Discussion 1: Creek Watch App Updates
Discussion 2: How do programs go about sending text reminders to volunteers?
Discussion 6: Does any monitoring group have a stream walk data app?
Discussion 7: We are looking for low-cost, reliable sampling methods to increase amount of streams sampled. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Discussion 1
From: Erick Burres (eburres@waterboards.ca.gov)Date: Mar 21, 2012
CREEK WATCH APP UPDATES- New Version Available and More…
The new version of Creek Watch is now available!!!
Creek Watch now integrates with Facebook and Twitter to help get the word out about water quality in our waterways! Full details here: http://www.ibm.com/creekwatch. A video detailing the new features can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tOkdIKm1Nc
Over 4,000 users in over 25 countries are using the Creek Watch app. Creek Watch makes collaborating easy. Collaborative efforts can learn about creek seasonality, discover nuisance flows, pin point trash hot spots and more. Learn how the City of San Jose is using the app and how IBM volunteers participated in a Snapshot Day monitoring event.
www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/water_management/article/creek_watch.html
If you’d like to join the conversation on Facebook, you can share the announcement from ibm research: http://www.facebook.com/IBMResearch. You can also tweet or re-weet about Creek Watch on twitter- our hashtag is #creekwatch.
A guest blog on Creek Watch written by SWAMP’s Clean Water Team Coordinator, Erick Burres, can be found at http://ibmresearchnews.blogspot.com/2012/03/creek-watch-iphone-app-goes-social.html.
Free Creek Watch downloads: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/creek-watch/id398420434
———————————————————————————–
Erick Burres
Citizen Monitoring Coordinator
SWRCB-SWAMP-Clean Water Team
eburres@waterboards.ca.gov
Desk (213) 576-6788
Cell (213) 712-6862
Fax (213) 576-6686
Clean Water Team c/o LARWQCB
320 W 4th Street
Suite200
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Responses to Discussion 1
From: Alice Mayio (Mayio.Alice@epamail.epa.gov)
Date: Mar 21, 2012
Erick, can you clarify how the photos and judgements about flow and trash are used? It seems like the data are sent to a central location/database where they can be accessed by agencies or anyone else. Who maintains the database? Do data sent in by someone in Kansas or Mexico go to the same database? It seems also as though people in Kansas or Mexico might be thinking their photo and data are valuable, when in fact no agency in Kansas or Mexico is looking at the database and reacting to the information in it (as an example).
I can see the value locally if your local agency (or vm group) regularly checks the database and sees a big spike in trash at a certain location and therefore directs a cleanup action there, or if the agency consults the flow information before sending crews out to conduct biological assessments, as in the San Jose example.
I ask because we have frequently discussed internally whether an app that allows a simple assessment of habitat or other indicators of stream or lake health would be valuable…the biggest hurdles would seem to be managing the information that comes in, ensuring the data are useful, and ensuring that the data are used. And managing the expectations of the people who use the app.
Thanks for sharing this info on the Creek Watch app!
Alice Mayio
USEPA Office of Water
Phone: 202-566-1184, Fax: 202-566-1437
Mail: 1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW (4503T), Washington, DC 20460
Delivery: 1301 Constitution Ave NW (Rm7330Q), Washington, DC 20004
From: Kara Rockett (kara@plumascounty.org)
Date: MMar 21, 2012
On another note- I think it would be helpful if a person could note if the creek is dirty for other reasons besides just trash (ie. sediment, algae bloom, oil, etc). I don’t know if someone can pass that on to the creators of the app.
-Kara
Discussion 2
From: Julie Wood [mailto:jwood@crwa.org]
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2012 3:47 PM
I noted that at the NWQMC some presenters mentioned sending out text alerts and reminder to their volunteer, if you do this, how do you do it? Do you use your personal cell phones and text packages to send them out? Are there websites or programs that allow you to send mass texts not via your personal cell?
Thanks,
Julie Dyer Wood
Senior Scientist
Charles River Watershed Association
190 Park Road
Weston, MA 02493
Phone: (781) 788-0007 ext. 225
Fax: (781) 788-0057
Responses to Discussion 2
From: Donkersloot, Danielle (Danielle.Donkersloot@dep.state.nj.us)
Date: May 29, 2012
Yes. It is “edmodo”, a website program that we used to communicate that way
Discussion 3
From: Melanie Trost (Melanie.Trost@matsugov.us)
Date: Jun 19, 2012
Hello!
