WHAT: Volunteer Monitoring Workshop

WHERE: At the USDA CSREES National Water Quality Conference, La Jolla, California

WHEN: 10 AM to 2 PM, February 7, 2005

WHO: Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program Coordinators, State Extension Water Quality Coordinators, those interested in either starting volunteer monitoring programs or in developing partnerships with existing programs, as well as those just interested in learning more about volunteer monitoring in general.

WHY: Volunteer water quality monitoring has the unique capacity to provide citizens and local communities with tools that improve their knowledge of the status of and factors affecting local water quality. This knowledge engages stakeholders in programs related to changes needed at the farm, home and community level to ensure water quality protection. Understanding the benefits of and expanding opportunities for integration of volunteer monitoring into State Water Quality programs can be an effective tool to addressing topical themes identified by the Cooperative State Research Education Extension Service (CSREES) National Integrated Water Quality Program.

HOW: Working with coordinators from established Extension-based volunteer monitoring programs, this workshop will include discussions of the roles Extension can and does play in volunteer monitoring efforts, as well as the challenges to operating volunteer monitoring programs. Emphasis will be placed on identifying innovative solutions programs have found to meet those challenges as well as hints for starting or expanding programs. Understanding and implementing good quality assurance / quality control programs will also be addressed with the concept of tiered monitoring approaches highlighted. This will be an interactive workshop, with plenty of time for sharing and networking among participants.

AGENDA

Note: State Water Quality Coordinators are invited and welcome to sit in for the first hour, prior to the start of their 11 am meeting

Putting Data to Work Protecting Community Water Resources

10:00-10:25 AM Introduction to the workshop and facilitation project and Successes of CSREES Volunteer Monitoring Efforts (Linda Green)

• Brief History of the Volunteer Monitoring National Facilitation Project
• Facilitation Project Tools
• Why Start a Volunteer Monitoring Program

10:25-10:50 AM Integrating Volunteer Monitoring Data into Community Efforts (Jeff Schloss)

• Overview: Typical Uses of Volunteer Data
• Focusing on Local Concerns and Interests
• Case Studies:
          LILA's grass IS greener
          Anatomy of a Shellfishing Closure
          All Roads (Runoff) Lead to Chocorua
          Coming Together Around Golden Pond

Getting Started in Volunteer Monitoring

11:00 AM - NOON Obtaining Quality Data (Kris Stepenuck)

• Selecting Methods Based on Information Uses
• Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC)
• Data Storage
• Data Interpretation and Presentation

NOON-1:00 PM Working Lunch break – Interactive discussion of how volunteer information has been used locally and in depth participant introductions

1:00-1:40 PM Program Management Considerations (Elizabeth Herron)

• Key ingredients of successful programs
• Program management issue
  • Setting vision, goals and objectives
  • Monitoring design
  • Program design
• Program resources – getting the most for your money
  

1:40-1:50 PM Wrap-up discussion – Next Steps (verbal needs assessment) and Evaluation

Tuesday, 13-Oct-2009 13:11:50 CDT