Our Gem: Mudgy and Millie want to see only rain down the drain
Mudgy and Millie, the loveable moose and mouse combo who started their journey right here in Coeur d’Alene, have a new message that will be revealed on June 15 during Live After 5. They have recently teamed up with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, the University of Idaho, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the City of Coeur d’Alene, Avista and the Arts Commission. The dynamic duo will be featured on a new sign located near the Third Street Boat Launch.
Two 4x8-foot educational signs were created with the goal of protecting the beautiful lakes and rivers of the Inland Northwest. One sign aims to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species that negatively affect boating, swimming and fishing on the lake; the other sign aims to ensure that the stormwater runoff does not add pollutants to the lakes and rivers. The signs were designed to educate and inspire the community.
So you may ask, “How did Mudgy and Millie get involved?” Mudgy and Millie are huge advocates for Coeur d’Alene and Our Gem, Coeur d’Alene Lake. Their passion for our area made them a perfect partner in getting out this message and they joined the team to help create a new message helping to educate the community about stormwater pollution. As you may know, most of the storm drains south of I-90 drain to Coeur d’Alene Lake or the Spokane River without a filter. Mudgy and Millie want you to know how you can protect Coeur d’Alene Lake by allowing “only rain down the drain”. They hope that their message will help reduce stormwater pollution in our Lake.
The big reveal of these dual-action educational signs will be at the first Live After 5 on June 15. During the intermission at 6:15 p.m., there will be a short presentation about the signs by topic experts.
Sharon Bosley from the U of I Community Water Resource Center will present the stormwater sign and be accompanied by none other than Mudgy himself. Mudgy will be in attendance to rally support for the stormwater sign reveal. Jeremey Varley, the Section Manager of Noxious Weeds for Idaho State Department of Agriculture will present the aquatic invasive species sign.
Special guest, Sergeant Pamela Taylor will bring along her dog Puddles the mussel sniffing dog. She will describe some of the amazing accomplishments of Puddles and how she intercepted boats containing quagga mussels from entering waterways of the Inland Northwest.
Together, the unveiling of these signs represents a collaboration of regional stakeholders committed to protecting Coeur d’Alene Lake and its associated rivers. Between 4:30-7 p.m. there will be outreach booths where attendees can learn about how they can protect Our Gem. Attendees can meet Puddles, as well as play with a watershed model, check out a boat scavenger hunt for artificial mussels and weeds, and a witness an underwater drone in action.
Did you miss our most recent speaker series or would like to watch it again? Leading Idaho with the Our Gem Survey, Climate Change Impact Assessment, and Economy of our Ecology Parts 1 and 2 are all now available online: Our Gem Speaker Series Sessions and Videos - University of Idaho Coeur d'Alene (uidaho.edu).
The Our Gem Coeur d’Alene Lake Collaborative is a team of committed and passionate professionals working to preserve lake health and protect water quality by promoting community awareness of local water resources through education, outreach and stewardship. Our Gem includes local experts from the University of Idaho Community Water Resource Center, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Kootenai Environmental Alliance, Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber of Commerce, and CDA 2030. Find previous Our Gem articles at Our Gem Articles - University of Idaho Coeur d'Alene (uidaho.edu)