AWWareness

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.

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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.

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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.

Continue reading “2023 Annual Meeting @ Lake Guntersville State Park!”

On Friday, June 23, 2023, AWW Staff trained a new group of water chemistry and bacteriological monitors on the shores of beautiful Lake Guntersville. We also had the pleasure of recertifying several of our long time volunteer monitors.

Continue reading “Training on the Shores of Beautiful Lake Guntersville”