BAY MINETTE — Technology and wildlife came together Jan. 27 at the Bay Minette Civic Center as the Gulf Coast Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council held its annual meeting.

Presenters from a variety of programs, all funded in part by GCRC&D grants, gave updates on what they had been doing with the money they had received.

RC&D is a partnership between the Federal government and a local nonprofit organization led by local community leaders. RC&D began in the 1960's in an effort to address rural poverty and help rural communities generate sustainable natural resource-based economies.

The organization is sponsored by Baldwin, Escambia and Mobile County Commissions, their Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

The local organization's mission is to "promote, protect and develop natural resources to secure social and economic benefits for people in the Gulf Coast area."

Nationally, RC&D programs raised an estimated $10.5 million for grants in 2009, not including $1 million funded through the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

"Three hundred jobs were created and 70 were retained," Bill Puckett with NRCS, said. "We held 378 work sessions and 364 training sessions. That means folks are getting out and doing a lot in their communities."

Among projects funded in part or entirely by RC&D grants are  a Bioblitz at Fairhope Intermediate School, recycling program at Goodwill Easter Seals and a project by the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service developing a system that takes rainwater runoff and uses it for irrigation, where possible.

Four leaders of RC&D projects presented to the council and guests, updating them on efforts to restore or preserve natural resources, or find new ways to use them.

Oak Hill Tree Farm

Brian Keller, of Oak Hill Tree Farm in Grand Bay, has been working on hydroponic lettuce — growing Romaine lettuce in water beds. He said successfully using hydroponics allows farmers to grow more crops in a smaller area and better protect crops from disease, insects and inclement weather.

"We weren't funded too long ago, so we're not too far down the road, but we will show that this can be done on a backyard up to commercial scale," Keller said. "It's herbicide and pesticide free, so it's a totally organic process."

He said another benefit is the lack of soil. "Soil is how pathogens get into the plants.”

Keller said 50 heads of lettuce can be grown in a 30-square-feet bed.

He said it has been a trial-and-error process so far, with the first batch not doing well. After changing a few things, he said the second crop turned out "beautiful."

Keller said the program is working on a site for a new greenhouse, where he hopes to "scale up" production.

Mobile County Soil and Water Conservation

From the fresh water of hydroponics to the sea water of the Gulf Coast beaches, April Griffin of Mobile County Soil and Water Conservation Department described her efforts to teach students about beach restoration through hands-on activities.

Griffin said she has utilized two methods of this type of learning — a Water Festival and a beach restoration project.

"In 2005 we received a $350 grant (from RC&D) to build a 12- by 20-foot hobby house. We planted sea oaks and when they matured, we took the pots down to Dauphin Island and planted them," she said.

She said between its inception in 2005 and 2009, the beach restoration project has resulted in eight field trips to three locations for students in second through 12th grades.

"Over 530 students participated overall," Griffin said, noting that Baldwin County's Soil and Water Conservation Department assisted in the transportation of water plants.

She said to date the project had received $25,043 in grants from RC&D and BCSWCD.

The next big project MCSWCD undertook was the first Water Festival.

"We presented this to 200 fourth-grade students from Collier Elementary and St. Mary's Catholic School," Griffin said. She said they also had participation from 30 Baker High School students.

Turtle Point Science Center

Restoration of wildlife is one aspect of Turtle Point Science Center in Flomaton, which was the next project presented to attendees.

TPSC Director said highlights of the center, which has been expanded since its opening in 1999, include a rock, fossil and mineral garden and a deer carcass composter.

"We've been holding hunter education workshops on the appropriate way to dispose of deer carcasses," she said. She said the composter has not been used yet, but said accessibility has been an issue.

"It's at a school so we're not always open during the times hunters would come by," she said.

She said a favorite, when used, is the bat house.

"It holds 100,000 bats, however, today we don't have any. I'm not sure why, but they seem to like the high school across the street," she said.

Word said the center also features a turtle pond and touch tank that includes a variety of animals, including an alligator snapping turtle.

The turtles large cousin, the tortoise, also has a home at the center.

"We have a couple of gopher tortoises and an African Sulcata Tortoise. He's very large at 350 pounds," Word said.

Other features at the center include an herb garden, bog garden with carnivorous pitcher plants, a vegetable garden and a boardwalk that spans the area, including a raised boardwalk 20 feet higher than the main walk that takes guests into the treetops.

Word said a flood in December 2009 damaged much of the boardwalk, and made the new butterfly center temporarily unaccessible, and said much of the funding for 2010 will be used to make repairs.

However, thanks to RC&D, the center has made great strides in previous years, Word said.

"In 2006 we doubled the size of our classroom and added two offices," she said. "We can now accommodate approximately 50 kids a day."

Word said they have programs designed for all ages, from third grade and up, as well as senior citizens and families.

For more information, visit escambiak12.net/turtle/index.htm.

Weeks Bay Reserve Alliance

Education is the main theme for Weeks Bay Reserve's Lee Yokel, who has been working with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, a partnership of the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, that aims at enhancing the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico.

The alliance identified six priorities, including water quality; habitat conservation and restoration; ecosystem integration and assessment; nutrients and nutrient impacts; coastal community resilience; and environmental education.

Yokel said Weeks Bay has been involved in the water quality issue, particularly as it relates to storm water, and primarily in making the public aware of the issue and educating them on how they can help.

"Roads, roofs, anywhere that does not allow runoff is a problem, creating floods, stream erosion and sediment accumulation," she said.

She said the project involved producing ads that run prior to a movie at the theater, and occasional exit interviews to measure how much the ads are impacting viewers.

"Our objective is to educate citizens on storm-related pollution and provide them with resources and actions," she said. "We decided to go the theater route because it reaches a diverse audience."

Currently the Rave Theater in Daphne is running the alliance's 15-second commercials twice before each movie start, resulting in 19,000 viewings to date.

"It doesn't matter what movie or what time, it runs twice before the movie begins," she said.

Yokel said volunteers then conduct exit surveys after the movie, asking viewers if they recall the ad, the Web address given and asking a couple of specific questions to gauge how much information they are retaining after seeing the ad and watching the movie.

For more information visit muddywater.org.