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Yvette Little: Fighting Poo-llution

Yvette Little spends a lot of time explaining the facts of life to pet owners in the Tampa Bay region:

• Doggie doo isn't fertilizer and it doesn't just go away.
• Every little pile counts. Dogs in the Tampa Bay region create about 125 tons of poop every day but only about 60% of it is scooped.
• Even healthy pets have germs in their poop — an average of about three billion fecal coliform bacteria per pile.
• There are no sewage treatment facilities at the end of a stormwater drain so tossing pet waste in the storm drain just means it gets to the nearest lake, river or bay even faster.
• Nutrients in dog waste may contribute up to 20% of the nitrogen that is the single most damaging contaminant in Tampa Bay.

Her work is paying off in Robinson Preserve where she helped develop an innovative program for the Tampa Bay Estuary Program that resulted in 50% fewer piles over a six-month period. The "AmbassaDogs" program enlisted dog owners who regularly use the preserve, along with their canine companions, to talk with other dog walkers about the need to pick up after their pets in the preserve as well as their own yards and neighborhoods.

The volunteers patrol the preserve with educational messages and free pet waste bag dispensers wearing backpacks that match their four-legged companions' vests. "Most people don't know how much damage pet waste causes, but it's become a huge water quality issue," Little said. "People walking their pets have the perfect opportunity to talk to other pet owners — it's the power of positive peer pressure."

Part of the funding for AmbassaDogs came through a $10,000 fellowship from National Audubon Society and Toyota. One of 40 fellows selected nationwide for the 2009 TogetherGreen program, Little is participating in a five-year initiative designed to build leadership in the environmental community. "It's been a totally awesome experience," Little said.

A native Floridian who grew up in Pinellas County and earned a degree in business administration from the University of South Florida, Little is co-owner of Simply Green Solutions, LLC. "We help not-for-profits use business concepts to meet their goals more effectively," she says. "We also work with corporations to improve their triple bottom line, particularly with environmental issues and corporate social responsibility."

She takes a long-term view with a focus on short-term actions. "What we try to do is to get people and corporations to 'lean toward green.' They may not go as far as we like as fast as we like but every step toward green is a good step. Over time, we hope they realize that even the little things they do can make a big difference."