I’ve just become aware that there are programs which can be used to scan field forms, mapping the handwritten data directly into the appropriate places in a database.
Eliminating the time-consuming task of manually entering data would free us up a bit more to accomplish other exciting and wonderful things for our volunteer lake monitoring program, if this technology really is a good fit for us. Our data is stored in Excel, though we are open to other possibilities if there is a better program to use.
If you use this sort of software or have any thoughts or information on the subject, please share!
Thanks much,
Melanie Trost
Watershed Coordinator
Matanuska Susitna Borough
Planning Department
Environmental Division
350 E. Dahlia Avenue
Palmer, Alaska 99645-6488
Phone: (907)745-9608
Cell: (907)354-1293
Fax: (907)745-9876
mtrost@matsugov.us
www.matsugov.us/lakemonitoring
Responses to Discussion 3
From: Revital Katznelson (revitalk@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Jun 19, 2012
I talked to Phil Kaufmann (EPA Corvallis) about this a few years ago: The EPA’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) has a system for physical habitat assessments data in which rigidly-structured field data sheets are filled by operators who are applying their best penmanship skills… Back in the office, the data sheets are aligned (using their coded frame) and scanned by an OCR machine. The information is read directly into a set of data files; these are fed directly into a SAS software program that calculates the desired Endpoints (metrics, descriptive statistics, percentiles, indices, etc.).
It costs an arm and three legs, it is extremely rigid, but it worked very well for EMAP.
There are a number of Excel templates with drop-down menus for direct data entry in the field, using a PDA or a field computer. I have developed and used them for water quality measurements and physical habitat assessments. And we are getting ready for tablets: my mobile-device Excel guru Stephen Bye told me in January 2012 that he is working on an Excel program for android tablets, but it will be a while before it is ready. The program will support Excel features such as drop-down menus that are needed for field data-entry.
The water quality measurements template for the PDA is available on the California Clean Water Team toolbox, at
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/swamp/cwt_toolbox.shtml
I hope this information is helpful,
Revital
===================
Revital Katznelson, Ph.D.
Environmental Scientist
Berkeley, California
revitalk@sbcglobal.net
510 406 8514
Discussion 4
From: Mayio.Alice@epamail.epa.gov
Date: Nov 1, 2012
Informal survey: are any volunteer monitoring programs using electronic field forms and smart phones/tablets/iPads etc to note field observations and sampling data and send it directly to a central database? are you using mobile applications in any other way?
I’m aware of the California Creek Watch app but not much else. I know we have periodically had this conversation on the listserve, but times are moving quickly.
EPA is looking into possible options for supporting volunteer monitors in the field using mobile technology, and it would help to know if anyone is already doing this (or is working on it, or thinks it would be helpful!). Any comments (yea or nay) welcome!
Alice Mayio
USEPA Office of Water
Phone: 202-566-1184, Fax: 202-566-1437
Mail: 1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW (4503T), Washington, DC 20460
Delivery: 1301 Constitution Ave NW (Rm7330Q), Washington, DC 20004
Responses to Discussion 4
From: Danelle Haake (danelle.haake@gmail.com)
Date: Nov 1, 2012
There are a couple of volunteers with the Missouri Stream Team Program who are working on apps. One is starting out with an android app to submit ‘activity reports’ (rather than the WQM data), but is leaving the design open to allow future expansion to data submission. The other I believe is working on an I-phone app… Both of these are volunteer-led development efforts rather than efforts funded by the program, so I would say they are driven by demand. At least some of the volunteers want this.
Danelle Haake
From: Clement, Dennis (Dennis.Clement@epa.state.oh.us)
Date: Nov 2, 2012
Steve Kerlin at Northern Kentucky University (NKU) is in the process of creating an app for the IPhone called River of the Web. Not sure that the website is completed or when the app will be available at the Apple Store. The website is http://row.nku.edu/.
