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by: eric reutebuch

Christian Miller has been working in extension/outreach activities since 2004, first in Florida, and then in south Alabama. Christian joined the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium outreach team as an extension specialist in 2009. He works out of the Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center in Mobile, Alabama, and his work focuses on nonpoint source pollution. He serves as the Alabama- Mississippi Clean Marina Program coordinator and the Coastal Alabama Clean Water Partnership facilitator. Along with all of this great work, he found time to become an AWW trainer too! Since becoming certified as an AWW trainer in 2014, Christian has coordinated numerous trainings along Alabama’s beautiful Gulf Coast.

Let’s get to know Christian a bit better: Continue reading “Christian Miller, AWW trainer & supporter extraordinaire!”

by: eric reutebuch

Judy has been water monitoring, educating youth about environmental stewardship and training volunteer monitors in central Alabama, along with working full-time (until recently), over the past couple of decades. She has monitored both water chemistry and bacteria in the Montgomery area and in the Lake Martin area, and submitted over 100 data records from 13 different sites to the AWW database! She became certified in both water chemistry and bacteriological monitoring, and has conducted numerous workshops in both.

Let’s get to know Judy better: Continue reading “Judy Palfrey, AWW trainer & monitor extraordinaire!”

by: eric reutebuch

The following groups and individuals were recognized during the AWW Annual Meeting on June 25, 2016 in Auburn. We hope that you will join us in congratulating them for achieving water monitoring milestones during the past year!

Continue reading “2016’s Award Winning Water Watchers”

Each spring, the Auburn University Office of Sustainability recognizes individuals and groups that exemplify the Auburn spirit by making significant contributions toward sustainability on campus or in a community at any point along the Sustainability Compass: Nature, Economy, Society, and Wellbeing with the Spirit of Sustainability Awards.

Several of AWW’s supporters and volunteer monitors  were recognized with Spirit of Sustainability Awards in 2016: Dan Ballard, Michael Freeman, and Brian & Elizabeth Simpson. We are so proud to have these exceptional individuals as part of the AWW Family! Thanks and keep up the good work!

Click here to read more about the award and each recipient.

Continue reading “AWW Friends and Volunteers Recognized with Spirit of Sustainability Awards”

by: eric reutebuch

Water monitors from throughout Alabama came together Saturday, June 25^th to celebrate 24 years of watching the water. Alabama Water Watch (AWW) hosted their annual meeting on the Auburn University campus. Eric Reutebuch, AWW Director, welcomed the crowd, congratulated AWW volunteer monitors and trainers on their efforts, and extended AWW’s gratitude for support provided by both the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES).

Continue reading “AWW on solid ground thanks to AAES and ACES support”

by: Eric Reutebuch

Since its beginnings in 1992 under Dr. Bill Deutsch, Alabama Water Watch (AWW) has worked with phenomenal volunteers throughout the state who have given of their time, talents and treasure to further AWW’s mission of improving both water quality and water policy through citizen monitoring and action. Dr. Deutsch awarded the first AWW Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 to Mr. Ray Kelley, an environmental leader in north Alabama, a long-time AWW monitor, trainer and member of the AWWA Board of Directors. The award was initiated to recognize individuals who exemplified a spirit of watershed stewardship above-and-beyond the call of duty. Ray Kelley definitely fit the bill!

Continue reading “AWW Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Dick and Mary Ann Bronson”

by: eric reutebuch

Sydney Smith is a welcome addition to the AWW family as both a monitor and a trainer. She started monitoring a couple of years back while pursuing her studies, a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science at Auburn University. She quickly pursued becoming an AWW trainer last year, and conducted her first Water Chemistry and Bacteriological Monitoring workshops last month! Her enthusiastic, altruistic spirit is evident from the moment you meet her!

Let’s get to know Sydney a little better: Continue reading “Sydney Smith, AWW trainer & monitor extraordinaire!”

By: Eric Reutebuch

You may recall our previous AWWareness blog article, AWWsome Infographic! .  We were thrilled to receive an all-time record number of responses to the post, requesting use of the beautiful infographic that Miss Jennie Powers created as an AU class project. Folks from all over the state asked if they could use the new infographic in their education and outreach efforts. Our answer – DEFINITELY, PLEASE DO! Jennie, in all of her kindness, gifted her work to AWW, and would be thrilled if you/your group/your school/your agency would utilize her work to increase awareness of our bountiful aquatic biodiversity here in Alabama.

Continue reading “AWW Infographic 2.0”

By: Eric Reutebuch

AWW has been blessed with some fabulous folks over the years who have given of their time, talent and treasure to the betterment of the Program. Here is a recent example.

We here at the AWW office were asked recently about what we’d like to have done in the form of an infographic by our IT assistant, Jennie Powers. She needed to develop an infographic for a class she is taking here at AU.  I thought for about half a second and said ALABAMA’S AWESOME AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY! In my unbiased opinion, I believe that every child (and adult) in Alabama should know that this state ranks NUMBER ONE among all 50 states in aquatic biodiversity (including freshwater fish, snails, mollusks, crayfish and turtles!,  see Biodiversity in Alabama and Fishes of Alabama)!  The hundreds of beautiful fish species that inhabit our waters (325 native freshwater species and 100 or more marine species – wow!) are true treasures that every Alabamian should be proud of, and cherish! Several rival tropical reef fishes in their colorful beauty! Here are a few of my favorites:

Continue reading “AWWsome Infographic!”

by: eric reutebuch

Last month’s issue of Lake Magazine featured a wonderful story by a long-time AWW monitor about her personal experiences of monitoring on Lake Martin over the past two decades, and why it is important to keep it up. Kathryn Braund, volunteer water monitor and Lake Watch of Lake Martin past-president and current Board member, has been making monthly trips down to her dock with her AWW water chemistry test kit since 1996!

Click here to read Kathryn’s story