Citizen Science
Program Overview
Wild Cumberland is committed to facilitating good stewardship of our ecosystems — and are focused on those found within Cumberland Island National Seashore.
This volunteer Citizen Science program has been developed to support established UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant programs (Adopt-A-Stream and Adopt-A-Marshland). All supplies our monitoring group will use to collect data are provided to us on loan.
Program Goals
- Collect baseline wetland health data on and around Cumberland Island National Seashore
- Educate the public on the ecological significance of wetlands
- Increase public awareness of water quality issues
- Train citizens to monitor and protect wetlands
Data Collection
The water quality data we collect helps assess wetland health. Our data collection includes salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and settleable solids.
- Salinity concentration can affect the distribution and abundance of marsh organisms;
- Changes in pH can indicate a pollution event;
- Oxygen and temperature are related to the respiration and biological activity of marsh organisms; and
- Measurements of settleable solids are used to indicate an excess of sediment or other material in the water that can be a response to erosion.
Data should be conducted on a monthly basis. All data is compiled by UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant and added to the state’s Environmental Protection Division’s (EPD) water quality database, maintained at the Atlanta Adopt-A-Stream office.
Interested in contributing?
Complete this online form now. While a science background may be helpful to interpret data, it is not required to conduct monitoring.
Volunteer Requirements Include:
- Participation in a few hours of (free!) instruction on water quality monitoring and biological-sampling methods annually;
- Completion of a Volunteer Service Agreement; and Completion of a Liability Waiver.
Program Contacts
Kim Appelby
Wild Cumberland
Water Quality Program Coordinator
Kim@wildcumberland.org
Luke Roberson
Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant
Adopt-A-Wetland Coordinator
912.598.2446
luke.roberson@uga.edu
Additional Resources
https://adoptastream.georgia.gov/document/manual/adoptawetlandmanualpdf/download (also available in Spanish)
Subscribe to Georgia’s Adopt-A-Stream Newsletter.