From: Meghan Ruta (mruta@hvatoday.org)
Date: Nov 2, 2012
The organization I work for hasn’t really made much use of it since our staff doesn’t have IPhones, but I know that IBM worked to develop an app a little while back. I had looked into it for a project and it appears fairly simplistic, basically a quick and easy way for the average person to be able to get involved by documenting a stream they pass by normally. Along with taking a photo the user submits visual observations related to water level, flow rate, and trash. Since the photo is automatically geotagged when it is submitted it is included in the app’s database and the map on the IBM site. http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/water_management/article/creek_watch.html
Meghan Ruta
Water Protection Director
Housatonic Valley Association
PO Box 28, Cornwall Bridge, CT 06754
Tel (860) 672-6678
Fax (860) 672-0162
www.hvatoday.org
From: Nancy Mueller (nysfolanancy@verizon.net)
Date: Nov 2, 2012
In New York, we have an older volunteer population. We would be happy if they would all read e-mail! While we have discussed developing on-line field data entry capability, we know that only about 75% of our volunteers would use it. Even if we do have on-line entry available, we would probably still want to have hardcopies of the field data. It’s easier to spot errors (ft vs m) (degrees F vs degrees C)–cross outs, etc.
Our iMAP invasive team has developed an APP, and we hope that many of our volunteers will be trained to use it. However, we are not yet comfortable with the computer literacy of our volunteers to rely solely on electronic means of communication.
Nancy J. Mueller, Manager
NYS Federation of Lake Associations, Inc.
P.O. Box 84
LaFayette, NY 13084
(800)796-3652
fola@nysfola.org
From: ecovrar (ecovrar@gmail.com)
Date: Nov 2, 2012
Can’t remember if it was mentioned on this list or somewhere else, but there’s EpiCollect. It was originally developed by Imperial College London to collect field data for epidemiological research (hence the name), but it is generic enough to be used for environmental data.
EpiCollect.net provides a web application for the generation of forms and freely hosted project websites (using Google’s AppEngine) for many kinds of mobile data collection projects.
Data can be collected using multiple mobile phones running either the Android Operating system or the iPhone (using the EpiCollect mobile app) and all data can be synchronised from the phones and viewed centrally (using Google Maps) via the Project website or directly on the phones.
What could I use it for?
Anything you wish to collect data for: eg wildlife or plant surveys, questionnaires, locations of favourite places, keep a record of where you’ve been etc.. It is also being used for epidemiological studies e.g. mapping cases of disease in Africa.
How much is it?
EpiCollect is a completely free and open source project.
—-
May save you from having to reinvent the wheel.
-David
From: Melanie Trost (Melanie.Trost@matsugov.us)
Date: Nov 2, 2012
Our program would be very interested in moving toward electronic data recording in the field. Like some of the other programs, several of our volunteers are not likely to either have their own smart phone or to have the desire to attempt reading/typing information into one.
Currently, our volunteers complete the field form by hand – Four pages of Secchi, observational data, lake profile data then we manually enter the information into Excel. Finding a way around this time consuming process would be priceless! We entertained the idea of working with field forms that would have the fields on the form ‘mapped’ so upon scanning, the data would automatically populate the database. EQuIS LakeWatch www.earthsoft.com/products/equis-lakewatch/ does this and apparently can also be programmed to automatically update data displayed on a website. It’s not cheap, but with the time savings, it’s hard not to entertain the idea.
However, the ability to enter data digitally in the field would eliminate the need for an expensive program (and how much trouble would it be if you ever need to make changes to your mapped field form?), BUT – I do have reservations about not having a hard copy and the ability to double-check the data.
At the NWQM Conference in April, I visited a few vendors whose lake profiling equipment is set up to send data to a digital display (laptop or smart phone), or to a standard handheld display like what we use (and data is handwritten on a hardcopy form). Just switching to the laptop setup could certainly be a timesaver but would also mean switching over to new equipment…
I will stay tuned to hear what is out there and what is on the horizon!
Melanie Trost
Watershed Coordinator
Matanuska Susitna Borough
Planning Department
Environmental Division
350 E. Dahlia Avenue
Palmer, Alaska 99645-6488
Phone: (907)745-9608
Cell: (907)354-1293
Fax: (907)745-9876
mtrost@matsugov.us
www.matsugov.us/lakemonitoring
From: Diana Muller
Date: Nov 2, 2012
Good Afternoon,
My experience with water quality apps has been extremely positive, people that use them LOVE them. Our Waterkeeper oranization in Ontario had an app developed for bacteria monitoring, it is now nationwide and I use it for my South RIVERKEEPER, South River, Maryland summer bacteria monitoring program. We found that our volunteers and members love this app and want us to expand it. So I am looking into expanding it for all of my othe water quality parameters and misc items.
