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> Water Monitoring Webinars: Learn how to test water
Water Monitoring Webinars: Learn how to test water
Water Sentinels Host Free Webinar* Series on Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring
* What is a webinar?
A Webinar is a telephone and Internet based workshop or seminar. Ours will be low-tech, so that anyone with a phone and access to a computer can participate from the comfort of their own home. We'll use a toll-free phone number for you to call in on, and PDF-based documents that you can download to your computer. No high-speed connection is required - we only ask that you download all documents a day or so ahead, to make sure you don't have any last-minute problems. All documents will be in PDF format, readable with free software downloadable from Adobe Reader.
Webinar Topics Outline
Session 1: (held early October) Introduction to water monitoring concepts - and why monitor? Download session handout here. Plus - download this: Designing Your Monitoring Strategy: Basic Questions and Resources to Help Guide You - Download this document from the Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring National Facilitation Project website! This website has many excellent documents that you'll want to download and read! From the University of Wisconsin and the University of Rhode Island, by Elizabeth Herron, Kris Stepenuck, Linda Green, adn Kelly Addy, updated in 2008. The National Facilitation Project has brought together the resources and experience of many Volunteer Water Monitoring projects from all over the country and put them onto one website.
Discussion: Example outcomes from Real Volunteer Monitoring Projects
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Session 2: (held late October) - Water monitoring methods to consider:
download Session 2 handout here
· Water chemistry – kits or meters or lab samples
· Collect & I.D. & track aquatic bugs
· Habitat assessment
· Equipment – what you need, where to find it (websites), what it may cost, maybe you can build it
The most appropriate monitoring methods for your project will be dependent on the water quality threat or situation, your funding available, experts, partners, training, time available, other.
QAPPs (Quality Assurance Project Plans), or QAQC
· Credibility - why QAPPs are important
· Why you want to be correct – assumptions.
· QAPP examples
· http://MiCorps.net - an online database
How to find pre-existing data
· Freedom of Information Act requests
· Universities?
· Non-profit groups, like watershed councils, conservancies, preserves
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November 10: Sessions 3 and 4, at 7pm ET / 6pm CT
Download Sessions 3 & 4 handout here.
(Note - these two sessions have been combined.)
Recruiting Helpers, Experts, Volunteers, Agency Staff
· Helpers are always welcome – learn to delegate
· How to find experts
· How to find volunteers – make monitoring days a “fun event”
· Good to rope in agency staff, too, when you can.
Funding - Do you need it?
· How much do you need? Let’s make a budget.
· How to find it – grants, agencies, non-profits - caveats & benefits
Media & Public Outreach
· Telling your story
· Recruiting volunteers
· Using the Internet – websites, blogs, data repositories, Facebook Groups
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November 17: Sessions 5 and 6, at 2pm ET / 1pm CT
Download sessions 5 & 6 handout here.
(Note - these two sessions have been combined.)
Data – keep track of it, and use it!
· Tracking it – spreadsheets, database, online at MiCorps
· Publicizing an issue
· Display or presentation
Putting it all together – let’s make a plan!
· Write it down
· Why do we want to monitor?
· What do we want to monitor for?
· Who do we want help from?
· How much will this cost us?
· How will we fund this?
· How will we publicize our monitoring events?
· How will we track our data?
· What will we do with our data?
· How long will we do this?
Midwest States' Regulatory Structure for Nonferrous Mineral Mining
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