Blue Thumb's job has been to convey to people just how important they are in maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems in the cities. We have educated people about storm water drainage by starting the first storm drain stenciling project in Oklahoma. Volunteers can come to the Blue Thumb office, check out a stenciling kit, and spend a few hours labeling drains and explaining to the public that these are direct conveyances to local water resources. The stenciling project has taken off in Tulsa and Owasso. It will soon be expanding to other cities in Oklahoma as well.
Construction projects are infamous for clearing land and choking downstream waters with sediment.
To address this, Blue Thumb has teamed up with local Builders Associations, the Oklahoma State University Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department, the City of Tulsa, and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to teach a series of erosion control seminars and an engineering design short course. These are now a routine part of continuing education for engineers and field operators in the construction industry. Groundwater protection is a serious concern. Small pump houses behind urban homes are often used for pesticide storage. Blue Thumb in Oklahoma City has worked hard to convince homeowners that spilled or leaking lawn and garden products in the area of wellheads spell trouble for groundwater.