2008 Volunteer Stream Monitoring Award Winners
Wisconsinites from Viroqua, Milwaukee, Ashland, Solon Springs, Delafield, and Land O’ Lakes are being recognized for their outstanding efforts to help monitor and improve the health of Wisconsin’s streams and build the ranks of volunteers committed to the cause.
The Department of Natural Resources and the University of Wisconsin-Extension present Stream Monitoring Awards every year to recognize people for their exemplary work leading to increased participation in stream monitoring, collecting stream data, and sharing their knowledge of stream monitoring.
The awards program aims to promote the awareness of and participation in volunteer stream monitoring work in Wisconsin, which has more than 42,000 miles of year-round streams and rivers, according to Kris Stepenuck, Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program Coordinator for UWEX/WDNR. “The caliber of work these award winners are doing to help monitor and protect streams, and to share their knowledge with others, is tremendous.”
Congratulations to this year's winners! The awards will be presented at local venues for each of the participants during 2008.
Monitoring Adult:
Gary Thompson
Adult volunteer of the year Gary Thompson began his participation in volunteer stream monitoring in 2002 with the Valley Stewardship Network (VSN) based in Viroqua. He worked with the VSN Volunteer Coordinator to help train adults to monitor the Kickapoo River and many of its tributaries using Water Action Volunteers Stream Monitoring Program protocols, and soon took over the role of Volunteer Coordinator for VSN. According to Cindy Koperski, WDNR Water Quality Biologist, he was also “instrumental in planning and executing a study of bacteria levels on the Kickapoo River.” He worked to recruit volunteers to monitor bi-weekly and coordinated involvement of both a local lab and a research lab to assess bacteria levels and conduct DNA analysis on collected samples. After high bacteria levels were found consistently, he augmented monitoring to help pinpoint sources and conducted a watershed tour to help identify sources visually. He coordinates Citizen-based Water Monitoring Network “Level 2” monitoring for VSN volunteers. Level 2 monitoring enables volunteers to monitor streams using WDNR monitoring methods. Gary also participates in the monitoring, conducting not only monthly monitoring, but also monitoring during runoff after storms, an add-on to the regular Level 2 monitoring. He also actively seeks funding to support these and other monitoring efforts of VSN’s volunteers. Koperski summed up her nomination with the following, “His love of streams, easy-going personality, careful consideration of other viewpoints and commitment to improving streams and investing himself in the process makes Gary Thompson the perfect choice for a Wisconsin Stream Monitoring Award.”
Monitoring Employee:
Cheryl Nenn
Employee of the year, Cheryl Nenn, of the Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers, has been involved with stream monitoring since 2005 when she became a trainer for the Water Action Volunteers Stream Monitoring Program. Soon after, Cheryl was awarded a grant to assess volunteer stream monitoring activity in the Basin. She has since worked to develop stream monitoring programming across the Milwaukee River Basin. She currently locally coordinates the efforts of more than 64 volunteers who participate at all three levels of the Citizen-based Stream Monitoring Network, a collective of stream monitoring opportunities for citizens which is coordinated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, UW-Extension, and River Alliance of Wisconsin. Cheryl also actively participates in the monitoring process herself, taking on 3 sites to monitor monthly between May and October each year. In addition to her involvement with volunteer stream monitoring, Cheryl manages the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail and a variety of restoration projects, as well as seeking sources of pollution to Milwaukee’s rivers. Mary Holleback, Adult Programs Coordinator at River edge Nature Center, and partner in coordinating efforts in the Milwaukee River Basin noted, “Cheryl has worked tirelessly to help restore, protect and conserve one of Wisconsin’s most urban rivers.”
