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   Description : Fenwick Tributary Cleanup; 9 a.m.-noon, April 4, 2009

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Join the Montgomery County Sierra Club on Sunday, March 8, 2p.m. to
3:30p.m., as Marie Rojas, Montgomery County Master Gardener and owner
of Borders and Butterflies, shares tips and tricks on using the best
trees, shrubs and plants to attract birds and butterflies to your
garden. With a bit of planning and a few simple tweaks, you can
transform your patch of the world into a haven for wildlife. Whether
you garden in a container or on several acres, you can make a
difference—come and learn now! Rockville Library, 1st floor, 21
Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD. Free/ More information on
http://maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/. RSVP
steven.lonker@... or 301-438-3453.

Join the Montgomery County Sierra Club on Sunday, Feb. 22 from 2p.m. to
3:30p.m. to hear Pamela Rowe, Montgomery County RainScapes Coordinator,
speak on using rain gardens, rain barrels, and other storm water
prevention measures to solve drainage problems, improve local stream
quality, and beautify your home and neighborhood. Bethesda-Chevy Chase
Regional Services Center, Room A, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD.
Free. More information on  http://maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/.
Free. RSVP Steve Lonker 301-438-3453 or
steven.lonker@....

Frustrated with deer overpopulation and crumpled fenders, personal
injuries, ruined gardens, and lyme disease, then come to this talk
sponsored by the Montgomery County Sierra Club. Doug Tregoning,
Principal Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources and Director of
the Montgomery County Cooperative Extension, speaks on the causes of
higher deer populations and the use of repellents, barriers, and plant
management to deal with these increasing populations. Brookside Gardens
Visitor Center, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. Free. RSVP Steve
Lonker at steven.lonker@... or 301-438-3453.

Join the Montgomery County Sierra Club on the Underground Railroad
Experience Trail from 10am to noon on Monday, January 19, 2009. Take
part in the National Day of Service preceeding President-elect Barack
Obama's inauguration to honor the late Martin Luther King Jr. We are
partnering with Montgomery County Parks to remove invasive plant
species and restore this historically important area to plant
communities typical of the mid-1800s. Tools are limited so please
bring clippers, saws, and loppers. Long sleeves, pants, gloves,
comfortable walking shoes or boots, and water are recommended. For a
trail map, go to http://www.mc-
mncppc.org/parks/ppsd/parktrails/trails_MAPS/Rural_legacy.shtm.

Directions: Take Rt. 28E (Norbeck Road) across Georgia Ave. to the
intersection with Layhill Road. Go left on Layhill and proceed to the
intersection of Norwood and Ednor Roads. Go left on Norwood. Take the
first driveway on the right at 16501 Norwood Road. We will meet at
the parking lot near the picnic tables.

More information at
http://maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/sections/events.asp. Please
RSVP Jeremy Arling at jeremy.arling@... or 240-
398-3635.

On Sunday, January 11, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Jean Schwab, EPA's
GreenScapes Program Manager, speaks on "Environmentally Beneficial
Landscaping for Small and Large Property Owners". Topics covered
include gardening with native plants; limiting pesticide, fertilizer,
and water use; controlling storm water runoff; reducing waste through
composting; and success stories. Bethesda Regional Services Center,
Room A, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD.  More info at
maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/sections/events.asp. Free. RSVP
Steve Lonker at steven.lonker@... or 301-438-3453.

Make a difference. Volunteer for one of the following positions
offered by the Montgomery County Sierra Club:

FIELD TRIP AND LECTURE COORDINATOR
One person who will increase public awareness and show how problems
can be solved by arranging lectures, workshops, and trips to restored
habitats and wetlands, National Wildlife Federation certified
wildlife habitats, butterfly gardens, tree plantings, and rain
gardens.

FUNDING COORDINATOR, SHADY GROVE HOSPITAL
Work with the Property Steward to formulate a budget and write grant
proposals and applications covering the planting and maintenance of
wildlife habitats, rain gardens, tree plantings, meadows, and
butterfly gardens on the grounds of Shady Grove Hospital.

