Partners in Place
The Voice of Our Waters: a participatory workshop hosted by the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission
November 2004
Dane County Lakes & Watershed staff and commission members wished to bring the friends of Dane County waters and watersheds together to encourage networking and collaboration. I facilitated a planning team of representatives from County groups to survey potential workshop participants and design the workshop agenda to address the desired outcomes. I coached the case study panelists before the workshop to ensure the presentation of priority information that would meet the expected outcomes, and I facilitated the workshop and prepared the evaluation.
Related materials:
- A panel of Case Study presenters from the Starkweather Creek and Upper Sugar River watersheds jump-started the thinking about Tips for Success by describing how watershed groups became established voices in their communities. Watershed groups and municipal and elected officials were represented.
- In order to glean Tips for Success from all those present, pairs of participants interviewed each other and posted their ideas on the "sticky wall."
- Three rounds of brainstorming in facilitated small groups addressed the question, "What new or improved ideas for action will we carry back to our citizens' groups and into the planning processes of county and municipal governments?"
- Participants could choose to spend time at three of five topic areas (link) that are part of the draft goals and objectives for the County Comprehensive Plan: ground water quality and quantity; surface water quality and quantity, a watershed approach, species and habitat diversity, and public access to surface
