Volunteers in the fieldThis past Sunday and Monday, June 13th and 14th, eighteen teams of volunteers spread out to 16 field sites across the Mad River watershed as part of Friends of the Mad River’s (FMR) reimagined Mad River Watch program, sponsored this year by Lawson’s Finest Liquids. Volunteers were trained on the new methods for testing water quality, the importance of observations as a foundation for good community science, the ins and outs of the new mobile data collection app, and strategies for stewardship before they took to their sites at the water’s edge. Of the 20 of volunteers, 7 are returning to Mad River Watch after years of dedication and knowledge and 13 are bringing new energy and enthusiasm to the program. “I really enjoyed discovering a place that I'd never been to before, and didn't even know it existed,” said Mad River Watch volunteer Ruth Lacey. 2021 upgrade Mad River Watch volunteers are using methods that allow them to test water quality parameters like temperature, nitrate/nitrite, phosphate, and conductivity in the field, instead of sending them off for lab analysis. This enables volunteers and FMR to better identify pollutant sources and respond to changing conditions as they arise. With an eye towards a changing climate, FMR volunteers are now measuring conductivity. “With more freeze thaw cycles, we anticipate more road salt application,” said Corrie Miller, Executive Director. “Road salt is good for people getting where they want to go in winter, but it’s not great for freshwater ecosystems. Measuring conductivity can give us a sense of where road salt is getting into our streams and rivers.” The new MRW program is built around observation as the basis for sound scientific inquiry. “Focusing on observation makes a nice addition to the science,” said Julie Westervelt who volunteers with her daughter Ingrid. “It is not just about the numbers, but the overall picture of a healthy ecosystem.” “And then we can share that story with the community,” said Lisa Koitzsch, MRW Coordinator. “Painting a picture of change over time, hearing what matters to people, and guiding the questions Friends asks next.” Another big change this year is that FMR won’t be measuring E. coli. “The community came to see the E. coli data Mad River Watch collected as important for public health awareness, and we believe that they were,” said Miller. “However, our methods were teaching us the same lessons without adding to our learning. One critical trend we observed through the decades is that if it has been dry and then rains, the E. coli levels in the river increase, along with turbidity. It is predictable and now that we have learned this, we don’t need to collect new data to know that the best way you can protect yourself is by avoiding swimming 1-2 days after a rain or when the water is silty.” FMR has been a core partner in developing the stewardMRV program that aims at improving the valley’s stewardship ethic and is encouraging volunteers to sign up as site stewards. In support of this collaborative Valley-wide effort, FMR has added a stewardship component to the MRW protocol and volunteers are serving as site stewards. Now, MRW volunteers’ experience as keen observers and ambassadors for the river add value as they track problematic use at river sites and pitch in to clean up. As part of a second phase of the program’s changes, E. coli testing will return next year with the establishment of a handful of “sentinel” sites along the main stem, but it will not be tied to swimholes. Analysis of sentinel sites will be done at a professional lab and will be used to track change in the Mad River over time. Highlights from the field This week, MRW volunteers made observations that include wildlife, vegetation, and human usage. “As we were walking back to the car we were discussing that we really didn't see any wildlife, when seconds later a deer bounded out of the tall grass, but disappeared before I could get a photo,” shared one MRW volunteer. Another discovered a killdeer nest and yet another crafted a haiku about her peaceful time by the water. Over the summer, FMR will compile data and observations and share key findings and highlights in the Valley Reporter and online at friendsofthemadriver.org/madriverwatch.
