By: Dana Herren and Sydney Zinner
Volunteer Trainers Dana Herren with Logan Martin Protection Association and Jacksonville River Monitors, and Jonathan Kelly of Wild Alabama, and Volunteer Trainer Intern Jecca Shumate-Thomason with the University of Montevallo, led an Alabama Water Watch Bacteriological and Water Chemistry Monitoring Field Day in Anniston, AL on Saturday, March 22.
They were joined by several program partners who supported the training: Carver Community Center, West Anniston Foundation, Coosa Riverkeepers, Choccolocco Creek Watershed, Wild Alabama, and the Jacksonville River Monitors.
Volunteer Trainer Dana Herren recapped the event:
The hybrid workshop commenced online two weeks before Saturday, offering an introduction to AWW, the importance of water quality, and an overview of Alabama watersheds. On Saturday, participants engaged in hands-on activities, learning to test water samples for various bacteriological and chemical parameters.
Saturday’s workshops attracted a diverse group of participants, including many individuals who were joining our AWW Team of Monitors for the very first time. Among the attendees were three enthusiastic students who expressed a keen interest in bringing the newfound knowledge to their peers by joining our 4-H AWW Monitoring program. Additionally, a few participants successfully completed their recertifications, further enhancing their ability to contribute to water quality monitoring efforts.
Furthermore, we are immensely grateful to Jake Lasseter for his insightful discussion on the pressing challenges encountered by the Coosa River Keepers and their ongoing efforts to address these critical issues.
The event was a resounding success, fostering a spirit of collaboration and significantly raising awareness about critical water quality issues within our community. The engaging discussions and hands-on activities helped participants gain a deeper understanding of the importance of water resource protection. Participants left the event with a comprehensive understanding of water monitoring techniques and a strong sense of community involvement. We are excited to see our newly trained Monitors in action and are hopeful about organizing another workshop in the area very soon to continue this vital work.
For upcoming AWW Water Quality Monitoring Trainings, check out the AWW Events Calendar.