen awareness and help educate the York community about the connection between storm drains and local creeks. The painted drains lead the way from the Codorus Creek to the Royal Square district in the City of York.

The Montgomery Parks Volunteer Services Office (VSO) first hosted the Clean Waterways Art Contest in 2021 to connect with local artists and educate the public about stormwater pollution through painting storm drain murals in Montgomery County. Among the entries was a painting by a local environmental artist Pamela Gordimer featuring Ruby the Recycling Octopus, an iconic character created to raise awareness about the effects of litter as a result of stormwater runoff. The painting, titled “Ruby’s Quest”, was painted alongside volunteers and was just the start of a successful partnership between a local artist and Montgomery County Parks (Montgomery Parks). Together, Montgomery Parks and Pamela Gordimer have reached over 100 volunteers over the past two years throughout Montgomery County.