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Jessica Bella Lynum - 23332401

Dr. Bose
ENG 101 Online
May 3, 2016
Watershed Management Group Genre Analysis
Genre is a broad area of categorization holding an expanding number of variations within
it. A genre is defined as being a style or category of art, music or literature (Oxford
Dictionary). In this case I am addressing a style of literature but not in the classical
sense. Directing attention instead towards the genre of The Watershed Management Groups
(WMG) Information Website. The website covers the topic of water sustainability and
management. Examining all the pages on this site we will discuss the audience and purpose
developed throughout, the rhetorical strategies they portray, the forms in which they consistently
use, and how the genre correlates within the local community of Tucson, Arizona.
To gain perspective I interviewed Lindsay Ignatowski, Program Coordinator &
Development Associate of the Phoenix WMG; and Karilyn Roach, Community Relations
Specialist of Tucson WMG. The interviews provided opportunity to verify my thoughts on their
projections of the genre, seeing if the analysis gathered matched their intentions.
1. Audience
Watershed Management Group has a variety of writers which reflects their diverse
audience. The WMG group is a very collaborative organization though who are working to
present the groups ideas via writings on the webpage as one whole. The mandate they have is to

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informing the community about projects, co-op programs, research, educational classes, weekly
events, professional training opportunities and how to get involved. It is a long catalog but they
do a wonderful job in accomplishing the broad spectrum. As they write these webpages they look
to reach readers within the local Tucson community as a whole such as: homeowners, people
concerned with water conservation, restoration and management, environmentalists, children,
students. They also seek to encourage potential donors since they are a non-profit organization.
Reasons such readers seek out or find themselves at the WMG webpage is to get
information on water and water issues. WMGs website is a rich source of this information in
regards to local community projects. The organizations endeavor to educate and assist regarding
water conservation and restoration is assisted via the web page genre. Throughout the website,
WMG displays numerous ways in which one can get involved, take action and help the future of
our water resources see Sample 1.

Sample 1 - Fundraising Banner on the Websites main page

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A logical interface in the genre allows users to quickly locate varied information relevant to
them. It is non-linear yet intuitive in its structure allowing people to search through the website
easily to inform and educate themselves on issues, projects and solutions see Sample 2.

Sample 2 - The WMGs links sections.

This leads to the ultimate goal of the reader to be inspired and get involved.
2. Purpose
WMGs website has a very consistent goal throughout all of their webpages. This
persistent aim was community involvement, education and awareness. The website exhibits
WMG is informing and connecting the community through many different means. After
interviewing Karilyn, Community Relations Specialist in Tucson, she confirmed this observation
by stating that their goals are to improve the health of our local watershed while building a
strong, resilient community. This purpose is very strongly publicized through their webpage for

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their Green Living Co-op program. This program outreaches to the local community by getting
members involved through hands-on work. The focus is on teaching participants how to work
with the land to utilize the most of our rainwater while also working to recharge the groundwater.
This is done through a local grassroots movement aided by WGM. Karilyn Roach stated it very
articulately by commenting:
[W]e use a hands-on learning model so that not only the homeowner getting
the installation benefits but community members can come learn as well. This
creates a ripple effect of knowledge and also empowerment for people to take
what they learn and implement projects on their own and earn credit toward a
discounted project at their home--all while building a strong, tight-knit
community.

Talking with Lindsay Ignatowski, Program Coordinator and Development Associate, she
mentioned that they also look to accomplish long-term prosperity through education, handson work, community involvement and turning problems into solutions and resources. WMGs
purposes are very clearly demonstrated. One example in which they accomplish the purpose of
long-term prosperity is by outreaching to schools, educating children through hands on work and
educational talks about water and the watershed (land which captures and absorbs the water).
Children are our future and what better way to create long-term prosperity than by informing the
future generation on how to utilize our resources to their fullest potential? The website utilizes
this concept by making their website accessible to children.

The website displays their

involvement and is noted through articles and images on the web page. Sample 3 shows the
Schoolyard Water Education link.

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Sample 3 WMGs Schoolyard Water Education

3. Rhetorical Analysis
WMG demonstrates their work through photos and videos which allows for visual
understanding and interpretation. The visuals allow you to see the true progress that WMG is
making and has been making over the years. WMG is proving that actions speak louder than
words through their preference of visual media over long text based write-ups. The group
correspondingly uses writing to elaborate and further explain their purpose but first captures the
idea with good quality visuals. WMG displays images of stages and progressions of projects,
such as: displays of past times when there was flowing water, to the more recent past of severe
droughts, to current updates of restoration progression and water recharge. WMG also uses
many photos to display the community involvement and its growth over the years, showing how
tight-knit of a community they are developing from children to adults to elders. WMG

