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Vandalism not hampering community monitoring effort in Stittsville June 25, 2012—Despite the complete destruction of two monitoring stations in the Upper Poole Creek Wetland, volunteer monitors will continue to collect water level data as part of a community based program led by Mississippi Valley Conservation (MVC). The monitoring program, started in May, is driven by a dedicated corps of local residents who are working with the conservation authority to collect valuable water level data to be used to identify and track changes to the wetland over the long term. “This group of volunteers has shown such positivity and dedication to the monitoring project, we plan to continue the program despite this setback,” says Alyson Symon, an MVC watershed planner and the program’s coordinator. Modification to the way the surface levels are monitored will enable the program to move forward. Residents are also monitoring using rain gauges capturing and recording local rainfall and wet/dry landmark indicators at various locations in the wetland. The collected data will be compiled and analysed and presented in a yearly report. Long term monitoring data will help identify any changes in the quality and quantity of water resources in the area. The Upper Poole Creek Wetland monitoring program stemmed from concern about low water levels in the fall of 2011. Carp Watershed Volunteer Stream Monitoring Project In the Carp River watershed, a pilot stream monitoring program is also being carried out along the river in a joint effort between MVC and Friends of the Carp to both monitor the area and educate the public about the river and its unique characteristics. Tara Monaghan, a third year geography student is coordinating volunteer monitoring opportunities and outreach in the Carp River watershed. For more information or to become involved in these projects, please contact Alyson Symon at 613.259.2421 ext. 227 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it --end--
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