Science Cheerleader

World Water Monitoring Day™ (WWMD) is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies.

An easy-to-use test kit enables everyone from children to adults to sample local water bodies for a core set of water quality parameters including temperature, acidity (pH), clarity (turbidity) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Results are shared with participating communities around the globe through the WWMD Web site.

70,000 people participated in 2008. Monitor your local waterways through December. Get started here.

Do you ever wonder what is really coming out of the faucet when you turn on your water?  If you participate in World Water Monitoring Day on September 18, you will be one step closer to finding out!  World Water Monitoring Day is an international education and outreach program that protects the quality of local water resources around the world by enlisting citizen volunteers to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies.  This project is organized by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the International Water Association (IWA), and they hope to expand participation to one million people in 100 countries by 2012.

Though there are celebrations being held in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta this year on September 18, anyone can organize their own event right in their neighborhood.  An easy-to-use test kit enables everyone from children to adults to sample local water bodies for a core set of water quality parameters including temperature, acidity (pH), clarity (turbidity) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Each test kit, which is recommended to be used in a group of no more than 5-10 people, contains:

• 1 Instruction booklet (English/Spanish)
• 1 Sample collection jar
• 1 pH test tube
• 1 Dissolved oxygen vial
• 1 Secchi disk decal
• 2 Temperature strips (14-40°C and 0-12°C)
• 50 pH reagent tablets (enough for 50 tests)
• 100 Dissolved oxygen reagent tablets (enough for 50 tests)
• 1 Color chart for determining DO, pH and turbidity test results
• 1 Mini pencil
• 1 Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

The results of the study are then reported through the World Water Monitoring Day website. Though World Water Monitoring Day is officially celebrated on September 18, the monitoring window has extended for the first time this year from March 22 (World Water Day) until December 31. Participants are encouraged to celebrate anytime during the extended window, making this a perfect project for classrooms this fall!  (All the materials are even included, so schools and/or their teachers will not have to shell out extra dollars for supplies.)

PROJECT SNAPSHOT:

• Topics: water, analytical chemistry
• Location: at home, close to home
• Duration: until December 31, but if you are going to a local river or stream, probably in the warmer months!
• Cost: free
• Gear:  A test kit, which you can order here
• Level of Difficulty: easy

Here’s a citizen science report from Dr. John Ohab!

Let’s talk about things that frighten me and start with the mysterious creatures of the deep. I mean, really — surviving under extreme pressures and temperatures, often without sunlight, in a hostile ocean environment where you might very well be someone else’s dinner? We’ve all seen Pirates of the Caribbean. Creepy.

Still, someone needs to ensure that the marine environment is protected from various human pressures like pollution and over-fishing. That person is just not me.

That’s why I’m asking YOU to go down there on my behalf as part of Earth Dive, a global citizen science project that calls on recreational scuba divers and snorkelers to monitor the ocean for key indicator species.

When you participate in Earth Dive, your observations are recorded in a special database, called the Global Dive Log, and accessible through a clever Google mapping interface. Over time, observations are aggregated to create a Global Snapshot of the state of the world’s oceans. You can also use the satellite map feature to look for your house, which is totally cool. Importantly, everyone who contributes data is automatically added to a petition demanding that policymakers take action.

Earth Dive is what I like to call a win-win-win situation. I don’t have to be in the ocean; your hobby provides a sense of personal enrichment; and we all work together to monitor and conserve marine life on this planet.

• Topics: ocean, diving, science policy, citizen science
• Location: involves a trip
• Duration: several hours
• Cost: fee or cost
• Gear: scuba gear, snorkel, swimsuit, computer
• Level of Difficulty: difficult

 Nolan from Colorado State University wants you to know about CoCoRaHS, a fun and simple citizen science activity for the weather enthusiast. Volunteers send in backyard rain, hail and snow observations to scientists who measure and track the data. The National Weather Service, other meteorologists, hydrologists, emergency managers, city utilities (water supply, water conservation, storm water), insurance adjusters, USDA, engineers, mosquito control, ranchers and farmers, outdoor & recreation interests, teachers, students, and neighbors in the community use the data.

Nolan tells me that by “late 2009, CoCoRaHS will be in the single largest source for U.S.  daily precipitation data, thanks to the power of volunteers.” 

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Topics: Weather

Location: Close to home; Outdoors.

Level of Difficulty: More complicated than I expected but once you’ve purchased (and assembled) the equipment and had a chat with the regional coordinator, the easy (and fun) parts begin.

Fee: Costs about $25 to buy the necessary equipment. (The organizers do all they can to ensure accurate data collection and proper equipment plays a big role there.)

Gear: Special measurer (see above). Computer.

Duration: Once you have the equipment, it’ll take about an hour to build it out. Then, just wait for some rain, hail or snow! Record precipitations 7am, daily for as long as you’d like to participate.

Karen Laverty of PBS affiliate WGBH dropped me a line about a brand new NOVA show premiering on Tuesday 11/25 on PBS.

“Ocean Animal Emergency”  shows ocean mammals being rescued from the wild, tagged (see left; photo credit: Doug Hamilton) and released or cared for by the vets and wildlife volunteers (citizen scientists!) from the world-renowned Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA.

The volunteer citizen scientists at the Center racked up 81,000 hours last year and saved the Center an estimated $800,000! After they’re trained, they handle everything from cleaning pens to preparing food, updating medical charts, administering antibiotics and taking blood samples. 

“Like canaries in the coal mine,” Karen explains,  ”the marine mammal populations are a barometer for the health of the world’s oceans.”  

Here’s a colorful radio piece I did on a related topic: the Shad (aka: Philadelphia’s fish). Shad move from the ocean to the river to spawn, then return to the ocean. Shad fishermen are often the first to learn about the conditions of rivers. When there’s no shad to be had, pollution is the primary suspect.

If you’re interested in learning how to monitor the water in your area (including the source of your drinking water), the EPA has a national directory of volunteer water monitoring programs. Check it out!