PARK STEWARD, BLUE MASH NATURE TRAIL
We need a committed person who is a Certified Weed Warrior or will
become a Certified Weed Warrior who can coordinate an invasive
removal program at the Blue Mash Nature Trail, Laytonsville, MD. The
Trail is one of the top birding localities in the County. This person
will interface with the County Department of Environmental Protection
and organize a long-term invasive removal program using local
students, members, and the community.

To volunteer, contact Steve Lonker at
steven.lonker@... or 301-438-3453.

Originally scheduled on Sat. Oct. 25 but postponed until Sunday, Oct.
26 due to rain. Support your community and join the Montgomery County
Sierra Club at an invasive plant removal event in Rock Creek Park near
Beach Drive and East West Highway from 10am-12pm. The
Montgomery County Parks and Planning Commission has plans to reforest a
streamside buffer here, but before they can do that they need
volunteers to remove the vines and other invasive species that will
kill the saplings if they are not removed.

Pruners will be provided but other tools are limited so please bring
your own saws and loppers if you can. Long sleeves, pants, gloves,
comfortable walking shoes or boots, and water are recommended. For more
information, visit http://maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/ or
contact Jeremy Arling at md.sierraclub@... or 240-398-3635.


Directions. From the Beltway: Take the Connecticut Ave exit South
towards D.C. Turn left on East West Highway in about 1 mile. Turn right
on Beach Drive. We will meet at the parking lot alongside the soccer
field close to the intersection of Beach Drive and East West Highway.

Join the Montgomery County Sierra Club at the Blue Mash Nature Trail,
Laytonsville, MD, for a tour of the former Oaks Landfill and
biologically diverse habitats in the buffer zone. Peter Karasik,
Operations Chief of the Division of Solid Waste Services Operations,
and Rob Gibbs, Montgomery County Parks Natural Resources Manager, show
what happens when a landfill closes to minimize environmental impact,
discuss new garbage strategies, and point out the habitats and
wildlife that make the Trail a birding hotspot. Long sleeves, pants,
comfortable walking shoes or boots, water, and binoculars are
recommended. Description and maps at
http://www.mcparkandplanning.org/parks/ppsd/parktrails/trails_MAPS/blue_mash.sht\
m

For more information and rain cancellation, visit
http://maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/ or contact Steve Lonker at
md.sierraclub@... or 301-438-3453.

Directions. Take Georgia Ave (Rt. 97) north through Brookeville. Rt.
97 bears west, then north through Brookeville. Turn left at first
intersection past Brookeville onto Brookeville Rd. Right on Zion Rd.
Parking lot is ¾ mi north of intersection on the left.

I have taken the liberty to remove the four spam messages sent recently and have
banned the
person who posted them from this list.  Joining the list, and sending a message
at this
time does not require approval. However, if similar spam messages increase we
might set the
approval standards to a higher level.

Gary Grimm
A Group moderator.

I have taken the liberty to remove the two spam messages sent today and the
person who
posted them from this list.  Joining the list, and sending a message at this
time does not
require approval.  However, if similar spam messages increase we might set the
approval
standards to a higher level.

Gary Grimm
A Group moderator.

Anyone have any ideas about measurements in PPM for PCB, PAH, or
Mercury concentrations.  I found the Anacostia watershed database and
all these measurments are in PPM and PPB and I don't really understand
which amounts represent significant concerns. Anyone no of a resource
that would help me understand this?

The Google Earth browser has updated the Layers section and has added new
submissions
to the Google Earth Forums Community. In all of the Interactive Watersheds web
site
projects and others we are involved in we have collected GPS points for the
panoramas we
have taken since 2001.  Potentially all of these points can be located in the
Google Earth
Browser with links made to the panoramas and video sequences. A few months ago I
produced an example of how this can work with the Jamaica Protected Areas
project under
construction now.  I will provide information about this below.

