Sassafras River Association

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Volunteer Today

SRA is always looking for volunteers to help out in a variety of capacities:

1.) Sassafras Samplers Water Quality Testing. We need volunteers to participate in year round monthly sampling of various stream sites in the Sassafras Watershed. The RIVERKEEPER and science committee will provide all the training and equipment you will need to be an active tester.

2.) Advocacy. We need volunteers to read the local papers and notify us of regular and special meetings of the Kent and Cecil County Commissioners, Planning Commissions, and other agencies, where issues that may affect the Sassafras River watershed are to be discussed. We also need volunteers to attend those meetings.

3.) Outreach. We have an educational information booth that we take to public events in Cecil and Kent Counties, and need volunteers to help staff these events.

4.) Publicity. We always need help with event planning and publicity.

Sign up online or call 410-708-3303 today!

Upcoming Volunteer Projects:

Project Clean Stream

Project Clean Stream is an annual stream and shoreline clean up coordinated by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and partnering watershed organizations. It engages volunteers throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay area cleaning up trash and litter - one of the easiest ways to improve our environment.

Within the Sassafras River Watershed SRA has five clean-up sites for 2011 led by the site captains below. If you're interested in participating in the project this year, please contact one of the captains who can give directions, meeting locations, and other pertinent information. For general questions, or if you are interested in becoming a site captain, please contact Jamie Brunkow at 410-708-3303, or riverkeeper@sassafrasriver.org

• Sassafras Natural Resources Management Area (SNRA) - Kent County
  Location: From Chestertown, north on MD 213 to Kennedyville Road (about 7 miles), then left on Kennedyville Road, which becomes Turners Creek Road at MD 298. Site is on left about 2 miles past MD 298. Meet at Parking Lot.
  Site Captain: John Vail
  Contact Information: john.vail@baybroadband.net
  410-778-1470 (h), 703-328-0570 (c)
• Turners Creek Park - Kent County
  Location: Follow same directions to SNRA above, but go to end of Turners Creek Rd. and meet there at the wharf.
  Site Captain:Carol Droge
  Contact Information: droge52@yahoo.com
  410-348-5017 (h), 410-441-1113 (c)
• Foxhole Landing - Kent County
  Location: From Chestertown, follow 213 North to Galena, continuing straight at the light onto MD 290. After about 5 miles, turn left onto Foxhole Rd. and follow to the end at the landing.
  Site Captain:Jamie Brunkow
  Contact Information: riverkeeper@sassafrasriver.org
  410-275-1400 (c)
• Wards Hill Road - Cecil County
  Location: Leaving Cecilton heading east, turn onto Wards Hill Road, and meet at the Church on the right after passing Budds Landing Rd.
  Site Captain:Sue Shumaker
  Contact Information: sjshumaker@gmail.com
  410-275-9354 (h), 443-553-0614 (c)
• Mount Harmon Plantation - Cecil County
  Location: Meet at parking area at end of Mt. Harmon Landing Ln.
  Site Captain:Joe Costello
  Contact Information: joecostello@hughes.net
  410-275-9802 (h), 443-566-0524 (c)

Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (PMN) Training

The Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (PMN) is looking for volunteers to monitor phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms in the Sassafras River. No experience is necessary - NOAA scientists will teach you sampling techniques and protocols. This is a great opportunity to participate in a fascinating project, and collect needed data on the Sassafras River. Training will be scheduled for early April 2011, and announced this March. Contact Matt Brim for more information at matt.brim@noaa.gov or 843-762-8656, or to register for an upcoming training session. Trainings will introduce you to the project, set out guidelines for sampling throughout the year, and teach you how to identify phytoplankton.

For other information on the PMN and becoming a volunteer, refer to the links below:

• What is involved?
• Chesapeake Bay Establishing a New Sampling Site Form.pdf
• PMN Volunteer Agreement (fillable).pdf