Stewardship
Why Should I Be a Steward of the Environment?
What does it mean to be a steward?
Stewardship is defined as "the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care." We all rely on the natural resources around us, and it is up to each of us to help care for and protect them. Anyone can be a steward of the environment by picking up trash, recycling, planting native species, or sharing knowledge about caring for the Earth.
We are all part of the Big Sioux River watershed, which means our actions can impact the health of our rivers, streams, and surrounding landscapes. As a steward, you can help protect the environment and keep it healthy for yourself and generations to come.
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Water
Protecting the Big Sioux River watershed means preserving your clean drinking water and the wildlife it supports. Sioux Falls sources 5% of its drinking water from the Big Sioux River. When chemicals, fertilizers, E. coli, and other pollutants enter the watershed, they can make water treatment more difficult and time-consuming because of the pollutants' concentration.
Clean water also provides opportunities for recreation like swimming, fishing, and kayaking. Right now, 75% of Big Sioux River segments are impaired for E. coli, and 81% are impaired for total suspended solids. Recreation isn't as fun when there is stinky algae buildup or a higher risk of getting sick from E.coli.
Being a steward of the watershed means supporting your drinking water and recreation opportunities.
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Wildlife Viewing
When you protect natural spaces, you are more likely to see wildlife! Being a good steward of wild spaces means picking up trash, leaving plants where you found them, and staying on trails. Leave No Trace applies whether you are hiking through the mountains or visiting a local park.
In places with hiking trails like Good Earth State Park and Palisades State Park, you may see wildlife such as deer, thirteen-lined ground squirrels, pheasants, toads, and so much more.
If you want to see more wildlife in your own backyard, try planting native vegetation and providing access to clean water. You may attract birds like goldfinches, cardinals, and woodpeckers, along with a wide variety of pollinators. Creating more diverse natural spaces gives wildlife places to find food, water, and shelter. If seeing wildlife brightens your day, protecting wild areas and creating habitat is a great way to see more of it.
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Emotional Wellbeing and Altruism
When you protect natural spaces, you are more likely to see wildlife! Being a good steward of wild spaces means picking up trash, leaving plants where you found them, and staying on trails. Leave No Trace applies whether you are hiking through the mountains or visiting a local park.
In places with hiking trails like Good Earth State Park and Palisades State Park, you may see wildlife such as deer, thirteen-lined ground squirrels, pheasants, toads, and so much more.
If you want to see more wildlife in your own backyard, try planting native vegetation and providing access to clean water. You may attract birds like goldfinches, cardinals, and woodpeckers, along with a wide variety of pollinators. Creating more diverse natural spaces gives wildlife places to find food, water, and shelter. If seeing wildlife brightens your day, protecting wild areas and creating habitat is a great way to see more of it.
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Pet Protection
If you have a precious pooch who loves to swim or play outside, environmental stewardship helps keep those places clean, safe, and healthy for them to enjoy. One concern for dogs in the Sioux Falls area is blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria. Harmful algal blooms can produce toxins that can make dogs extremely sick and can even be fatal. Excess nutrients from sources such as agricultural and urban runoff, fertilizer, and organic waste can contribute to algae growth. Keeping our waterways clean and reducing the amount of pollution that enters them can help protect your furry friends.
Algae growth is a major concern for dogs' safety, but so is general trash pollution. Leaving trash on the ground can be a recipe for disaster, as dogs may eat decaying food or other items they find outside. For example, you may not think tossing an orange peel into the woods is a big deal because it is biodegradable, but if a dog grabs it and scarfs it down, it could turn into an emergency trip to the vet. Protect your pet and others by packing out what you bring in, picking up trash, and checking current water quality advisories before letting your dog swim.
River Clean-Ups
Friends of the Big Sioux River organizes and supplies clean-ups throughout the watershed. These clean-ups can be private groups with companies looking to volunteer or open to the public. While many clean-ups focus on the land next to the river, we have also hosted clean-ups where people clean in the river using waders, kayaks, and canoes.
Riparian Buffer Strips
At Friends of the Big Sioux River, we are strong advocates for riparian buffer strips. Riparian buffers not only help protect downstream waterways, but when paired with appropriate upland treatments, can also help producers achieve greater economic and environmental sustainability in their operations.
Riparian buffers—also called filter strips—are vegetated boundaries composed of perennial grasses or woody plants that physically separate cropland from waterways. They effectively mitigate the movement of sediment, nutrients, and pesticides from waterways and farm fields. Native grasslands and prairie wetlands have historically provided natural filtration and treatment before soil runoff drains into lakes, rivers, and streams. As more acres of native grasslands are plowed, or wetlands drained to make room for more planted acres, the integrity of water in lakes, rivers, and streams has become increasingly compromised by chemicals and eroding topsoil associated with ever-intensifying industrial agriculture.