I have also created several Google Earth fly in movies which do not require the
Google
Earth Browser.  Below are links to pages where you can find these.

http://gogrimm-vlog.blogspot.com/
http://mountainvisions.com/Video/terrainanims/terrainvid.html

We now have all of the GPS locations for the Interactive Watersheds locations
marked in
Google Earth.  Some time will be required to create links to each watershed web
site and to
each location web page.  Anyone interested in this should contact me at their
earliest
convenience.

You can now find the Jamaica placemarks where Mountain Visions has taken
panoramas
and video during 2006 in the "Environment and Conservation" Layer of the Google
Earth
Community Forums. Each placemark also contains links to more information about
the
JPAT web site. Eighteeen of these also include direct links to view 360 degree
panoramas,
which can also be seen in a "Full Screen" High Definition view.

You can also add placemark locations to Google Earth and send them to your
associates
via e-mail. These can also be added to the Google Earth Community Forums, if you
choose. I will try to answer questions if you have them.

Gary Grimm
A group moderator

Information about the very interesting concept of Social Networking and
community
building is exploding on the Internet.

The organization of personal blogs, community wikis, and dicussion groups has
been
enabled by what is being called Web 2. Applications. Below is a link to a Matt
Mackenzie's
blog commenting that  "Web 2.0 is about community building."

http://www.mac-kenzie.net/blog/2006/06/15/my-take-on-web20

These applications can perform the same function as an old analogue  "Bulletin
Board"
where individuals can post a notice about a trip, idea, or community project and
invite
others to join in a "Common Adventure" to attempt to organize and actualize the
proposed
project.

I am doing research on how these expanding Web 2. opportunities can be used by
people
who are visiting the web sites Mountain Visions is producing.

I plan to produce a blog to create links to relevant articles about Social
Networking, Web 2.
and Wikis.  In 2003 I started one Common Adventure Blog and I  will either
expand this or
create a new one.  FYI, below is a link to that original project.

http://homepage.mac.com/gogrimm.mac/iblog/

I  also plan to start experimental Wiki groups for new web site projects
including the
Jamaica Protected Areas, Idaho Weed Awareness and River Menders.   I may also
start
experimental projects for the 5 Interactive Watersheds projects.  Below are the
web site
URLs for these projects.  The first three are still under construction and they
all contain
Community or Networking sections.

Jamaica Protected Area Trust
http://jpat-jm.net/

Idaho Weed Awareness Campaign
http://idahoweedawareness.net/

River Menders
http://www.rivermenders.net/

Interactive Watersheds
http://www.interactivewatersheds.net/uswtrmap.html

The following Important hot topics on the Internet are emerging.  "Sources of
Video
Content" and "Online Social Networking."

Since 1993, hundreds of  360 degree interactive panoramas and high quality
audio/video
sequences are available for viewing from watersheds across the country at the
Interactive
Watersheds web site home and map pages.  This is a unique resource that people
you
know would appreciate learning about.  Please share the following web site
addresses with
them:

http://www.interactivewatersheds.net
http://www.interactivewatersheds.net/uswtrmap.html

Starting in 2001, the Interactive Watersheds Community Centers were developed in
the
form of an "Online Social Networking" process. Many websites offer examples and
descriptions. A good social networking service and a good source for information
is
Wikipedia. Look at Social Networking , and Web 2.0.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_social_network
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2

A major objective of the Interactive Watersheds web sites is to make it easy for
a web site
visitor to look at a map of one of the special watersheds, find detailed maps of
important
resource areas, and virtually visit a number of specific locations within each
area.  The
virtual visit will allow the user to view and navigate around and up and down on
the image
on their computer screen using the unique and immersive 360 degree panorama
QuickTime VR technology.  In addition, as a person looks at a 360-degree
panorama, they
often find additional pictures and text links, which further describe the area's
"Resource
Issues."    Often an audio/video clip will be available to actually see and hear
a resource
person at the site describing features and issues related to the 360-degree
view.

