Here are a few ideas on how you might want to engage your local meteorologist in National Water Monitoring Day. Remember to make the link between local weather conditions -- drought, heavy rains, forest fires, etc. Explain how these weather-related events can impact local water quality.

1. Identify a group within the television station's viewing area that is going to have the most interesting event. Ask these organizations to invite the local meteorologists to come, and set-up a time when the group can go in and meet the meteorologists to explain the event and how they would like him or her to participate.
   
   
2. Identify local schools that are going to collect data and conduct activities. Encourage them to invite their local meteorologists to come and talk to the students about the relationship between the weather/watersheds/water quality and/or participate in their event. Local meteorologists love to talk to school groups. Provide the local schools with the list of local meteorologists to invite.
   
   
3. Send a letter from your agency to each meteorologist in the state explaining what Water Quality Monitoring Day is, how they can help get the message out, and let them know that they will be contacted by community groups in their area to participate in local activities.
   
   
4. Identify 4-5 (or more) water quality experts (government and non-government) that would be available for interviews to explain what water quality data collection is all about, what it indicates, etc. and offer these experts as a resource to help explain National Water Quality Monitoring Day on the air.
   
   
5. Send an e-mail message to local meteorologists, 10 days and then 5 days in advance of October 18th, reminding them about the Day, local activities, how they can participate, local experts that are available for interviews, local school events, web links to water quality data, etc.
   
   

The more you can provide them with ready made activities, resources, and good visuals (a fun event) that you can invite them to participate in or use, the better chance you have of getting them to cover the issue during their broadcast.