This email alert was sent out on January 14th, 2013:

Friend,

As I mentioned last month, there are some exciting initiatives coming up in Clarke County to improve the Spout Run Watershed. One of those is a citizen stream monitoring program – a fun opportunity for you to get involved in a very hands-on way!

Exploring Stream Monitoring:
An Introduction

Wednesday, January 16th, 7pm
Boyce Fire Hall, Boyce, VA

This introductory session kicks off a new program to collect information about the benthic macroinvertebrates (small creatures that live on streambeds) in Clarke County streams in order to have a better understanding of local stream health. It will add to the valuable chemical data that the Friends of the Shenandoah River volunteers have been collecting for a long time.

For a couple of hours at a time, 3 or 4 times a year, here’s some of what you’ll discover as a monitor:

• The variety of stream-dwellers that live in your streams
• Information about the health of the stream and surrounding lands
• Stream habitats and survival strategies of the species that live there
• Pollution-sensitivity

If you can’t attend the meeting or want more information about the citizen stream monitoring program, please contact me. You can also check out an online introduction to stream monitoring at vasos.org/virtual-training.html.

If you decide this program is for you, the classroom training session will be held on February 12 at 7pm at Boyce Fire Hall. The streamside training and certifcation dates will be announced shortly.

Sincerely,

Gem Bingol
Clarke County Land Use Officer
Piedmont Environmental Council
gbingol@pecva.org