The issue was simple – how do we create something that gets Austinites thinking about the importance of picking up after their dog? How do we make sure we do this in a simple, enjoyable way?  The group brainstormed and came up with a ton of ideas – ranging from the excellent to the truly bizarre.

Thus the Scoop the Poop campaign was born.

What?!?!? – you might be thinking – so, allow me give you a bit of background before going on with what happened on Tuesday night….

Last Tuesday, Net Impacters were gathered at a branch of the Austin Public library system on a mission to brainstorm ideas for the Good Fun! Workshop.  The Good Fun! Initiative is aimed at creating an enjoyable project or experience that is fun and encourages people do good - to be more socially and environmentally responsible.

In the meeting, Katie Sternberg (an active NI member) proposed we look into the problem of dog poop in local parks. As the City of Austin Watershed Protection Dept's Conservation Program Coordintaor, Katie had been tasked with finding unique ways to engage dog owners to help keep Austin's parks clean and safe. Unpickedup (that’s not really a word) dog poop contains several microorganisms that seep into the ground and lake water and affect water quality.

This is a real issue in Austin today and one which the City is serious about tackling.  Details on the Austin's Scoop the Poop program may be found here

Now, back to our involvement in the Scoop the Poop program:  The Net Impacters were very creative  -  a truly talented bunch! A wide range of ideas were generated, such as:

1. Rewarding people who deposited their dog’s poop (or really any dog’s poop- we aren’t particular )  in a special receptacle. These rewards could be anything – bubbles or sound that dogs may enjoy, fun Rube-Goldberg machines being set off  (Here’s a really cool example of one ), a dog treat, or a coupon for pet food.
2. A leaderboard with dog’s name and photo for the nature-friendliest dog owners in a park, those that help preserve it for others. Free Cadillacs for all the dog owners whose dogs appear on this board. (Funding is TBD – lol!)
3. A vacuum that sucks up the turds, and then can be used to shoot them out in the bin.
4. A Slingshot game with the actual poop, with points for hitting a target.

Are you interested in making one of these a reality or do you have a better way to do these? Lets get together and build. Lets have Good Fun!

(Yes, the ending is cheesy- sorry. It would be awesome to see this happen though!)