What's New at NERA?New Echota Rivers Alliance was named by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division, as the outstanding non-profit watershed organization for 2010 by the State of Georgia. NERA named as the outstanding educational environmental organization of 2009 by the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia.NERA will be furthering their education outreach program through the presentation of the “Stop Pollution / Begin Conservation” program to all fourth grade students in both the city and county school systems of Gordon County.As an introduction to Spring in NW Georgia NERA will be the lead organization in Paddlin, Peddlin & Pickin 2011 on April 16th with a day of paddling the Coosawattee River, touring the beautiful NE Gordon countryside with the Calhoun Bicycle Club and finishing the day with an evening of food and bluegrass/country music presented by the North Georgia Mountain Music Club.NERA finished number two in the State of Georgia in the number of river monitoring events with over 120 monitoring events taking place, all conducted by volunteers.In conjunction with the Science Club at Calhoun Middle School a rainwater collection system was installed to irrigate their butterfly garden.Organized and participated in “Rivers Alive”, a river clean-up program conducted in association with the Gordon County 4H Club.In 2010 NERA established an Adopt-A-Stream program in Murray County