North Carolina's innovative initiative to restore streams and wetlands across the state will be showcased this week on an episode of Aqua Kids, a nationally syndicated television show that promotes taking an active role in preserving aquatic environments and wildlife.

The show, titled "EcoFarming," is scheduled to air on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 a.m. on WRAZ Fox 50.

The N.C. Ecosystem Enhancement Program, housed in the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, hosted the Aqua Kids crew in June to demonstrate how livestock that access rural streams on North Carolina farms affect water quality, and steps that can be taken to restore the degraded waterways. Visits to EEP project sites in Franklin, Person and Cumberland counties featured a degraded stream system, an active stream-restoration construction project and a restored stream system.

"We've been all over the East Coast and beyond to bring our message of how kids can help to contribute to a better environment," said George Stover, producer of the Baltimore, Md.-based series targeted at 13- to 15-year-old viewers. "But this is the first time that Aqua Kids traveled to a farm. Our cast found that a farm is an ideal place to learn about the importance of correcting environmental problems to benefit water quality."

EEP was created in 2003 through an agreement among NCDENR, the N.C. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District. The initiative improves the state's environment while facilitating responsible economic development, working in partnership with local communities and willing landowners to site its restoration and enhancement projects where the need is greatest. NCDOT and other developers voluntarily employ EEP to move their projects over clean-water permitting hurdles in a timely and affordable manner.

"We had a great time with the talented crew and cast members of Aqua Kids, and hope we will have the opportunity to collaborate with them in the future on some of the other great things that EEP is doing across North Carolina," said EEP Director Bill Gilmore. EEP has nearly 700
stream- and wetland-restoration and enhancement projects in some stage of development.

EEP staff members Kristie Corson, Tracy Morris, Robin Dolin and Tim Baumgartner participated in the episode along with Aqua Kids cast members Molly McKinney of Currituck County, James Dorman, Rollie Edwards of Morehead City and Jillian Skalky.

Watch the episode oline.