What we attempted with the Interactive Watersheds web sites was to make a visit
to the
site "look and feel" a lot like the experience a person would have if they
actually did visit
one or more of the watershed areas in person.

Ideally a viewer who visits one or more of the watershed areas in real life or
on the Internet
would become interested in actively participating personally in watershed
restoration
activities. And, they would also want to continually use the web site to stay
informed about
specific locations and issues they are interested in.  The wealth of information
that could
become available on all of the Interactive Watersheds web sites will make it
possible for an
individual to see dynamic multimedia information in a few hours or a day that
could take
weeks or months to find any other way.  The "Watershed Community Centers"  are
"Online
Social Networking Centers" designed to facilitate discussion and submission of
content for
the web site from citizen web site users, organized special interest groups,
scientists, and
local, state and federal agencies.

This Yahoo Group discussion opportunity also represents one of the many forms of
"Online Social Networking."

Any questions or comments?

Thank you,

Gary Grimm

A Yahoo Groups user and moderator

To Interactive Watersheds Yahoo Discussion Group members.
Please comment on the following statements if you are interested.

A recent article by Andreas Kluth in the "Economist" notes that "The era of mass
media is
giving way to one of personal and participatory media... That will profoundly
change both
the media industry and society as a whole."
http://economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6794156

He continues with a comment titled "The age of participation"
"In this new-media culture, says Paul Saffo, a director at the Institute for the
Future in
California, people no longer passively "consume" media (and thus advertising,
its main
revenue source) but actively participate in them, which usually means creating
content, in
whatever form and on whatever scale."

The original vision of the Interactive Watersheds project very much followed
these
concepts. What we attempted to do with this nationwide model project was to make
a visit
to the site "look and feel" a lot like the experience a person would have if
they actually did
visit one or more of the watershed areas in person.

Ideally a viewer who visits one or more of the watershed areas in real life or
on the Internet
would become interested in actively participating personally in watershed
restoration
activities. And, they would also want to continually use the web site to stay
informed about
specific locations and issues they are interested in.  The wealth of information
that is
possible to  become available on the watershed web sites will make it possible
for an
individual to see dynamic multimedia information in a few hours or a day that
could take
weeks or months to find any other way.  The Watershed Community Centers are
designed
to facilitate participation in a range of educational, volunteer and monitoring
activities.
These centers have also created  and to invite discussion topics  and submission
of
content for the web site.

To date this public participation has been seldom reported on the Interactive
Watershed
Web sites.   This discussion forum is a good example. Does anyone have ideas
about how
to encourage more participation?

I am taking the liberty of deleting a few messages from one person to this
discussion group
who is not sending anything related to the Potomac Watershed.

I have also banned this person from sending messages in the future.

Gary Grimm
A group moderator

I am reading Thomas Friedman's book titled "The World is Flat" - A Brief History
of the
Twenty-first Century.  He makes an economic case for the power of "Global
Collaboration"
that is taking place and how individuals and small groups from many different
communities, states and countries are already participating.  My belief is that
the
Interactive Watersheds web sites, can help "jump start"  Watershed NGOs and
individuals
to aggressively participate in a successful collaborative process to achieve
their watershed
restoration objectives now, and over time in the future.

I have also read two books by Jared Diamond.   "Guns, Germs and Steel" (an
examination
of how and why Western Civilizations developed the technologies and immunities
that
allowed them to dominate much of the rest of the world)  and "Collapse"  (what
caused
some of the great civilizations of h past to collapse into ruin, and what can we
learn from
their fates?)

In these books and others that have been influential in my life there are themes
that reflect
the work I believe we are all involved in.  These themes include local, regional
and  global
natural resources,  politics, and the economy.  Up to the time the Internet and
the World
Wide Web began to be used by a large population of people worldwide, global
natural
resources, politics and economy were controlled by large organizations,
political parties of
all types, and big international  corporations.   This is still true today, but
the authors
mentioned above seem to believe that the world is changing quickly.  Now,
because of the
Internet, more individuals and smaller groups in countries around the world are
becoming
involved and are becoming influential in the natural resources, politics and
economical
factors that affect their, and their children's,  future.