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effectively demonstrates the strength of an eclectic group of people working together as one. The
aim being to better the lives of all. Through these photos and videos WMG truly portrays their
genre by visually showing their projects, unification and progress. Using visuals, they show they
stay consistent with their goals to reach out to the diverse members within the community. They
show they are making it accessible for people of all ages and languages. Their purpose of water
restoration within the community is very clearly demonstrated in a simple, yet effective manner.
4. Form
As we flow onto form we notice that the arrangement varies with but with a consistency
of form throughout. All pages start off with a bold and enlarged header followed by a subsidized
header. What follows on each webpage after this varies greatly since each program is shaped by
its specific needs and goals (Karilyn), which allows for differentiation throughout all of the
individual webpages. Even though the structure following the sub-header varies, each page
withholds a write up to explain the topic at hand. Above all, all webpages include visuals and
some audio in the videos. The webpages tend to be expressed this way because visuals allow the
reader to see the depletion that has happened over the years and to demonstrate the current
restoration; or to visually demonstrate the community activities to gain perspective and be
inspired to get involved. They use this form of visuals to prove that it is a community effort and
process that is available to everybody. Their forms are simple, diverse and effective just like
WMG.
5. Process
Lisa Shipek, WMG's [founder and] Executive Director, is often the driving force behind
new program development (Karilyn, WMG). Lisa is the one who creates and prepares the

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initial development process of new programs, however, it becomes a dynamic, collaborative

(Lindsay) process with the entire staff once the programs strategic goals (Lindsay) are
developed. The process of getting a program off the ground and onto the webpage is a slow and
steady strategic planning process taking on average, 3 years (Lindsay). On the other hand,
another person who initiates new programs is Joaquin Murrieta, WMG's Cultural Ecologist,
[who] is a native of Sonora, Mexico, and has done extensive cross-border watershed restoration
and community engagement (Karilyn).

This expansion shows just how diverse WMG is

outreaching and the true collaborative processes which take place. Gracefully mentioned by
Lindsay each program is on its own path.
Since each program takes its own path, WMG has many ways of outreaching to the
community. Ways in which they outreach are through a variety of media: email bulletins, print
newsletters, social media, and video [since] all of these have different strengths as outreach
methods and reach diverse audiences (Karilyn (this same information was also stated by
Lindsay)). WMG utilizes all forms of outreach to get all members of the community informed
and on-board.
6. Success
The success of WMG has clearly been proven by the growth of community involvement
over the years. Due to the continuous expansion of projects, research, programs and educational
information WMG recently updated their webpage (2015). Founded in 2002, however started in
2003 the growth has been exponential, with good intentions comes positive outcomes. If the
genre was unsuccessful there would be no ongoing or developing projects as there would be a
lack of awareness which would result in a lack of involvement and funding from donors.
Expanding to Phoenix in 2012 shows that this is not the case, in fact, it validates the complete

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opposite meaning. WMG is succeeding and the genre of literature they use their webpage is
proving a successful one too. The website genre provides evidence of a community participation
encompassing WGMs passion to return back to earths natural environment. To increase
understanding of how the earth works best in collaboration with humans. Community values
shine through as one views the site. The Green-Living Co-Op program expansion section
provides an example of excellent co-existence between the natural environment and people
through the dynamic equilibrium of giving and receiving. The WMGs website encourages and
displays what can be done by the people who partake in activities held by WMG. The genre
displays a multitude of levels of opportunities to get involved via WMG giving privileges to
those who participate.
7. Conclusion
Through development and determination, WMG has taken the lead within the local
community in regards to the field of water sustainability, conservation and management. They
successfully promote and educate through their online website one of their chosen genre.
Outreaching to the diverse community, with the intentions of collaboration, WMG has
successfully partnered the people and the environment, portraying its purpose through their
mission and values as indicated on their about webpage:
Our Mission
Watershed Management Group (WMG) develops community-based solutions
to ensure the long-term prosperity of people and health of the environment. We
provide people with the knowledge, skills, and resources for sustainable
livelihoods.

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Our Vision
We envision a world where the relationship between communities and the
environment creates prosperity for all.

WMG successfully imparts these values through their strategy of educating and involving
the community using imagery, visuals and other media as genre on their website. Through
WMGs online website they distinctly show the readers what their goals are, the strategies they
develop to accomplish them and ways in which people can get involved. WMG effectively
reaches out to the community step by step expanding their goals of long-term ecological
prosperity for all; for as they indicate in their communications.

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Work Cited
"Definition of Genre in English." Oxford Dictionaries. 2016 Oxford
University Press, 2016. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/genre>
Karilyn Roach, Community Relations Specialist, Watershed
Management Group. Email Interview. 20 Apr. 2016.
Lindsay Ignatowski, Program Coordinator & Development Associate,
Watershed Management Group. Telephone Interview. 19 Apr. 2016.
"Why Reuse Water? | Sustainable Water." Sustainable Water.
Sustainable Water, 2016. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.
<http://sustainablewater.com/why-reuse-water/>
WMG: Watershed Management Group. Watershed Management Group,
Inc., 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2016. <https://watershedmg.org/>