b"XYLEM SPOTLIGHTStudents react to Ron's offer to inhale 'biofouling' from a bag.Ron was on hand in late 2018 when the Ohio EPA visited the YSI Biofouling is commonly encountered in marine environments. offices. Pictured here reviewing field data with policy makers.Can you speak to how Xylem promotesWhats your advice for people looking to start Watermark and how it reinforces thea volunteer organization to do some of these importance of community engagement? same activities?Metzger: Watermark was initially a global-orientedMetzger: Every little bit helps. It program where Xylem partnered with a number ofreally does. When I go biking, I non-profit organizations to tackle water challenges inalways end up coming back from developing countries. And we still do that today. But itmy ride with a backpack full of didnt take long to recognize that the program couldgarbage; little bits and pieces I've have exponentially more reach if employees were alsopicked up in the woods. When I motivated to make a difference in their own back yard.go on kayaking trips, at the end of it Ive got empty bottles and I wasnt involved with Watermark until Xylem launchedcans in my kayak. the Month of Service initiative a few years ago. Each October, the company encourages employees to giveAnd if you're doing it three hours or more of their time to volunteer in theon a singular basis, it's communities around where they work.great, but if you can just collect a few more The focus is on the environment, whether thatspeople to join in,cleaning up a beach, planting trees, or teachingyou magnify that people about the importance of water quality.impact tenfold. When I learned that Xylem was sponsoring employee- Most people, when led volunteer projects, and also allowed employees toasked, are going to take time out of our day jobs to do itI was excited!want to support you. I was already working with the Nature Center at Caesar Creek on my own (a local lake near the YSI facilityJust ask!in Ohio). And this was an opportunity to scale our cleanup efforts to make a bigger impact. It worked out really well. We had a group of 10 people cleaning up garbage and debris on the trails and beach. I wouldnt say that we enjoyed picking up trash, but we definitely enjoyed seeing the results of what we were able to accomplish together. Whos Minding the Planet? 47"