Let’s Coordinate Volunteer Monitoring in Virginia!
Organizing Meeting -- October 29, 2005
Longwood University - Farmville Virginia
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Join the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Save Our Streams and other volunteer water quality monitoring organizations to coordinate citizen monitoring efforts throughout Virginia.
Directions to the organizing meeting October 29th, 2005 at Longwood University
Why do we need to coordinate our efforts?
The past several years have presented many opportunities and obstacles to volunteer monitors across Virginia. Reductions in available funding, rigorous requirements from data users, lack of communication and other issues have taxed our organizations and limited our ability to pursue our mission – collecting meaningful water quality monitoring data. These issues necessitate the formation of partnerships like never before.
What coordinating Virginia’s volunteer monitoring organizations WILL DO
Provide new sources of funding by emphasizing the united monitoring strategy created by this entity
Develops a menu of viable volunteer monitoring methods for organizations across Virginia
Develops a menu of appropriate uses of volunteer generated data
Assists state agencies by filling in the gaps of water quality data
Creates a place for consistent and reliable dialog and support for volunteer monitors
Provide technical resources to help new and existing volunteer monitoring organizations with their water quality monitoring program
Harnesses the capacity of volunteer monitors to become educational resources and effective advocates in their community.
What coordinating Virginia’s volunteer monitoring organizations WILL NOT DO
It will not supplant the hard work already being done by volunteer monitoring organizations throughout Virginia. The statewide organization will only enhance these organizations by creating new funding avenues and by being an advocate for volunteer monitoring issues.
How will we start?
Consensus is the only way to build this coalition – we will be as inclusive as possible
We will hold a facilitated statewide meeting on October 29, 2005 to further discuss the needs to be addressed by a statewide coalition. Please let Stacey Moulds or Stacey Brown know if you would like to participate!
Out of this meeting we plan to have workgroups that will be tasked with development of the organization. We need everyone’s participation to make this work!