Adopt-A-Stream News to Know

Coming Soon:

During September

On Tuesday evening, September 28, Dr. Joe Richardson, director of the Coastal Region Training Center, will be presenting a “hands-on” program of “Adopt A Stream: Testing Georgia’s Waters,” at Tybee Island. This program will be the final “Tuesdays at Tybee 2001” series of programs sponsored by The Tybee Island Marine Science Foundation. Tuesdays at Tybee 2001 programs are presented each Tuesday evening through the summer at the Tybee Island Community House, beginning at 7:30 pm. Dr. Richardson plans to give a brief overview of the GA Adopt A Stream program and then help attendees conduct some chemical analysis of water samples from various sites in the coastal zone. These programs are free, and all ages are invited to attend.

During October

The Coastal Region Training Center for GA Adopt A Stream will host an exhibit at “Coastfest 2001” on Saturday, October 6, in Brunswick. “Coastfest” is a day-long event held at the Coastal Resources Division office of the GA Department of Natural Resources. Last year’s Coastfest attracted more than 6000 visitors to the many and diverse exhibits and displays associated with coastal and oceanic natural resources and natural history. The Coastal Region Training Center’s exhibit will have live touch-tanks of coastal creatures commonly collected by Adopt A Stream groups and volunteers in our coastal zone. Coastfest is free and is open from 10am til 4pm, rain or shine.

Welcome Chatham County’s new AAS Coordinator

The Coastal Region Training Center welcomes the arrival of Ms. Courtney Reich as the new Chatham County Adopt A Stream Coordinator. Courtney will serve to help promote, organize, train and get new AAS groups started in Chatham County through her work at the Chatham County Metropolitan Planning Commission. Courtney’s phone number at the MPC is 651-1454.

Welcome new AAS Trainers

During a series of workshops in July, ten new AAS Trainers in coastal Georgia were certified to conduct “Getting Started,” “Visual Survey,” and “Chemical Monitoring” (including QAQC certification) workshops. Michele Droszcz, State-wide Coordinator of the GA AAS Program came down to the coast from Atlanta to help in these Train-the-Trainer workshops at Savannah State University. We say welcome and thanks for your commitment to GA Adopt a Stream to our new coastal area Trainers:

Mary Sweeney-Reeves, UGA Shellfish Research Lab on Skidaway Island
Donna McDowell, SSU Marine Sciences Program, and Brunswick area Trainer
Courtney Reich, AAS Coordinator for Chatham County, Chatham Co. Metropolitan Planning Commission
Alan Power, UGA Shellfish Lab on Skidaway Island
Lance Wilhelm, US Geological Survey office in Savannah
Joe Lambrix, Coordinator of the Marine Aquaculture Program at Savannah State
Todd Recicar, UGA Shellfish Research Lab on Skidaway Island
Deatre Denion, Chatham County Metropolitan Planning Commission
Ellie Covington, Marine Sciences Program at Savannah State University
Christina Dolan, Chatham County Metropolitan Planning Commission

“Ebenezer Alive” and Coastal Region Training Center Cooperative Programs

During fall and winter 2000, the “Ebenezer Alive” educational program at the New Ebenezer Retreat Center in Effingham County, and Savannah State University Marine Sciences Program and the Coastal Region Training Center established a working partnership. Through this partnership, the Coastal Region Training Center provides hands-on training and experience for students participating in the three-day “Ebenezer Alive” programs. Using the lake, Savannah River, and adjacent wetlands, students learn to analyze chemical water quality parameters and combine these activities with fishing. During the spring of 2001, Dr. Richardson conducted six workshops at New Ebenezer for more than 330 middle school students and their teachers from throughout Georgia. The Coastal Region Training Center is also assisting the “Ebenezer Alive” program build and develop wetland study and monitoring areas.

Water Wisdom TV shows feature Coastal Adopt A Stream Programs

The Coastal Region Training Center and students, faculty and members of the SSU Stream Team AAS Program at Savannah State University assisted in the production of two 30-minute video programs about coastal Adopt A Stream activities. Both of these programs can be viewed from time to time on the City of Savannah’s local cable TV station. One program deals with “Biological Monitoring,” and the other deals with “Visual Surveys.”

Dr. Richardson receives award from GA DNR, EPD, Adopt A Stream Program

During the Georgia Adopt A Stream annual conference meeting, in conjunction with the Georgia Environmental Educators Alliance annual conference, Dr. Joe Richardson, director of the Coastal Region Training Center, was awarded an AAS Spirit Rock award for his work in the coastal region for GA Adopt A Stream. At this conference, Dr. Richardson was also asked to serve on the state-wide GA AAS Advisory Council.

Return to Adopt-A-Stream Homepage