We were excited to host the 2023 AWW Annual Meeting at the beautiful Lake Guntersville State Park! We gathered with Monitors, Trainers, Board Members, program partners and new friends to celebrate the accomplishments of our AWWesome Volunteers throughout the last year.
PROGRAM UPDATES
Dr. Becky Barlow, Associate Dean for Extension and Assistant Director for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Extension Programs, helped to welcome attendees and expressed her thanks to the contributions made by volunteers to ACES programs. She emphasized the role AWW plays in accomplishing the strategic plan goals for ACES.
AU Water Resources Center Director, Dr. Eve Brantley, presented updates on the various programs and projects of the WRC and expressed her gratitude and admiration for AWW Volunteers.
AWW Director Mona Dominguez provided the group with an overview of 2022-2023 volunteer and program accomplishments, many of which are found in the 2022 AWW Annual Report. In 2022, over 250 active AWW volunteer monitors submitted 4,133 water data records from 133 different waterbodies to the database. Since 1992, over 9,000 citizens have been certified as water monitors. Our dedicated trainers are the backbone of the AWW Program, and thanks to their effort, it is possible to provide more Alabamians with the opportunity to engage with watershed stewardship. Not only do AWW volunteers learn to monitor, but they also gain confidence and skills that allow them to make informed decisions and to educate others about water resources.
The 4-H Alabama Water Watch Program also continues to thrive with over 6,400 youth participating in the past school year. This brings the total number of youth engaged with 4-H AWW since 2013 to more than 40,000. Thanks to our dedicated teachers, 4-H Agents, and volunteers who make this happen!
Mona shared updates on several of our active grant funded projects including the NOAA B-WET 4-H AWW Bacteriological Monitoring Project and the USFS-AWW Project in National Forests in Alabama. For this project, she was joined by our USFS Project Lead, Estella Smith, who spoke on the project’s success and value to USFS. She shared an update on the next phase of the program. In addition, Maggie Johnston, Executive Director of Wild Alabama shared how and why Wild Alabama has dedicated staff time and resources to this project by monitoring sites on the Forests and recruiting local volunteers.
Sergio RuizCordóva updated the group about the continued partnership between AWW and Auburn University Risk Management that is improving water quality on campus through strategic and consisten monitoring.
Mona shared that the AWW Association conducted several successful fundraising campaigns this year including the 30th Anniversary Mug, new tee-shirts, sticker, and poster sales. In addition, AWWA received a mini-grant from Legacy that allowed them to provide 4-H AWW groups with monitoring materials, and also enabled AWW to redesign and reprint the America’s Amazon poster for educators. To date, AWWA has given over 100 educators the posters to use with their students.
Global Water Watch Director Sergio RuizCordova gave an update on a very busy year for GWW, with trainings in Chile, Mexico, and Peru, and spoke on upcoming events for the GWW Program.
NETWORKING BINGO
We shook things up a little this year by including time for a networking activity that gave everyone a chance to get to know other meeting participants. This years game -AWW Annual Meeting BINGO! Meeting participants were given BINGO cards with tasks they had to complete before filling in a square. There were many “actions” players had to complete including taking a selfie with Hermon the Sturgeon and dancing like a mayfly. Players also had to take a moment to write answers to water monitoring related questions like “What is the most interesting thing you’ve seen while monitoring, what advice would you give to someone who is considering monitoring, and what is the biggest water quality issue facing your watershed?” They then posted their responses in designated spots around the room, so that other participants could review. We feel pretty confident people had fun playing. We hope this activity gave folks some good conversation for the delicious lunch that followed downstairs in the State Park Restaurant.
Attendees filled up their bingo cards by shaking hands with AWWA board members, taking selfies with award winners and Herman the Sturgeon, sharing their repsonses to water monitoring related questions, and dancing like mayflies.
AWW Caddy AWARDS Program
The meeting ended with the Annual AWW “Caddy” Awards Program, which gave AWW Staff the opportunity to recognize and celebrate many wonderful people. Award winners received beautiful ceramic trays that display the adult and larvae form of AWW mascot the caddisfly. The lovely awards were handcrafted and donated by Sue Pritchard.
Mullen Award for Monitor of the Year – Nicholas Williams
Trainer of the Year – Mimi Fearn
Emerging Trainer of the Year – Anne Krichten
4-H AWW Group of the Year – Dora High School Water Watch
Confluence Award – USFS & Wild Alabama
Water Spirit Award – Hana Berres
Please read more about our AWWesome Award Winners.
GUIDED HIKE
The afternoon featured a very spontaneous and hard downpour that was followed by a guided hike led by Lake Guntersville State Park Naturalist, Indya Guthrie. There were a few muddy spots, but we all had a great time hiking and learning of the history surrounding Kings Chapel Loop. We found salamanders and learned the names of a few native plants along the way.
THANK YOU!
Thanks to everyone who made this day possible, especially the AWW Annual Meeting Planning Committee: Anne Mathews, Stephen Morros, Dana Herren, and Tom McCauley.
SAVE THE DATE!
Plan to join us next year in Auburn!
