URIWW Home

Online Data Entry

Program Contacts

Program Information

Monitoring Overview

What's Monitored

Becoming a Citizen Scientist

Volunteer Training

Monitoring Schedules

Current Monitoring Sites - Including Station #
- Lakes, Ponds & Reservoirs
- Rivers & streams
- Bays, salt ponds & harbors

Link to Bathymetric Maps of Some RI Ponds

Participating Communities

Program Partners

Monitoring Manuals

Monitoring Data and Results

Water Quality Factsheets

Research Connections

Aquatic Invasive Species

Cyanobacteria (Algal Blooms)

Success Stories

Additional Resources
- Science Fair - Water Projects
- Volunteer Monitoring
- Educational - Water Facts
- Agencies (Including URI)
- Organizations

URI Watershed Watch New Volunteer Training -
Becoming a Citizen Scientist

• Training of new new volunteers occurs each spring so that they are able to participate in the May through October monitoring season. A list of potential volunteers is maintained year round, with letters sent in the spring announcing the training schedule.
• URI Watershed Watch volunteers are not expected to have any special expertise or scientific experience.
• All training and equipment is supplied by Watershed Watch staff, with monitoring methods specially designed to produce useful data from simple tests.
• Volunteers need to supply time, enthusiam, and a boat to get to the deepest part of their waterbody.
• Volunteer monitor training does not cost anything, but in order to be sure we have adequate materials for everyone, we do require that you pre-register by calling 401/874-4552 or by email at uriww@etal.uri.edu

2013 New Volunteer Training Schedule:
Classroom Training (Recommended for all volunteers):
The classroom training is designed to help people considering becoming volunteer monitors learn more about water quality in general, and about Watershed Watch. We find it helps volunteers to better understand exactly what and why they are monitoring, and to feel more connected to the program and to their waterbody. Attending a URIWW training session does not obligate you to become a volunteer monitor and is a great way to learn more about water quality! The classroom session is offered twice, so please choose the date and time that best fits your schedule.

New Volunteer Classroom Training (choose one) -

Sunday, April 7, 2013 - 1 pm, Weaver Auditorium, Coastal Institute in Kingston
Tuesday, April 9, 2013 - 6 pm, Weaver Auditorium, Coastal Institute in Kingston

Attendence at a classroom session is highly recommended to help you learn about water quality and what and why we monitor. Please contact us to pre-register for a classroom session (401-874-4552 or 401-874-2905). Following the classroom training, we will work with you to determine the appropriate field training. Participation in a field training session is REQUIRED!

Need to hone your Secchi disk skills?? Click here...

Field Training (REQUIRED of all volunteers):
New volunteers learn how to collect samples and conduct the various tests used by URIWW to assess our local water resources. Working is small groups with the equipment and supplies, volunteers get to perform the skills until they are fully comfortable. Following the training, volunteers take home their equipment, and are encouraged to practice on their own. The field sessions are offered a number of times and we try to group together volunteers monitoring similar environments (i.e. lakes or streams) or perhaps even the same sites so we will work with your to choose the date and time that best fits your schedule and our needs. PRE-REGISTRATION FOR FIELD SESSIONS IS REQUIRED.

Field Training for New Volunteers - Locations announced when registering for session:
(Please note - this schedule is tentative and may change as we get closer to the season.)

Saturday April 27, 2013 - 9 am - coastal sites, lakes and ponds
(Bristol Harbor and Eastern RI sites);
Saturday May 4, 2013 - 9 am - lakes and ponds, coastal sites;
Saturday May 4, 2013 - 1 pm - rivers and streams, coastal sites;
Saturday May 11, 2013 - 9 am - lakes and ponds, coastal sites;
Saturday May 11, 2013 - 1 pm - rivers and streams, coastal sites.

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