Friends of the Mad River is recruiting volunteers for a newly-imagined version of its Mad River Watch (MRW) water quality monitoring program that will launch this summer across The Valley. Sponsored by Lawson’s Finest Social Impact Program and incorporating lessons learned from decades of volunteer-driven monitoring, the program builds on a foundation of citizen science and community-valued water quality data that have been the hallmark of the last 30 years. “We have learned that many of our community’s water quality challenges occur when rain washes pollutants from the land and we’ve learned where E. coli and phosphorus levels tend to be high and resolved many problems,” explained Kinny Perot, Friends’ co-founder and board member. “We’ll still track many of these long-term trends, but I’m also excited about new learning and opportunities from the updated Mad River Watch program.” Volunteers’ data will inform a more complete story about the health and well-being of the Mad River watershed to share with the community, guide the questions Friends of the Mad River (FMR) asks next and contribute to building climate resilience. This summer, volunteers will again spread out across the watershed, this time using in-the-field methods to guide their observations, responding to changing conditions as they arise. “We’ve built MRW 2.0 around the idea that thoughtful observations are the basis for sound scientific inquiry. And, because we value the diverse perspectives this community can contribute, we are inviting anyone’s inner scientist, artist, naturalist or curious river-goer to play an important role,” said Lisa Koitzsch, Friends’ MRW coordinator. FMR plans to continue sharing information about the state of the watershed with the broader community, though its regular updates in The Valley Reporter will look a little different. “When we say, ‘inviting your inner artist,’ we really mean it. The health of the river is not just about crunching numbers, but about the way we all connect with and celebrate the watershed,” noted Corrie Miller, FMR executive director. “Our hope is to not only share the data collected, but also the stories and artistry that come from our volunteers -- and to inspire all of us to explore our own connections to the land and water around us.” For decades, MRW has helped drive the conversation around the importance of monitoring and protecting clean water, and the new program will continue that tradition. “Lawson’s Finest is thrilled to partner with Friends of the Mad River,” said Sean Lawson, CEO and founding brewer at Lawson’s Finest Liquids. “A healthy watershed starts with clean water in our streams and rivers, which in turn provides pristine groundwater. We rely on Waitsfield’s town water source on Scrag Mountain to make great beer, making it our most important resource to protect.” ad River Watch has helped inform people’s decision-making around when and where it is safest to swim, while also driving conversations about the importance of stewardship at these much-treasured river access points. “Mad River Watch has always been about the good stewardship of our watershed. As land use patterns change, as we see increased impacts from recreation and development, and as the challenges of climate change unfold around us, we wanted to emphasize the positive role each of us can play,” explained Ira Shadis, FMR stewardship manager.
Friends invites the community to learn more about Mad River Watch 2.0 at an online informational session on Thursday, May 27. Registration is required and can be found online at friendsofthemadriver.org/madriverwatch. This article was originally published in the Valley Reporter on May 20th, 2021. On March 11th, the Mad River Valley Libraries and Friends of the Mad River hosted Zac Cota-Weaver from the North Branch Nature Center to bring an awesome Amphibian Road Crossing training to the MRV. We explored the lives of amphibian species like the Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum), the Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum), and the American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) – among many others. We covered the basics of how our amphibian neighbors live, how to help them cross the road, and how to capture important community science data along the way. If you missed the training, the whole thing can be found online at the NBNC website. After the event, Zac let us know that a TON of volunteers signed up to be Amphibian Road Crossing volunteers here in the Valley. It is exciting to know that there are so many of you out there with curious minds, a willingness to pitch in, and a love for amphibians!
One of the challenges of helping our amphibian neighbors is the fact that they tend to only move around on warm, rainy nights. Springtime offers a handful of those warm, wet nights – but predicting the weather in Vermont ain’t always easy! Friends and the Mad River Valley Libraries want to invite anyone who attended the training event (or anyone who is interested in amphibians – we just ask that you watch the NBNC training videos first or join up with someone who has) to join us on a warm, wet evening sometime in the next few weeks. We will keep an eye on the weather forecast and when the conditions look good, we will give you a 24 hour notice with the time, location, and parking directions. We hope to see you out there! What: Amphibian Road Crossing In-Person Event When: A warm, wet night sometime in April – with 24+ hour notice Hosted by: Friends of the Mad River, the Mad River Valley Libraries, the Northbranch Nature Center For: Volunteers who want to learn about their amphibian neighbors and help them safely cross the road! |
Friendsof the Mad River Archives
July 2024
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