http://theswimguide.org/
Cheers,
Diana
Captn. Diana Muller, South RIVERKEEPER
South River Federation
2830 Solomons Island Rd., Suite A
Edgewater, MD 21037
From: Corse, Kristi (kristi.corse@h-gac.com)
Date: Nov 5, 2012
The Texas Stream Team has an iphone app.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/texas-stream-team/id441789617
I have an android phone, so I haven’t used it. You can contact one of the folks over at the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment for more information:
http://txstreamteam.meadowscenter.txstate.edu/about-us/staff.html
Regards,
Kristi
Kristi Corse Alexander
Public Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator
Houston-Galveston Area Council
3555 Timmons Lane, Ste 120 Houston, TX 77027
P.O Box 22777, Houston, TX 77227-2777
direct: 832-681-2564 | main: 713-627-3200 | fax: 713-993-4503
www.h-gac.com
From: Jason Frenzel (jfrenzel@hrwc.org)
Date: Nov 5, 2012
We’ve been looking into options, but haven’t found the right thing. Have been collecting best practices from a number of existing platforms and plan to submit an application to our local Google team for potential development. My thought, also, would be an open platform so other organizations could edit the fields and drop downs as needed for their use. I’d be happy to discuss further.
Best, ~Jason
Jason Frenzel, CVA
Adopt-A-Stream & Stewardship Coordinator
Huron River Watershed Council
734.769.5123 x600
From: Anne Lewis [mailto:annelewis@sd-discovery.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2012 10:55 AM
As far as I can tell the resources below require a data plan and smartphone.
Does anyone know of any data collection tool that utilizes texting capability?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anne Lewis
SD Discovery Center
805 W Sioux Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501
605-224-8295
http://www.sd-discovery.org/
Stepenuck, Kris
Nov 20
Mike Feinen with USGS in Middleton WI has a text tool he’s developed for having citizens upload staff gage height readings. Here’s a link to an abstract about that project: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2012AM/webprogrampreliminary/Paper211230.html and a presentation he gave at NWQMC: http://acwi.gov/monitoring/webinars/social.water.pdf
Kris Stepenuck
—
Kristine Stepenuck
Water Action Volunteers Stream Monitoring Program Coordinator
445 Henry Mall, Rm 202
Madison WI 53706
608-265-3887 (MTF)
608-264-8948 (WR)
608-575-2413 (mobile)
From: Kimberly Cressman (Kimberly.Cressman@dmr.ms.gov)
Date: Nov 20, 2012
There is a group that uses text messaging to keep track of water level at staff gages. The homepage is http://crowdhydrology.org
They did a webinar a few months ago, and the slide show is archived here (it’s a pdf): http://acwi.gov/monitoring/webinars/social.water.pdf
It’s pretty interesting; they put signs up near the staff gages with a station number and a note saying “text water level to (xxx)xxx-xxxx” and anybody walking by can participate. Some of the biggest contributors are people who walk their dogs by the gages on a regular basis, but there are also random participants.
All the contact information is in the linked presentation.
Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Kim Cressman
SWMP Coordinator
Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
228-860-1957 Cell
228-475-7047 Office
kimberly.cressman@dmr.ms.gov
From: ecovrar (ecovrar@gmail.com)
Date: Nov 20, 2012
There is also SnowTweets out of the University of Waterloo (CA):
http://snowcore.uwaterloo.ca/snowtweets/
From: Filbert, Jennifer M – DNR (jennifer.filbert@wi.gov)
Date: November 02, 2012
We have a mobile-friendly version of the data entry screens for our Surface Water Integrated Monitoring System (SWIMS) database.
I foresee us continuing to work on it little by little, especially to beautify it.
For now, it’s simple, and it does work. It is not an app you install on a phone, but a mobile-friendly web page.
This was forwarded via Kris Stepenuck from a different listserv having a similar discussion:
From: Steve Kerlin
Date: November 28, 2012 6:57:20 PM CST
To: “environmentalscience@list.nsta.org” , “” , Teri Censoplano
Subject: Water Quality App
Here’s one iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch app that we just developed and released on the apple app store. We pilot tested and routinely use different parts of it with stream study programs for 4-12 grade students. Some parts we also use with college students and citizen science groups.
