It's been a long time since I've been active with Schuylkill Riverkeeper, Perkiomen Watershed & Delaware River Network.
I didn't see or maybe don't recognize anyone in the virtual Green Region Award Ceremony. I know many of the people I had the privilege of working with are still active.
It appears that the Schuylkill Riverkeeper has evolved from a mostly watershed restoration/education network to a broader Schuylkill River Greenways.
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network part:
WATERSHED CONGRESS ALONG THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER
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This is something that a disabled guy like me might be able to do:
“In order to monitor the presence and/or distribution of litter along the Schuylkill River, water quality partners are launching a campaign to recruit “Community Scientists” to conduct 5-minute Visual Monitoring Assessments. Using their mobile device, these volunteers can simply record the trash accumulation or dumping points along a 100-foot section of the Schuylkill River via a user-friendly form accessible from a cell phone: bit.ly/litterform..
“Trash is important to address when talking about the health of a waterway because it’s often the most visually obvious form of pollution. Bacterial and chemical pollution are generally less directly observable, but when we see trash, it instantly informs our impression of a body of water,” said Chloe Wang, River Programs Coordinator at Bartram’s Garden. “And, it can point to larger problems. For example, near Bartram’s Garden, a lot of trash washes into the river from combined sewer overflows, which also introduce harmful bacteria into the water. It will be interesting to see how the presence of trash differs along various stretches of the Schuylkill.”
The Community Scientist visual assessments require no formal training and are meant to be a simple effort that any resident can complete. We’ve developed an assessment survey, which can be accessed and submitted via a smartphone or tablet by opening the link in the phone/tablet’s browser.
“This is an opportunity for anyone with an interest in the Schuylkill River to spend time on the river and provide valuable feedback on the conditions of the river,” said David Bressler, Project Facilitator at Stroud Water Research Center. “Schuylkill River Greenways and its partners in this project are looking for motivated and dependable individuals to help them learn about the Schuylkill River and move in positive directions toward making the river more accessible to the community. Support from volunteers is very important and is greatly appreciated.”
The goal is to document critical areas of trash accumulation or dumping points in order to guide management efforts to better deal with this pollution. In addition to the multiple-choice questions to rank trash levels and quantities, this platform asks volunteers to submit a photo of the area and collects the GPS location. By utilizing this user-friendly platform, the data collected under this effort will be summarized and visualized by the project team.
“This project is an important study that we can hopefully use to connect people back to the river and show that the Schuylkill River is a place to be enjoyed by all,” said Michael Griffith, Education & Watershed Specialist at Berks Nature.”
MORE AT:
Schuylkill River Community Scientist Monitoring Project to Kick Off on World Habitat Day
Miica Patterson
Help Assess Trash Seen Along The River
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Water Spirit
Artist: Sarah Kavage
What is Lenapehoking ~ Watershed?
We are a wide-ranging, multifaceted art project that wants to introduce you to your watershed!
the initiative winds its way through the landscapes and waterways of the Delaware River Watershed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Taking place from spring of 2021 to late fall of 2021, Lenapehoking~Watershed offers multiple opportunities for inspiration, refreshment, and learning. You're invited to discover new things, meet new people at outdoor cultural gatherings, and enjoy solitary meditations on art and nature.
