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AWW Gets Poetic at Water Rally

AWW at the 2024 Alabama Water Rally 
By Sergio RuizCordova

Every March for the past 26 years, the Alabama Rivers Alliance holds the Alabama Water Rally to recognize and celebrate notable organizations and individuals who have made outstanding contributions toward protecting clean water and healthy rivers in Alabama.

AWW has been part of many of those events, conducting water monitoring certification training and celebrating the recognition of the River Heroes and other award winners who may also be AWW monitors. This year, as many others in the past, the Rally was held at the beautiful and unique Camp McDowell at the edge of the Bankhead National Forest in Winston County, Alabama. 

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Meet Our New Staff Member, Jera Dills!

Jera started with Alabama Water Watch and the AU Water Resources Center in February 2024 and will help with marketing and communications, event organizing, volunteer coordination, data processing, and more! She is a fantastic addition to AWW and the WRC as she is very enthusiastic about her work and brings a positive energy to everything she does!

We’d like to officially welcome Jera to the team and want you all to get to know her a little better through the Q&A below.

Jera visiting Panoramic Point in Sequoia National Park, California. Photo credit: Jera Dills
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2024-2025 School Year: 4-H AWW Opportunity for Teachers to Engage Students with Bacteriological Monitoring and Stewardship

2023 Educators take a photo after taking bacteria samples at the 4-H Center. Photo credit: Mona Dominguez

Attention 4-12 grade teachers throughout the state (in ALL COUNTIES!) who would like an opportunity to engage your students with citizen science and watershed stewardship! 4-H Alabama Water Watch is happy to announce the continuation and expansion of the Exploring Pathogen Pollution in Our Waters Project, which is supported by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Bays and Watershed Education Training (BWET) Program. 

Teachers can apply for a limited number of spots to participate in the required Professional Development Training that will prepare them to conduct bacteriological monitoring and other project activities with their students during the 2024-2025 school year.  Review the description below of the Professional Development Training and how teachers implement the project with their students to decide if this project is a good fit for your classroom.

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Freshwater Snails

October’s 12 Months of Alabama Aquatic Critters will focus on one of the smaller species found in the State’s waters…aquatic snails!  

Freshwater snails are the “janitors” of the water, grazing on algae and dead plant matter from underwater substrate. Snails have an important role in the food chain, providing meals for crayfish, turtles, fish, and waterfowl.

Dr. Paul Johnson with the Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center noted that Alabama is home to approximately 210 freshwater snail species. With such a diversity of species, we are only able to highlight a few, but you can view a more comprehensive list on the Outdoor Alabama website by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Tulotoma Snail. Photo credit: Paul Johnson, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center.
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AUWRC Collaborates with the BraveHeart Center for Place and Purpose for Watershed Demonstration 

Water Center Staff Carolina Ruiz, Jessie Curl, and Sydney Zinner demonstrated watersheds and water pollution with the Enviroscape Model for the BraveHeart Center for Place and Purpose (BCPP), also known as BraveHearts. BraveHearts is a collaborative community program within the AU Social Work Program.  

BCPP Young Adults and Staff with Water Resources Center Staff. Photo credit: Angela Powell 
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Future Farmers of America Career Expo

Water Resources Director Eve Brantley and AWW Staffer Sydney Zinner headed to Central Alabama Community College (CACC) in Alex City to participate in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) Careers in Agriculture Expo hosted by CACC and Alabama Extension.  

High school students participate in the pH quiz game at AWW’s booth! Photo credit: Central Alabama Community College

AWW appreciated the invitation to participate and the opportunity to chat with hundreds of students from local high schools and colleges who attended the Expo to learn about all of the career options that agriculture has to offer.

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