Greetings all,
Our “Water Quality” app Version 1.0 is now available on the Apple App Store for iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touch! You can find it by searching for the title “Water Quality”. The app includes stream study data collection and information to understand the data that was collected in sections for site profiles, chemical and bacterial sampling, and macroinvertebrates (digital field guide and Pollution Tolerance Index calculator). Only $4.99, and most of the revenue goes directly back into water education programs and maintenance of the app.
The Water Quality App 1.0 includes the following features and functions:
Site Profile – pictures, gps location and map, waterway naming, date, air temperature, water level, weather in past 48 hours.
Measurements – dissolved oxygen (concentration and saturation), biochemical oxygen demand, E.coli, fecal coliforms, pH, water temperature at site and upstream, phosphates, nitrates, turbidity (tube, and secchi disc), conductivity, and water hardness.
Benthic Macroinvertabrates – PTI three and four taxa automatically calculated, stonefly, mayfly, caddisfly, dobsonfly, riffle beetle, water penny, right-handed snail, damselfly, dragonfly, sowbug, scud, crane fly, clam/mussel, crayfish, midge, black fly, planaria, leech, left-handed snail, aquatic worms, blood midge, rat-tailed maggot.
Each measurement and macro has a pop-up that helps the user make sense of the parameter, what the data they collect means in terms of water quality, pictures, and other information.
Here is the link to find it in the iTunes App Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/water-quality/id569193509?mt=8
Here is some more information about the app as a short press release from one of our technical programmers. We should have a more formal press release soon.
http://aaroncorsi.com/waterquality/
River on the Web (ROW) is the accompanying website with more water quality information and curriculum:
http://row.nku.edu/
Thank you,
Steve Kerlin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Science & Environmental Education
Director of the Center for Environmental Education
http://environmentaleducation.nku.edu/
Northern Kentucky University
272 MP
859-572-6380
Discussion 5
From: Darlene Cavalier (darcav1@gmail.com)
Sent: November 14, 2012
SciStarter is hosting a forum with Cornell this week. We’re hoping to learn more about the tools/technologies currently being used for citizen science as well as features people would like to see.
This is part of a small, Sloan-funded research project. This week-long forum closes on Friday.
Can you please share this link with your network? I’m particularly interested in hearing from the water-quality monitoring community. They are missing from the conversation.
Thanks for considering.
Darlene
Responses to Discussion 5
From: Streamkeepers (streamkeepers@co.clallam.wa.us)
Date: Nov 16 , 2012
Streamkeepers of Clallam County, located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state, is set to launch a mobile website for entry of turbidity data during stormwater events. This will be closely followed by a mobile website for entering water quality monitoring data, with a launch date in early 2013. Our ultimate goal is to turn these into mobile apps so connectivity is not required, as many of our monitoring sites are quite remote.
Jinx Bryant, volunteer
Streamkeepers of Clallam Country
Clallam County Public Works-Roads
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Discussion 6
From: Jean Pillo <jean.pillo@conservect.org>
Date: Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 10:21 AM
Subject: [volmonitor] Stream Walk Data App?
In Connecticut, we have a volunteer monitoring program developed by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The NRCS Stream Walk program involves visual assessments of stream conditions. Besides general questions for each stream reach on substrate types, depth, width and other stream morphology information, there are separate data sheets for different Areas of Concern including storm water outfalls, blocked fish passage, excessive plant growth, diminished riparian cover, etc. We can get a lot of great information but translating the info into a report is very time consuming. Does any monitoring group have an app for a tablet type computer where you can fill out the data sheet in the field, get a GPS point of the location and take a picture all at the same time?
Jean Pillo, Watershed Conservation Coordinator
Eastern Connecticut Conservation District
www.conservect.org/eastern
860-928-4948 x 605
Responses to Discussion 6
From: Josephine Mooney
Date: Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 11:37 AM
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Stream Walk Data App?
Hi Jean,
Regarding your inquiry for a mobile app…
I am a citizen scientist myself and am being trained as a Master Watershed Steward in Howard County, MD. I have attended many EPA citizen science events for both personal and professional engagement with this community.
I work for a mobile app company committed to working with citizen science projects. We would love to work with you to develop the mobile app tool you are looking for. We offer deep discounts to non profits.