The Interactive Watersheds project, started in the year 2000, involved the
National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation, the National Association of Resource and Conservation
and
Development Council, the U.S. Forest Service, and many other Federal, State, and
local
partners and businesses, including  Mountain Visions. Together we  have helped
produce
an unique interactive and educational opportunity on the Internet  to help
develop a better
public understanding of the watershed resources, and how the restoration and
protection
of these resources can benefit the economy and the politics, not only in special
watershed
areas in America, but also local citizens, and other countries and citizens
around the
world.

Katy and I (Mountain Visions) have a genuine interest in continuing to be 
involved in this
important process.  We are hopeful that the Interactive Watersheds projects will
all
continue to expand in their mission of public outreach, information and
involvement.

Gary Grimm

A discussion group moderator

Distributed by the River Network

Dear friends,

River Network is pleased to announce that Registration Is Now Open for the
National River Rally 2005, May 20 - 24 Keystone Resort, Keystone CO

River and watershed protection activists from around the country will
gather for the sixth annual National River Rally May 20 through May 24 at
the Keystone Resort in the Colorado Rockies. The River Rally is a
comprehensive national conference for everyone working to understand,
restore and protect rivers and watersheds.  Staff, volunteers and board
members of all experience levels are encouraged to participate in four
days of learning, sharing and celebration.  Nearly 100 workshops will
cover emerging policy issues, fundraising, technical issues, watershed
science, hands-on watershed protection skills, and much more. The event
includes field trips and expanded networking opportunities. Early
registration is highly encouraged due to the fantastic location for this
year's River Rally. Please visit http://www.rivernetwork.org/rally to
register or learn more.

Why Attend River Rally?

1) The widely respected Institute for Conservation Leadership will offer
special training for board and staff of local watershed organizations.

2) Build your professional network in workshops on emerging fresh-water
protection issues and by meeting people from throughout the country.

3) The Center for Watershed Protection's condensed course on planning and
implementing successful hands-on watershed protection projects can help
you through a technically challenging watershed protection plan.

4) Develop your multi-cultural strategy with tribal and non-tribal
leaders. Great speakers and programs will give you results-oriented skills
to build broader public support.  A special pre-Rally event, the Tribal
Day, will be held on Friday, May 20th at Keystone for indigenous
participants to share and work together.

5) Build your fundraising skills at the "Funders' Forum" and with new
advanced-level workshops such as "Creating Internet Strategies and
Campaigns" with Groundspring.org trainer John Kenyon.

6) Enjoy inspiring events like the River Heroes Banquet, start your
holiday shopping at the silent auction, join in the River Jam, enter the
"Dutch oven cook off" featuring competitors from around the country and
enjoy the "Water Music" Concert, featuring pianist Michael Arnowitt and
poet Marjorie Ryerson.

About Rally Registration

Go to http://www.rivernetwork.org/rally to register or get additional
information. General registration for staff and board members of River
Network Partner organizations is $625, and includes four nights of
lodgings, peak hour shuttles from the Denver airport, and most meals
(Tribal Day registration is an additional $125). Limited scholarships will
be available. Scholarship requests should be made when registering. The
deadline is March 18th. Discounts are available for non-profit groups
registering three or more people.  Late fees will apply after April 8.
Please contact
riverrally@... or call 208 853-1920 with registration questions.

Jessica, I forwarded your message to all 5 of the Interactive Watersheds
discussion groups.
A web page locating these projects across the U.S. is noted below:
http://www.interactivewatersheds.net/uswtrmap.html

Gary

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Jessica Brooks" <jeb@...>
Date: December 15, 2004 12:13:11 PM MST
To: <gogrimm@...>
Subject: Hoping you could post this to your listserve

Dear Gary,
We were hoping you could post the following announcement to your listserve about
an
upcoming training opportunity. Thank you.
 

