We have a growing number of parents and children who are monitoring together. It's become a family activity that many also use as a school science fair project. Green's three teenage daughters, for example, have been helping monitor Yawgoo Pond since they were old enough to sit still in the family rowboat. Since ponds and lakes are monitored at their deepest point, a boat, canoe or kayak is needed, as well as some free time once a week in the middle of the day. Folks who monitor shallow rivers and streams need to be prepared to wade right in.
Surfers go out on their boards.
Communities where volunteers are especially needed include Burrillville, Coventry, Cranston, Exeter, Hopkinton, Johnston, Smithfield, Warwick and West Greenwich. Much of the data used to make the initial assessments in Rhode Island are being collected by Watershed Watch volunteers. Since our volunteers are already collecting much of the necessary baseline data, DEM can concentrate their resources on conducting intensive studies to determine pollutant loadings and how to best clean up polluted waters. The data is evaluated by the state Department of Environmental Management, which, along with URI Cooperative Extension and numerous local sponsors, helps to fund the Watershed Watch program and expand its reach to new locations. The required classroom training for new volunteers will be provided on Saturday morning, April 7, and repeated on Tuesday evening, April 10 on URI's Kingston campus.