Please review the Environmental Solutions Practice (ESP) brochure at this link:
http://elicere.com/Documents/ESP_Brochure_final1.aspx
or see an overview at this link: http://elicere.com/Services/Environmental-Solutions.aspx
Then please give me a call or send an email and we will arrange to discuss how we can create a custom mobile app to fit your exact needs and those of other citizen scientists.
I am working from home today if you want to call me I can be reached at 443-82 0-7360 or 757-589-5421 on my cell.
Warm regards,
Josephine Mooney
Director of Communications
Elicere, Inc.
400 N Washington St, Suite 301
Falls Church, VA 22046
http://www.elicere.com
Direct: 703.226.4240
Fax: 703.237.0395
Email: jmooney@elicere.com
From: Sid Feygin
Date: Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 1:03 PM
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Stream Walk Data App?
Hi Jean,
There are also several open source projects that could easily be adapted to your needs. Open Data Kit (http://opendatakit.org/) is an evolving and robust framework for distributed survey-based data collection via smartphone apps. I’ve worked on adapting this software for specific mobile survey-collection uses before. They provide several resources that could guide you in the right direction and have a history of non-profits leveraging their software for uses such as yours. Surveys can be populated via excel or their online form builder.
Worth a look.
-Sid
From: Steve Kerlin
Date: Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 2:09 PM
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Stream Walk Data App?
We have just started the process to create an app for stream habitat assessment. We hope to have it completed by this summer. It will very closely follow the EPA form for stream habitat assessment. Our stream habitat assessment app will be independent or also used within the set of apps for water quality. The base app, currently available from apple is called WaterQuality. We are already using the functionality of automatic GPS location and the ability to take pictures with the current app and will carry this through to the habitat assessment app.
Steve Kerlin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Science & Environmental Education
Director of the Center for Environmental Education
Northern Kentucky University
MEP 272
859-572-6380
From: Judy Rondeau
Date: Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Stream Walk Data App
Is the base app only available on iphone or is it android compatible? we were looking for something like a rugged tablet that could take pictures and collect GPS locations. anyone know of a tablet that will do this?
Judith C. Rondeau,CPESC
Natural Resource Specialist/
Niantic River Watershed Coordinator
Eastern CT Conservation District
238 West Town Street
Norwich, CT 06360-2111
860-887-4163 x401
judy.rondeau@comcast.net
http://conservect.org/eastern
http://www.nianticriverwatershed.org
From: Julie Wood
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 1:51 PM
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Stream Walk Data App?
Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) has developed an App for our volunteer monitoring program which lets our volunteers submit data, photos and GPS locations from their smart phone. It is presently only available for the Android platform but we are looking for funding to build a iOS Application as well. Because it is only available on Android it is presently only utilized by a small number of our volunteers as part of a pilot launch of the program.
Feel free to follow up directly with any additional questions.
Julie Wood
Senior Scientist
Charles River Watershed Association
190 Park Road
Weston, MA 02943
t 781.788.0007 x225
f 781.788.0057
From: Shelby Gull Laird [mailto:shelby.gull.laird@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2013 7:29 PM
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Stream Walk Data App?
Seems like there could be a desire for a list of apps developed (both stream walking/observation and more technical monitoring apps) and also information on whether or not they can be applied broadly or are only applicable to one particular region?
I would be interested in compiling that list and then sharing it and giving it to whoever can publicize it OR does this list already exist and would someone be willing to share it?
Thanks,
->shelby
Dr Shelby Gull Laird, CEE
Lecturer in Outdoor Recreation & Environmental Education
School of Environmental Sciences
Institute for Land, Water and Society
Charles Sturt University
PO Box 789, Albury NSW 2640, Australia
slaird@csu.edu.au
Office: +61 2 6051 9764
Mobile: +61 0468 753 856
http://www.linkedin.com/in/shelbygulllaird
From: Mayio, Alice
Date: Thu, May 9, 2013 at 10:00 AM
Subject: RE: [volmonitor] Stream Walk Data App?
Shelby – I think it would be great to compile a list of current apps with volunteer monitoring applications. I think there are a lot out there and the number is growing; there’s a lot of interest in seeing how technology can advance or improve the quality, quantity, and sharing of our data, as well as engage and interest the volunteers. Here are some examples of apps we’ve highlighted in our Volunteer Monitoring News e-newsletter (available at http://acwi.gov/monitoring/vm/newsletters.html) but there are many more, I’m sure.
