On Saturday, June 28, 2014, at the River and Roots Festival in Berryville, Virginia, NOAA staff led an environmental education workshop to teach festival-goers of all ages about the sources of marine debris and non-point source pollution and how actions upstream affect creeks, rivers, and ultimately our coastal ecosystems.

The three-person team from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the Office of Response and Restoration, and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science led demonstrations, talks, and games teaching participants about how their actions in the Shenandoah River valley can have a dramatic impact downstream. The team explained ways that local residents, who live near the Shenandoah River, can become good coastal stewards by making simple changes to what they do in their own backyards to reduce their environmental impact. They reinforced the message that their efforts are a part of a much larger goal to reduce the impacts of marine debris and pollution on the precious Chesapeake Bay and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean.

For more information about the event, contact Jason.Rolfe@noaa.gov.

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