April 18-22, 2022 is Volunteer Appreciation Week! In honor of all of our AWW volunteers, we’d like to highlight five of our water quality monitors:
Martyn Andrews
Where do you call home?: Mays Bend, Pell City on Logan Martin Lake.
What got you interested in Alabama Water Watch, and why is water quality monitoring important to you?: I first became interested in Bacteriological testing because I was worried about how safe the water was for swimming close to us and decided to volunteer to check this. I subsequently became involved in Chemistry testing because LMLPA was looking for more monitors.
What is the most interesting thing you have seen while sampling?: For chemistry testing, I test two creeks as they flow into the lake. It is interesting to see the variation between winter and summer when there is predominantly creek (winter), lake (summer) water. As far as bacteriological testing is concerned the effect of wildlife, particularly geese, on the level of bacteria is interesting.
What are your biggest challenges/issues in your favorite watershed?: Collecting reliable samples when the water is very low can be challenging. I find turbidity testing difficult to get anything like accurate. Understanding the rationale for some of the protocols is tough.
Why would you encourage others to consider becoming volunteer monitors?: I believe that volunteers are helping the community in a small way. If you live on or use the lake you should be prepared to help, if possible.
Richard Alfiero
Where do you call home? :Marshall County midway between Guntersville and Scottsboro across highway 79 from Guntersville Lake.
What got you interested in Alabama Water Watch, and why is water quality monitoring important to you?: I have always been interested in environmental issues being a bird watcher and member of the Audubon society and practicing organic gardening techniques so when I saw the opportunity to join AWW it seemed to be a good fit. Being a water monitor allowed me to be directly involved with seeing that the water I fish in, swim in, boat on and drink is clean and safe.
What is the most interesting thing you have seen while sampling?: Spending time monitoring streams feeding Guntersville lake allowed us to observe the various types of wildlife that depend on our streams that we would not have seen if we were just walking by.
What are your biggest challenges/issues in your favorite watershed?:The biggest issue I see affecting our streams and waterways are the attitudes of people littering and dumping garbage that clog and contaminate our streams and waterways.
Why would you encourage others to consider becoming volunteer monitors?: It’s fun and gets you closer to nature.
Jeff and Linde Lynn
Where do you call home?: Elberta, AL (our house is in Foley, AL city limits; primary schools are in Elberta, and the community is Miflin)
What got you interested in Alabama Water Watch, and why is water quality monitoring important to you?: We live on Wolf Creek and were motivated to protect the water quality in the area. After a number of years we realized that our local watershed group wouldn’t exist without Alabama Water Watch support so we joined AWW also. Water quality monitoring is even more important to us now than it was 18 years ago as we are experiencing so much growth on the coast.
What is the most interesting thing you have seen while sampling?: An extremely active pod of dolphins in February of 7-8 years ago.
What are your biggest challenges/issues in your favorite watershed?: Lots of new construction and usually inadequate protection of the runoff
Are you part of water-related stewardship or education/outreach activities in your area that involve AWW activities or data? If so, what have you been part of? : Yes. Data monitoring for Wolf Bay Watershed Watch. We’ve also participated in the Secchi Dip-in data collection most years.
Why would you encourage others to consider becoming volunteer monitors?: Because there aren’t enough people doing this! Also, being a monitor gets you outside for an hour or so every month of the year, even when you think it’s too cold or too hot and you realize you’re getting as much out of it as you’re doing.
Amy Gaddy
Where do you call home?: Jacksonville, AL
What got you interested in Alabama Water Watch, and why is water quality monitoring important to you?: I have been trying to become more active in my community, especially in areas that impact the public such as water quality and conservation. I am a forester and have spent many years working with high priority habitats and waterways. Knowing that so many species depend upon healthy waterways, I want to do my part to help ensure that areas with issues are known and addressed. I also want to make sure that the public waterways where my family recreates are safe and not posing a risk to my loved ones.
What is the most interesting thing you have seen while sampling?: I am new to AWW, but I love seeing the birds and frogs. A new site that I have just established has a pair of otters and beavers, which have been neat to observe.
What are your biggest challenges/issues in your favorite watershed?: Pollution including runoff, deforestation and incompatible land uses, urban sprawl.
Are you part of water-related stewardship or education/outreach activities in your area that involve AWW activities or data? If so, what have you been part of?: I have many years of experience with conservation easements and land protection, including land trusts, government agencies, and private organizations. Part of my everyday job includes documenting species that utilize waterways and the riparian habitats that surround them.
Why would you encourage others to consider becoming volunteer monitors?: Being a volunteer monitor is a lot of fun. You get to see pretty sites, watch them change over various seasons, but most importantly, you are contributing to something larger than ourselves. Something that can make a real impact!