The Question

Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:13:06 -0400
From: "Weglein, Sara" <sweglein@dnr.state.md.us>

Greetings all,

I am with the MD Department of Natural Resources volunteer stream sampling program,
Stream Waders. We are looking to make some changes to our program such as having volunteers
enter data online and possibly identifying macroinvertebrates in the field. I was just wondering
if anyone who had such programs in place had any comments or suggestions that may be helpful.
Thank you!

Sara Weglein
MD Dept. of Natural Resources
RAS - MANTA

Responses

Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:19:01 -0700
From: Sandy Derby <sderby@cdm.org>

Hello Sara,
Just thinking some of what I have online might be helpful to you-- and interesting. Our BioSITE Program, curricula, and data can be viewed online (actually, the data is not updated yet so more will come..) Let me know if you have any questions--

S
Sandra Derby
Environmental Education Manager
BioSITE Program Director
Children's Discovery Museum
180 Woz Way, San Jose CA. 95110
w408.298-5437 x261
f408.298-6826
www.cdm.org/biosite

Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:40:43 -0700
From: Eleanor Ely <ellieely@earthlink.net>

Sara,

Are you familiar with the Summer 2005 issue of The Volunteer Monitor newsletter?
It profiles a number of macroinvertebrate monitoring programs and hopefully will give
you some ideas about the different possible approaches. See www.epa.gov/owow/volunteer/vm_index.html.

I believe online data entry by volunteers is getting more and more common. One good example
is Alabama Water Watch (https://aww.auburn.edu/).

Good luck with your program!

Ellie

Eleanor Ely
Editor, The Volunteer Monitor Newsletter
50 Benton Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94112
415-334-2284
ellieely@earthlink.net

Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:35:01 -0400
From: Jo Latimore <latimor1@msu.edu>
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] MD Stream Waders

Hi Sara,

Here in Michigan we’ve had mixed results in asking volunteers to enter their data online.
The Michigan Clean Water Corps (www.micorps.net) set up an online database a few years ago for
both stream and lake monitoring data. We handle stream and lake monitoring a little differently,
based on program history. Our lake program has been functioning in one form or another since the
70s, with some monitoring done by lake associations, and some by individuals. They pay a small fee
to participate, to (almost) cover the cost of equipment and lab analysis. In general, our lake
volunteers have been resistant to entering their own data online. Some say that they don’t want
to do more work, and others are uncomfortable with computers. We initially hoped to make volunteer
data entry required, but so many were opposed that we have abandoned that hope and do much of it
ourselves.

Our stream monitors are all organized within their own groups (watershed councils, conservation groups,
etc.). The statewide stream monitoring program is relatively young, compared to the lake program, and
so are the folks involved. Computer literacy can be assumed, and when groups join the stream program,
we require that they enter their own data – and these groups are fine with that. Since they are
already organized into groups, they already have plans to use their data for stream/watershed
protection, and want their data in electronic form anyway. Our online database allows volunteers to
enter their data and then download a copy for themselves in Excel format, so we essentially save them
from having to design their own database. We also offer groups an alternative – if they already have
their own database they use, they can just send us a copy of their electronic data, and we import it
into our database.

Regarding field ID of macroinvertebrates, I’d give the handy answer, “It depends.” It depends on the
level of taxonomic resolution. Order-level IDs by volunteers in the field are certainly possible, with
training. I’ve found that often, though, volunteers – especially new ones – aren’t always comfortable
with that level of responsibility. You’ll want to have a Quality Control plan in place to check ID’s,
and make sure the volunteers know that, so they don’t worry quite as much about getting one or two
wrong. I’d also recommend providing a way for them to turn in bugs that they are unsure of – a
“mystery jar” of sorts. One big upside of field ID is that the volunteers know the result of their
search right away. If you’re looking for family-level ID, though, I’d steer clear of field ID.
Even the pros (myself included) don’t have the best track record with that.

On the other hand, at my previous job at the Huron River Watershed Council in Ann Arbor
(www.hrwc.org), we found a way to involve volunteers in identifying bugs at a separate indoor
event – described in the issue of the Volunteer Monitor that Ellie mentioned. This type of event
may not be feasible at a statewide scale, but your individual watershed groups might try it.
The Michigan Clean Water Corps permits field or lab ID of bugs, as long as there’s a QC plan in
place to check those IDs.

Good questions! I’m sure others have other perspectives…

-Jo

Jo A. Latimore, Ph.D.
Lake, Stream, & Watershed Outreach
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Michigan State University
13 Natural Resources
East Lansing, MI 48824-1222
(517) 432-1491
latimor1@msu.edu

Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:30:11 -0500
From: Kris Stepenuck <kris.stepenuck@ces.uwex.edu>
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] MD Stream Waders

Hi Sara

We have a fact sheet about online databases (as well as other types of databases) with links to
numerous volunteer monitoring programs' databases within it. It also includes tips from program
coordinators across the country who replied to a request for feedback to share with others about
planning and implementing such databases. Here's a link to the fact sheet:
http://www.usawaterquality.org/volunteer/Outreach/Databases.pdf

There are also some relevant discussions from this listserv posted at:
http://www.usawaterquality.org/volunteer/Special/EPAListserv/index.html Scroll down to online
databases - there are two discussions there that seem relevant.

Third, we also did a survey of volunteer monitoring programs across the country about their
online databases. We used the information we learned in the fact sheet noted above, but results
of the survey itself are also posted online. They're available at:
http://www.usawaterquality.org/volunteer/DataReporting/index.html

Hopefully these will be of help to you.

As for identifying macroinvertebrates in the field. To what level? We have volunteers ID
to order level on a regular basis (see our methods:
http://watermonitoring.uwex.edu/wav/monitoring/methods.html - choose biotic index, and data sheets:
http://watermonitoring.uwex.edu/wav/monitoring/sheets.html. But you may mean to family level?

Sincerely,

Kris Stepenuck

Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:52:49 -0400
From: Debra Gutenson <gutenson50@loudounwireless.com>
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] MD Stream Waders

Sara,

You may wish to contact Stacey Brown ( coordinator of VA SOS) re' our volunteer monitoring and data reporting efforts in VA. This is an all volunteer statewide program, not run by any state agency.

Email : Stacey@vasos.org

Otto Gutenson ( OW, EPA- retired)

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