Join Us for the

  Watershed Protection Institute

March 28 - April 1, 2005

Shepherdstown, WV

  Presented by the Center for Watershed Protection

 

In partnership with:

  * River Network

  * Engineering Professional Programs, University of Washington

 

Registration and Scholarship Information Now Available!

Visit <www.cwp.org> for more information.

 

The Watershed Protection Institute (WPI) is more than just a conference! WPI is
an
intensive, interactive five day program designed to train watershed leaders on
practical
watershed and site planning techniques to protect the health of less developed
watersheds. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available.

 

For more information, contact Rebecca Winer, Center for Watershed Protection,
  phone: 410-461-8323; email: rrw@...

Jessica Brooks
Publications Manager
Center for Watershed Protection
8390 Main Street, 2nd Floor
Ellicott City, MD 21043
  Phone: 410-461-8323
www.cwp.org
><)))>....><)))>....><)))>....><)))>


 

Yahoo Groups lets us know if there is very little discussion activity and could
eliminate the
group if no one is using it.

I am sending this short message now to keep it alive.  I really can't understand
why people
are not joining this group to discuss the important issues related to watershed
restoration
in the Potomac River watershed.

If you read this message please join the group and tell your friends and
associates to look
at the web site and join in on the discussion.

Gary Grimm
A Group Moderator.

I have recently written an on-line proposal to stimulate a discussion about the
topic - InterActive InterNetworking for Ecological Commons. Below I will provide
a
link to the PlaNetworks InterActive conference where details of this proposal
can be found.

http://www.planetwork.net/interactive/proposal_display.html?id=16

The Interactive Watersheds web site project , including the Watershed Community
Centers is a major part of this discussion proposal.

Included here is a short abstract:

Community based collaborative groups are often organized to study, rehabilitate
and preserve watersheds, parks, and other natural ecological commons. Today,
interactive and highly visualized multimedia web sites containing on-line
community
networking centersare also being developed in an attempt to attract and engage
many
more people in future democratic and cooperative commons management.

Please read the full proposal and post your comments on this Discussion group.

Gary Grimm
A Group Moderator

Last November, at the Joint Ventures - Partners in Stewardship Conference,
Mountain
Visions presented a preview of the major features included in the Interactive
Watersheds
projects.

The conference web site has provided a summary of the presentation which was
given on
Day 3, 11/20/2003 at 1:P.M.  The session number is 282.
http://www.partnerships2003.org/home.html


We also produced a detailed document containing instructions for previewing
and/or
demonstrating the same material to others.  This document has been distributed
to many
in written hard copy and e-mail attachment word files before, during and after
the
conference.

Please Note that we have also created an interactive online version of this
preview.  This is
now vailable for anyone to use on the Internet.  The following is the web site
URL where
this preview is located.

http://www.mountainvisions.com/whatsnew/iwpreview.html

If you have any questions please contact:

Gary Grimm
A discussion group moderator

Take Pride in Our Potomac; It's Time to Take Out the Trash!
                Saturday, April 3, 2004 - 9am-12noon

Hello all,

I am Wende Pearson, the Coordinator for the Potomac River Watershed
Cleanup, an Alice Ferguson Foundation Annual Event.

Last spring we removed 117 tons of trash from our community
Watershed, and we hope to make a significant effort again this
year.  The Cleanup occurs simultaneously at sites in Maryland,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington D.C.  We work
with a network of Watershed partners to make this event possible,
including the National Park Service, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Potomac
Conservancy, Reston Association, Accokeek Foundation, Charles County
Department of Public Facilities and Prince George's CCCC in addition
to hundreds of other community groups, non-profits and local
businesses.

What can you do to get involved?

1. Adopt a site or volunteer as a site leader to help us organize a
community cleanup in your neighborhood.  Gather friends, family and
co-workers to get outdoors and make a difference in our Watershed.
It's easier than you think to become a local hero!!!  Check the
website or call me for more information.

