AWWareness

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.

Continue reading “Freshwater Snails”

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.  

Continue reading “AUWRC Collaborates with the BraveHeart Center for Place and Purpose for Watershed Demonstration “

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.  

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.

Continue reading “Future Farmers of America Career Expo”

AWW Director Mona Dominguez gave a presentation about the importance of citizen science to municipal stormwater management. 

The Alabama Stormwater Association Symposium was hosted in partnership with the Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee.  

On September 20, 2023, in Florence, AL, the Alabama Stormwater Association Symposium took place in conjunction with Clear Water Alabama. The Alabama Stormwater Association (ASA) is “an incubator and promoter of stormwater innovation, collaboration, communication, and connection for the good of Alabama and for the protection and restoration of the waters within and beyond its borders.”  

Continue reading “How can citizen science benefit stormwater management professionals?”

As many of our volunteers know, AWW is part of the Auburn University Water Resources Center (AUWRC), which receives support from the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES). What folks may not know is that AWW and WRC Staff are part of the Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources (AFNR) team within Extension, which includes professionals from Aquatic Resources, Horticulture, Home Grounds, Gardens, and Home Pests, Poultry, Food Safety, and more.

The AFNR Team meets annually to discuss program goals and foster community amongst team members. This year, the meeting was held at the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge, with a field trip to Graham Farms, about an hour north of Guntersville.  

Continue reading “AWW @ Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Team Meeting”

Alabama is home to five of the six marine turtles documented in continental U.S. waters. There are seven global species of sea turtles, but the ones that we have here include and of seven total global species, including Loggerhead, Green, Leatherback, Kemp’s Ridley, Hawksbill, Olive Ridley, and Flatback.

The five sea turtles that can be found on the Alabama coast are Loggerhead, Green, Leatherback, Kemp’s Ridley, and Hawksbill. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), all sea turtles found in the U.S. are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Continue reading “Sea Turtles”

The AU Office of Sustainability’s annual Sustainability Picnic celebrates the community’s actions towards sustainable living while calling attention to the work that still needs to be done towards goals for Nature, Economy, Society, and Wellbeing.

Continue reading “AWW Tables at the Auburn University Sustainability Picnic “

Freshwater mussels, also known as bivalves, are a type of mollusk, along with snails. Alabama has the greatest diversity of freshwater mussels in the United States with 181 total species.  

Villosa iris. Photo credit: Alan Cressler (Flickr) 

Rainbow (Villosa iris) are found in the Tennessee River Basin, and favor shoal habitats. Its periostracum varies from yellow-brown with green rays.

Continue reading “Freshwater Mussels”

Thanks to our friends and workshop sponsors at Legacy, Partners in Environmental Education, AWW’s Mona and Sydney along with Dr. Bill Deutsch got to travel down to Prattville in late June for an Alabama Rivers Educator Workshop. Alabama Rivers Educator Workshops focus on curriculum based on the book, Alabama Rivers: A Celebration & Challenge by Dr. Deutsch.

Continue reading “Alabama Rivers Educator Workshop in Prattville”