Group:
The Bad River Watershed Association
Monitoring Group of the year, Bad River Watershed Association, of Ashland, have worked since 2002 towards their mission “to promote a healthy relationship between the people and natural communities of the Bad River Watershed by involving citizens in assessing, maintaining and improving watershed integrity for future generations.” Glenn Miller, Fishery Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported that “BRWA’s water quality monitoring program is designed to establish at least a four year baseline of water quality in the Bad River Watershed on chemical, biological and physical attributes of stream systems.” To accomplish this, volunteers in the group monitor water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen content, water clarity, and nutrients, including phosphorus and nitrogen at 18 sites in the watershed each month. Volunteers are trained by a technical professional and follow a quality assurance project plan to ensure their data are of highest quality. Five BRWA chemistry volunteers have been sampling their sites once a month for five years. They include: April Stone Dahl, Joan Elias, Dane Bonk, Leslie Kolesar, and Karen Danielson. Other members of BRWA also participated in a UW-led E. coli bacteria monitoring research project during 2006 and the group continued to monitor E. coli during 2007 as a regular monitoring parameter. In addition, BRWA volunteers sample macroinvertebrates at 12 locations in the watershed two times each year and work with BRWA technical staff and professors at Northland College to identify the macroinvertebrates to family level. Several of the rivers in the watershed were given Outstanding Resource Waters designation by the WDNR based on macroinvertebrate data collected by BRWA volunteers. These rivers were not initially included on the list of potential ORW sites due to lack of data about them. Glenn Miller continued, “In addition to collecting and analyzing data, the BRWA is developing a close working relationship with town boards and town road crews. BRWA program organizers work with township representatives individually and at group meetings of town officials, while other BRWA volunteers have attended town board meetings to offer support for fish friendly road work.” He concluded that “their data-driven approach, matched with a commitment to communicating complex scientific information in an understandable format to citizens and decision-makers, has been successful in fostering a stewardship ethic in the general public and local governments.”
Teacher/Classroom:
Jill Graf, Robert Eady
and
the Environmental Monitoring Class at the Conserve School
The Teacher/Classroom award goes to Jill Graf, Robert Eady, and the Environmental Monitoring Class at Conserve School in Land O' Lakes. Jill has worked with stream and lake monitoring and stewardship since 1993. As a founding teacher at the Conserve School, she brought her interest in monitoring and protecting water resources with her to the school. She teaches a variety of environmentally-focused courses including an environmental sensing and monitoring course she developed for upper level students. The students are expected to develop an independent project that will be carried on with other students and other classes over time. They monitor macroinvertebrates, flow, nutrients, fish, temperature, clarity, and nutrients as well as mapping plant communities. Students in the Environmental Monitoring Class are: Stephen Benson, Wendy Eliot, Ruhiyyih Eady, and Natasha Holmes. Robert Eady co-teaches the environmental sensing and monitoring course with Graf, helping students to understand the technological equipment and data they collect. Graf also published a children’s book field guide series targeted to 4th to 9th graders about macroinvertebrates and aquatic plants. She leads her school’s Envirothon Team, which has won five state championships and placed in the top 10 four out of five years in North American competitions. In a letter of support for her nomination, Fran Keally, parent of one of Graf’s students, noted “I strongly believe that Jill Graf embodies the qualities that the Wisconsin Stream Monitoring Award recognizes in an exceptional educator.”
Students: (Tie)
Juli Bridge and Amber Johnson
Two students were chosen as award winners this year. Amber Johnson from Solon Springs was chosen for her participation in the Water Action Volunteers Stream Monitoring program over the past two years. She has monitored May through October for 6 stream quality parameters and taught fellow students the monitoring methods during her second year. She began her participation with stream monitoring as a freshman with teacher Joanne Zosel at Solon Springs High School. When approached to conduct summer monitoring with the Friends of the St. Croix Headwaters (FOTSCH) group along the St. Croix River and its tributaries, Joanne says, “Amber seized this opportunity and jumped in with both feet.” Not only did she participate as a monitor for two summers with FOTSCH but she has taught several science labs for elementary school students, instructing them about the monitoring. She also presented science labs to parents and teachers at two NASA nights the school hosted. “She has been a true role model for the students in both the high school and the elementary, is an outspoken steward of environmental pursuits, and (as a junior) helped raise awareness in this year’s freshman class”, reports Zosel.
Juliana Bridge was also awarded the student volunteer monitoring award this year. Juli began her participation with stream monitoring six years ago, at age 12. She and her mother attended training to learn Water Action Volunteers Stream Monitoring protocols and she fell in love with the project after realizing the data she collected could be important in protecting the creek. She monitored Scuppernong Creek for five monitoring seasons and compiled her data and presented it for a science fair as well as instructing other students in monitoring techniques. Jayne Jenks, Conservation Specialist for Waukesha County Parks and Land Use Department coordinates monitoring in the county. She credits Juli with obtaining 5 years of credible data that provides an important source of “before development” numbers in an area that is under tremendous development pressure. Her dedication to the project outside of the classroom and over multiple years help make her an excellent choice to win one of this year’s stream monitoring awards.
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