2. Volunteer at an established site on Saturday, April 3, 2004 - 9am-
12noon.  Check the website after March 1st for a cleanup site near
you (www.potomaccleanup.org).

3. Offer financial support to help fund this powerful and widespread
event.  Although we get a huge amount of in-kind support from our
Cleanup Partners, we still have supplies and coordination costs that
we need help with.  Please call me if you would like to make a tax-
deductible donation.

4. Spread the word!!  Tell everyone you know to join us in improving
the health and beauty of Our Potomac River.  In just three hours,
you can truly make a difference!  See you on Saturday, April 3, 2004.

I truly hope you can join us for this spectacular event.

Sincerely,

Wende Pearson
Cleanup Coordinator
Alice Ferguson Foundation
(301)292.6665
fax (301) 292.1070
email Potmaccleanup@...
www.potomaccleanup.org

TO:  All Interactive Watersheds web site discussion group members.

  (Potomac Watershed Partnership, Conasauga River Alliance, Coalition for the
Upper
South Platte, Upper Sevier River Community Watershed Project, and Pit River
Watershed Alliance.)

I think I have sent a personal message to individuals involved in the
maintenance of
each Interactive Watershed web site project to explain that there is a lot of
value to
these discussion groups.  The one now existing on each web site should be
available
for web site users who want to join in the discussion in the future.  It is also
pretty
easy to create another discussion group for your steering committee and others
that
you need to have regular communication with.  To create another group for your
organizational use I will need your help.  Please contact me if and when you
want to
do this.

For your information the National Association of RC&D Councils has developed one
of
these Yahoo discussion groups and I get interesting messages from them almost
every day.  The web site address for their Yahoo home page is below.  They have
543
members who have joined:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NARCDC/

I am also involved in dozens of other similar and interesting discussion groups.
Just
one, for example that allows people to organize hikes, outings and photographic
trips
near Boise, Idaho has 428 members.  They have many messages a week and it is
really
exciting to see the kinds of "community" exchanges of ideas that show up.  I
really
believe that it is possible for the Conasauga River Alliance Bulletin Board to
develop a
similar kind of communication dialogue and exchange of ideas for volunteer
projects,
photography trips to watershed restoration sites, etc., etc., etc., in the
future.  For
your information I will give you the address of the Idaho Outdoors discussion
Group
mentioned above:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/idahooutdoors/

I hope these links helps everyone see the potential growth and use of these
discussion groups.   Please join the specific Interactive Watershed discussion
groups
you are interested in and also please encourage others to use these discussion
groups
as well.

Thanks,

Gary Grimm
A Discussion Group Moderator

Notice that there has been very little activity on this discussion group since
it started. The Watershed Community Center for the Coalition for the Potomac
Watershed Partnership web site has been developed to encourage community
interaction from people who are using the web site. The web page address for the
Watershed Community Center is:
http://www.potomacwatershed.net/commcntr.html

I did receive a message from Yahoo that they would discontinue these discussion
groups if there is no activity for 90 days.

If people who are using the Potomac Watershed Partnership web site want this
discussion group to continue they should join and express their ideas about the
watershed restoration activities currently being planned and also about the web
site.
The web site address is:
http://www.potomacwatershed.net


Thanks for joining in on the discussion through this Yahoo groups service.

Gary Grimm.
Current Moderator

To all Interactive Watersheds discussion groups.

A good example of a Yahoo discussion group that has activity almost every
day is the National Association of Conservation and Resource Development
Councils. (RC&D councils) You might find some of their discussions useful in
your own work.  The discussion group home page address for NARCDC is:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narcdc/

Below is the invitation statement made on this home page.

The National Association of RC&D Councils (NARC&DC) is an advocate for
local Resource Conservation and Development Councils. Established in
1988 to assist local RC&Ds to identify, address and solve challenges to
sustain and improve quality of life in their own communities. This list service
is
dedicated to that purpose. All persons associated with the RC&D effort are
welcome to join.

