Here's Stormy
By Peter J. Hanlon, Massachusetts Bays Program

A recent survey indicated that only 22 percent of Americans know that runoff from streets, lawns, farms, etc. is the most significant source of pollution in the country.* That’s not good. To bridge this knowledge gap a few concerned organizations hired a 15-foot tall inflatable yellow duck named Stormy. This is his story.

Okay, so this story is a little bigger than big Stormy. A creative outreach campaign was launched in the summer of 2006 called “Think Again. Think Blue.” to let people know about the runoff pollution problem, in particular runoff that enters Massachusetts waterways though stormwater systems. Those grated openings on local roads do not lead to sewers where water is cleaned of pollutants, rather the vast majority are entrances to a system of pipes that lead directly to the nearest waterbody. That means that any pollutants on the ground, from dripping auto oil to cigarette butts to dog waste to fertilizer, are whisked away by rainfall to a stormwater system and, from there, they head straight to nearby rivers, beaches, and bays without being treated.

But back to the ducks. Stormwater pollution is a complex and elusive problem, so staff from the Massachusetts Bays Program (MBP) and Massachusetts Bays Estuary Association (MBEA) took note of a successful stormwater education program called Think Blue San Diego. The San Diego program used witty messages targeted to specific audiences and behaviors, and extensive surveys found that their strategy was making an impact. Particularly effective was a television public service announcement called “Fowl Water” that showed oil drippings, cigarettes, and pet waste on the ground turning into little rubber ducks. The ducks then flowed into storm drains where they joined dozens, and then thousands, of other rubber ducks gushing out of an outfall pipe on the beach to illustrate the cumulative effects of stormwater pollution. The MBP and MBEA were smitten with the idea of creating an entire campaign based around the ducks and, along with an advisory group called the Think Blue Coalition (representing more than 25 different Massachusetts organizations, agencies, and businesses), created a series of messages and materials using the duck as a central theme.

In a little more than a year and a half, the campaign has:

• Conducted an extensive telephone survey among residents of the Massachusetts Bays watershed to better understand the target audience.
  
  
• Developed three unique ads focusing on pet waste, cigarette litter, and fertilizer use.
  
  
• Placed the three ads on 18 MBTA subway station platforms.
  
  
• Customized the “Fowl Water” television spot (created by San Diego) for Massachusetts.
  
  
• Developed an interactive website (www.ThinkBlueMA.org) with more in-depth information about stormwater pollution, what individuals can do to help, and opportunities to view campaign materials such as the ads and public service announcement.
  
  
• Created an interactive exhibit for community events with Think Blue materials and promotional items and games for kids.

The highlight of the Think Blue exhibit is the 15-foot tall inflatable duck, Stormy, who never fails to attract hordes of curious children and adults wherever he goes. Over the course of several events during the summer of 2006, Stormy attracted approximately 10,000 people to the Think Blue exhibit to learn about the causes of and solutions to stormwater pollution. Not bad for a duck.

Photograph by Peter Hanlon

*National Environmental Education & Training Foundation