Alice Mayio
USEPA
Phyto Smartphone App Helps Volunteers Identify Marine Phytoplankton
Phyto is a free smartphone application that helps volunteers identify marine phytoplankton by providing images of salt water species taken with a light microscope. It also includes a flash card game to help volunteers improve their ID skills. Phyto was developed by volunteer Shawn Gano with the Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (PMN), a national network of volunteers monitoring for coastal algal blooms. The goals of the PMN are to increase public awareness about harmful algal blooms (HABs) and maintain an extended monitoring area along U.S. coasts throughout the year. The PMN is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For more information about the PMN, visit http://www.chbr.noaa.gov/pmn/. To see the smartphone app, visit http://www.gano.name/shawn/phyto/ (for iPhone and iPad) or http://www.gano.name/shawn/phyto_android/ (for Android phones).
iPhone App for Charleston Waterkeeper: Charleston Waterkeeper has designed an app to engage and involve citizens in, on, and around Charleston’s waterways. The app allows citizens to report problems such as oil spills, discharging pipes, excessive marine debris, abandoned boats, and under water hazards using a reporting process that is as easy and informative as possible. It also helps citizens find information about local waters and follow the tweets and blog postings of the Charleston Waterkeeper organization. For more information, visit: www.charlestonwaterkeeper.org.
University of Northern Kentucky “Water Quality” App
“Water Quality” app Version 1.0, developed for k-12 but also in use by volunteer monitors, is now available on the Apple App Store for iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touch. The app includes stream study data collection and information to understand the data that were collected for site profiles, chemical and bacterial sampling, and macroinvertebrates (digital field guide and Pollution Tolerance Index calculator). The app costs $4.99, and most of the revenue goes directly back into water education programs and maintenance of the app. River on the Web (ROW) is the accompanying website with more water quality information and curriculum: visit http://row.nku.edu
California’s Creek Watch App: Creek Watch is an application that enables people to help monitor the health of their local watershed. Whenever passing by a waterway they can spend a minute using the Creek Watch application to snap a picture and report how much water and trash is seen. Creek Watch aggregates the data and shares it to help watershed groups and agencies track pollution and manage water resources. A map on the Creek Watch Website http://creekwatch.org displays data that’s already been contributed. Data is also accessible in table form. The application is now available as a free download in the iTunes App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/creek-watch/id398420434?mt=8http://creekwatch.org
On September 9, 2013 a list of apps was created: [table id=4 /]
Discussion 7
From: Brook Frusher
Date: Mon, Feb 4, 2013 at 1:05 PM
Subject:[volmonitor] Low Cost Sampling Methods / Volunteer Programs
Hello Everyone!
I am currently interning for my local Soil and Water Conservation District, and we are trying to find some low-cost, reliable sampling methods that will not only allow us to increase the amount of streams we can sample, but will also be easy for volunteer groups to use.
If anyone has suggestions about methods and equipment, and/or volunteer program ideas that I can test out, it would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
–Brooke Frusher
Responses to Discussion 7
From: Steve Kerlin
Date: Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 10:37 AM
Subject: Re: [volmonitor] Low Cost Sampling Methods / Volunteer Programs
We recently released an app called WaterQuality for iPads, iPhones, and iPod touch devices. The cost is only $4.99 from the Apple iTunes store. The majority of the revenue goes directly back into water education programs. It is a great way to organize and make sense of data that you collect when doing stream studies. You can’t connect iPads directly to sampling devices for the chemical and bacterial sampling yet but the app does include a digital field guide for macro invertebrates. The macro invertebrate section includes pictures, sketches, identification information for all of the macros used by the watershed watch groups and the EPA. It also automatically calculates the Pollution Tolerance Index for both 3 and 4 taxa groups.
Here is the link to find it in the iTunes App Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/water-quality/id569193509?mt=8
Here is some more information about the app as a short press release from one of our technical programmers. We should have a more formal press release soon.
http://aaroncorsi.com/waterquality/
River on the Web (ROW) is the accompanying website with more water quality information and curriculum:
http://row.nku.edu/
Steve Kerlin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Science & Environmental Education
Director of the Center for Environmental Education
Northern Kentucky University
272 MP
859-572-6380