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Verde River Almanac |
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Verde River |
   
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Verde River Almanac Individuals, agencies, businesses and organizations who assisted with the project. Truly a Community Effort! Listed below are individuals, agencies and organizations who contributed financing, articles, and other services to the Verde River Almanac.
Internship Statement of Need - Why and How of the Verde River Almanac Most residents of the Verde River watershed express concern about the river and water issues. They would like to understand more about the river and its watershed. The Verde River Almanac will educate the public about a precious life-sustaining resource: the Verde River, its tributaries and watershed. It will focus on the people, plants and animals that rely upon this resource for daily existence. Verde River advocate "Old Man River" John Parsons, shared his vision of the Verde River Almanac. Project CENTRL Class XVI member, Diane Joens, embraced the vision and enlisted the help of her community to see the project to fruition. Primary Goals and Objectives The Verde River Almanac is a fact and reference book of information about the Verde River and its watershed. It will have a long-term shelf and archival life. A natural resources educational tool, it is directed toward a broad general public audience. Size and Scope The 2000 census shows a population of 167,517 residents in Yavapai County, up from 107,714 in the 1990 census. A high percentage of Yavapai County residents live in the Verde Watershed or are affected by decisions made concerning the watershed. Additionally, residents of the Phoenix metropolitan area benefit from the Verde River. They count on the river for part of their water supply. Everyone will benefit from learning more about the Verde River, a life-sustaining natural resource. Funding to print 2,500 books was secured. The $5 donation for each book will be used to reprint the book as needed. Role and Responsibilities Project CENTRL Class XVI member Diane Joens served as project leader. Joens worked individually and within group settings with community members, agencies and organizations listed above. She set up a Web site for the project, www.verdeconnections.com. She gave community presentations that combined information about Project CENTRL and her internship, the Verde River Almanac. Presentations were made to the Prescott Area Leaders (PAL), the Verde River Citizens Alliance, Kiwanis, Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce, Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club, and town of Camp Verde. Joens contacted participants, arranged presentations and meetings, gathered and compiled the content information, and spent literally hundreds of hours entering the data into PageMaker. Several articles about the project appeared in local newspapers and KAZM radio did a short feature about the Almanac. Resources Key resources were community members, governmental agencies, organizations, businesses and volunteers who donated funding, time and information. Northern Arizona University Professor Emeritus Jim Byrkit was an invaluable resource during the entire project, and a multi-talented Valerie Trammell was a huge asset in finalizing the book. Craig and Lynn Dible provided a lot of inspiration and moral support. The Internet and electronic mail were valuable resources and reduced meeting time. Outcomes At the end of the two-year internship period, the book was printer-ready. Joens furnished many of her own photographs for the publication. The only cost was printing. All other services and expenses were donated by Joens or community participants. A special thanks to Valerie Trammell for assistance in finalizing the document and getting it printer-ready. Joens did the fundraising, and the non-profit Verde River Citizens Alliance served as fiscal agent. They deposited checks and disbursed funds. Joens's wish was to make the book available free of charge. However, toward the end of the project, ongoing project managers, the Verde Watershed Association, recommended that there be a charge for the book. Craig Dible of the Sierra Club and Dick Kane of Dick Kane Graphics/Oak Creek Press also suggested this. Project CENTRL Director Everett Rhodes understood this need and approved the request. The Verde Watershed Association will be responsible for the ongoing project and book sales. They will work with water-related organizations including the Verde River Citizens Alliance, North Central Arizona Regional Watershed Consortium, League of Women Voters, and Citizens Water Advocacy Group and other willing non-profit organizations to partner in the distribution of the Almanac. A first printing of 2,500 copies was funded by sponsors Salt River Project (SRP), Verde Watershed Association, Sierra Club- Grand Canyon Chapter, Town of Camp Verde, Phoenix Cement Company, Hauser and Hauser Farms, and Sedona Area Citizens. The project will affect and improve the knowledge of people living within the watershed. Evaluation More assistance with fundraising would be appreciated for future editions of the Verde River Almanac. Joens found fundraising the most difficult challenge. There are many needs in the community and much competition for funding dollars. Additionally, a project of this size and scope could easily take longer than two years to complete. It could always be improved upon. Joens originally expected the book to be given away free. Project responsibilities would have been completed upon graduation from Project CENTRL. However, with the community members' decision to sell the book, responsibilities will continue into the future. Recommendations Plans are to update and reprint the Verde River Almanac every four to five years. Retaining a long "shelf-life" and archival value, the Almanac will continue to benefit the community. Additional funding commitments would assist in donating copies of the book to public libraries and schools within the Verde Watershed region, and would assist with distribution costs. The How and Why of the Verde River Almanac in .doc file format .pdf format
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