If you are a certified AWW monitor and need some help to get started monitoring at an abandoned or new site, in the form of a water chemistry test kit, water chemistry reagents to refill an existing kit, bacteria supplies, or stream biomonitorign materials this mini-grant program is for you!
Please note:Funding is limited and demands are high for monitoring supplies among our volunteers. Please, only request materials if you are serious about your plans to monitor.
AWW Director, Mona Dominguez had the opportunity to participate in the Bays and Bayous Symposium in Biloxi, MS last November. It was a fabulous conference and provided a variety of presentations by leading scientists, educators, and coastal experts from throughout the Gulf region. She gave an oral presentation, that highlighted the successes and importance of the NOAA B-WET funded project that has provided more than 40 educators with training, curriculum, and materials that they have utilized to engage over 1,500 middle and high school students with meaningful watershed experiences that have helped them to understand, identify, detect, and mitigate pathogen pollution.
Many of the talks Mona attended also focused on volunteer monitoring and other citizen science projects that contribute to the protection and improvement of Gulf of Mexico watersheds. There were many opportunities to learn from others and discuss shared challenges. She came home with many new ideas for AWW!
AWW Partner Bekah Farmer of Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) highlighted the value of AWW water monitoring on the Coast. AWW Trainer Jackie McGonigal with the City of Orange Beach Wind and Water Learning Center shared how she has been able to reach new audiences by incorporating watershed education, including AWW, into her kayaking and sailing courses.
Jackie McGonigal giving her presentation highlighting how she has incorporated watershed education into her kayaking and sailing programs. Bekah Famer, MBNEP; Johanna Gertsch, Weeks Bay NERR; Jackie McGonigal, Wind and Water Learning Center, & Mona Dominguez, AWW following the Bays and Bayous keynote panel.
While there, she also had a chance to spend time with several of our Coastal AWW trainers, monitors, and key partners during the symposium, and she had the pleasure of hearing one of our long-time AWW monitors, Susan Boggs along with her daughter Elizabeth, as they participated in the lunchtime panel “Women on the Water”. They shared their experience as being owners of a charter fishing operation in Orange Beach. Elizabeth is only 19, but is already playing a major role in the success of the family business. The entire audience was very inspired by the stories Susan and Elizabeth shared.
Susan began monitoring in 2015 and regularly tests water chemistry and bacteria at one site at San Roc Caye Marina and another on Cotton Bayou. She has submitted 188 water chemistry records and 92 bacteriological records from these sites!
We reached out to Susan following the Symposium with a few questions related to her role in water recreation and monitoring through AWW on the coast. We think you’ll enjoy reading her interview!
What got you interested in becoming an AWW Volunteer Monitor?
It was due to necessity. Our marina is required by ADEM to monitor the water quality May through October each year. So, when we purchased the marina in 2015, I attended the classes and became certified in water monitoring and data monitoring.
Tell us a little about your charter fishing company?
We own a 65′ walk-around, Reel Surprise, that my husband, Randyy operates. Reel Surprise offers shared expense trips and private charters, and can accommodate up to 35 passengers. We also own a 36′ Hatteras, Islander, that our daughter, Elizabeth, captains. Islander can carry up to 6 passengers.
Do you feel that the water data you and other AWW volunteers collect is important to water recreation operations like Reel Suprise Charters?
When I first began testing the water, it was because I had to. As Cotton Bayou has become so over utilized, I find that I appreciate and understand the importance of the testing. I am eager each time I test now to know that our little piece of paradise is doing well.
What are some of your concerns in terms of water quality for Cotton Bayou and other local waters?
The dissolved oxygen is always a concern. Prior to us owning the marina, there was a large “fish kill” where thousands of small fish washed up in to our basin. I am always eager to see the results of the bacteriological testing.
What is the most interesting “catch” you’ve had or witnessed?
The best catch has been my husband, Randy. But the most interesting species that I have caught fishing was an octopus.
Alabama Water Watch is seeking nominations from program participants and partners to recognize outstanding volunteers.
Nominations will be open through March 5th. Winners will be notified at the end of March and will be presented with their award at the 2025 AWW Annual Meeting in Foley, AL on Saturday, June 21.
Vanessa currently serves as the DeKalb County Extension Coordinator, however, she previously held the role of 4-H Youth Development Coordinator in Jackson County. While in Jackson County, Vanessa was actively involved with the 4-H AWW program for three years, where she provided hands-on environmental education in classrooms, organized water monitoring day camps, and led instruction for homeschool groups.
Kacy Cobb is a 9-12th grade teacher at Hamilton High School in Marion County. She has been sharing 4-H AWW with students through the school’s Environmental Club for over a decade.
In 2017, Kacy, along with fellow Hamilton High School Science Teacher Dustin Murray and Rebecca Danley, 4-H Youth Development Coordinator with Marion County were recognized as the 4-H Alabama Water Watch Club of the Year!
Alabama Drought Reach (ADR) is a statewide drought communications and outreach program focused on improving our understanding of how drought impacts Alabama.
ADR Coordinator Brianne Minton with Lee Ellenburg of the State Climate Office. Photo credit: ADR
The Master Environmental Education Program (MEE) is an outreach program of the Baldwin County Extension Office. This group of MEE Educators work as 4-H Resource Volunteers, a 4-H Agent, and a 4-H Agent Assistant in Baldwin County Schools and the Baldwin County Extension Office.
Ashley Campbell, Baldwin County Environmental Manager and Amy Newbold with the EPA Gulf of Mexico Office, proposed an Alabama Water Watch lesson to the MEE facilitators who approved the addition. AWW drafted an interactive and educational lesson to convey the importance of water monitoring and how even students can become citizen scientists. AWW, Campbell, and Newbold trained the first sets of volunteer educators who taught the AWW lesson to students for the first time during the 2018-2019 school year. With help of Extension Staff, including Sarah Butterworth, Baldwin County 4-H Youth Development Coordinator, it has been part of the repertoire ever since.
Sarah Butterworth trains a new group of MEE Volunteers to teach the AWW Lesson. Photo credit: Cathy Banning
The program trains volunteers to teach nine lessons in schools and community groups about some of the area’s most critical environmental issues. Each lesson includes an outline, activity, glossary, background information, and correlations to the Alabama Course of Study for Science.
AWW Staff interviewedCathy Banning, Administrative Associate, with the Baldwin County Office, who provided some information about the program and its impact on the community. Read on for more details!
Fall semester may be starting, but Alabama’s summer heat isn’t going anywhere anytime soon! As Alabamians, we know the summer heat won’t keep us from enjoying a hike, outdoor recreation, or water monitoring!
Working (and playing!) safely in the summer requires preparation, mindfulness, and respect for your limits in the heat. Here are some ways to stay cool, hydrated, and safe during those hot days.
Community Inclusion Ambassadors with BraveHeart helped capture participants, activities, and the beautiful Kreher Preserve & Nature Center at the 2024 AWW Annual Meeting as Event Photographers.
One of the BraveHeart Center for Place and Purpose (BCPP) four program goals is to “utilize photo voice as an outreach tool to encourage disability awareness and acceptance. BCPP Photo Voice Project culminates in photo exhibits at 1-2 venues each year.” Photo voice uses photography as a means of story telling, empowering individuals to express their unique perspective on the world around them.
