The “Save the Rain” campaign began in 2009 as an outreach effort to educate the general public on ways to lessen the overflow of sewage into Onondaga Creek and Onondaga Lake.
The county hired retzcanter, a full-service advertising and design firm to bring the campaign to the next level. In addition to strengthening existing community outreach and education, the new campaign seeks to target business owners who are considering green infrastructure improvements to their existing or new businesses.
New billboards were seen in Downtown Syracuse at street level and along Interstate 690. In addition to outdoor advertising, ads in The Post-Standard, sponsorship of “Green” events through out Central New York and a new web site have been developed.
Education & Outreach
For Education and outreach, the County hired the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) to conduct the Save the Rain outreach and education campaign, in partnership with RetzCanter’s advertising efforts. The EFC’s partners include SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) Outreach, Onondaga Environmental Institute, Baltimore Woods, and Southside Interfaith Community Development Corporation.
The project team will use a combination of targeted education efforts alongside a broad outreach campaign. The team will host rain barrel educational workshops, utilize social media tools, create curriculum for Syracuse City School District classrooms, host design charettes, work with the Onondaga Earth Corps, create experiential learning opportunities for community members and green jobs trainees, and more.”
Next year the county’s Save the Rain Team will work on more than 50 green infrastructure projects throughout the three sewer systems that discharge storm water into Onondaga Lake.