Gary Grimm

Members may notice that 8 Messages have been posted to this discussion
group.

I used this area for a testing area to see how group messages would be sent
and received, and how they would look on this Yahoo web page and in the
Daily Digest mode when received by one of the members. When I first started
the discussion, I thought I would be able to delete these test messages and
they would not show up in the total count -- "All Messages"-- indicator.
However, this number does show up even though the messages have been
deleted.  I have not been able to find a way to change this yet.

The deleted messages were  just "test" messages and I can assure you they
would not be of value in this discussion group.  In the future, it appears you
can delete your own messages and I can delete ones that are not appropriate
for the discussion group as well.

I hope this clarifies the discrepancy between the number of messages you
can actually read and the "All Messages" indicator.

Gary Grimm,
Potomac Watershed discussion group moderator.

What is netiquette?

There are informal rules of the internet which are termed "netiquette" to help
people use proper etiquette within this form of communication. Some
examples of poor netiquette are not to signing messages, unsubscribing by
sending mail to the posting address instead of the administrative address, or
TYPING IN ALL CAPS, (which is considered yelling). This is a dynamic
environment and netiquette is changing rapidly.

Some informal rules for this list:

Remember that replies automatically go to the entire list. To respond to an
individual, see the directions for your email software.

Never send attachments to the list. An attachment may contain a virus, may be
in a format others cannot use, may not make it through some mail gateways,
and will bog down both the list server and the mail server. (Large enough
attachments will choke the list server.)

Don't send styled text or HTML files, just plain text. (A rule of thumb: if it's
not in
the body of the text, people may not read it.)

Please quote only the relevant portion of messages you respond to -- and
please quote some of the original message so others know what you're
responding to.

Please keep "me too" and "agreed" messages off the list; these are best sent
privately.

When responding to a digest post, please change the subject to match that of
the original message.

Please keep signature lines concise, preferably 6 lines or less.

Some e-mail programs are set to wrap lines at 80 characters, so check that
your signature won't wrap badly because of this. (Just look at your posts to
see if this is a problem.)

Although subscribers may offer specific equipment and services to the list or
share an exceptional bargain they have discovered, explicitly commercial
postings are prohibited. Any address or domain posting such will be blocked.

Treat your list neighbor as you wish to be treated. Address breaches of
netiquette privately, not on the list. Assume the best, not the worst.

To discussion group users---(Add more detail to this list?  Or delete some of
these?)

Welcome,

You have signed up to participate in a discussion about the restoration and
stewardship projects coordinated by the Potomac Watershed Partnership. A
comprehensive interactive web site project is available where you can
explore many past projects by viewing 360 degree panoramas and
audiovidio sequences. The URL is:
http://www.potomacwatershed.net/

This discussion group has been established to create a positive community
dialogue about topics related to this web site and restoration and stewardship
projects that might take place in the future.

For example, if you would like to initiate a one day cleanup, or streambank
restoration project, you can post the idea here. As soon as a few others want
to help you, you might contact one or more of the Potomac Watershed
Partners to see if there might be additional help in terms of resources, tools
or funds. When a project becomes organized, and dates established, this
project might also be added to the calendar of events, and volunteer
opportunities on the web site. Photographs and stories might also be added
to the web site when the project is completed.

Additional examples of discussion topics can be found on the web site on the
Bulletin Board page of the Watershed Community Center.
http://www.potomacwatershed.net/comcentr/bullbord.html

With this goal in mind, please limit your discussion to constructive comments
aimed at positive watershed outcomes. All participants will expect a
respectful dialogue between discussion group members at all times.

Please visit the web site and the Watershed Community Center for
information about events that are being planned now and information about
how you might become involved.
http://www.potomacwatershed.net/commcntr.html

Thank you for joining this group. We welcome your participation in the
restoration of the Potomac Watershed.

Gary Grimm
Moderator