World Water Monitoring Day - Sept. 18
World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is a yearly opportunity for people of all
ages, nationalities and backgrounds to learn more about their local water
resources while taking part in an important global water quality monitoring
effort.
The monitoring tests are safe, easy and may be performed anytime from
September 18 through October 18. They include dissolved oxygen (DO), acidity
(pH), turbidity (or clarity) and temperature. Macroinvertebrate studies may
also be reported. WWMD data will be published on-line each year at
www.worldwatermonitoringday.org so people all over the world can see the
monitoring results.
Why Should Girl Scouts Participate?
By taking part in World Water Monitoring Day, Girl Scouts:
- Discover and explore their local water resources. They develop
scientific monitoring skills that enable them to determine the how
healthy their water source is as well as think critically about
their own values and how it impacts them.
- Connect with others locally and globally by teaming up on a
world-wide effort.
- Take Action by sharing their results and experiences locally and
via the world-wide database. Girls also inspire awareness about
water quality monitoring and positively impact the health of the
rivers, lakes, estuaries and other water resources.
- In addition, Girl Scouts can work toward earning the Get with the
Land and Water Drop patches. Girl Scouts become leaders with
courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.
Linking Girls to the LandWorld Water Monitoring Day is part of the Linking Girls to the Land
program. Linking Girls to the Land (LGTTL) is a partnership between
Girl Scouts, the Elliott Wildlife Values Project and federal natural
resources agencies, like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). LGTTL encourages Girl Scouts to work with agencies to become
leaders of national and local projects focused on environmental
education, outdoor skills, community service, careers and more. More
information is available on the LGTTL Web site.
How To Join In
Participation in World Water Monitoring Day is fun, easy and
important. Girl Scouts can join in by:
- Selecting a Safe Site...that is on public property, is easily
accessible and is removed from traffic and other hazards.
- Registering Your Site...at the World Water Monitoring Day Web site
by selecting the WWMD Database tab and following instructions.
(Note: When prompted, you should indicated that you are registering
as a group and then click "Girl Scouts of the USA" from the options
lists when the "organization" screen appears. The database will
automatically associate your monitoring site with those tested by
other Girl Scouts.)
- Preparing Your Equipment...by purchasing a low-cost WWMD test kit.
Follow the instructions found on the Order Kits tab at
www.WorldWaterMonitoringDay.org.
Email the Water Environment Federation (WEF) at
wwmd@wef.org and get
connected to a WEF Member Association for additional activities and
possibly a free monitoring kit.
- Monitoring Your Site...with adult supervision any time between
September 18 and October 18. Never sample alone, at night or during
or after a storm.
- Reporting Your Data...For inclusion in a worldwide summary. Submit
your results to the Database, available on the WWMD Web site before
December 18.
Information or Questions
For more information about World Water Monitoring Day, contact the
Water Environment Federation by phone at 703-684-2448 or e-mail at
wwmd@wef.org.
www.worldwatermonitoringday.org
