Call For Volunteers! Lots Of Opportunities Ahead!

We’re looking for volunteers of all ages to help out with scientific, educational, exploration and clean-up projects in and around the Severn River in 2020.  The goal, as always, is to help ensure that our river is always fishable and swimmable.

The volunteer opportunities include many chances to become citizen scientists who document what makes the Scenic Severn River so special. The “job” typically requires 3 to 4 hours on a weekday and/or weekend morning.

In return for lending a hand, you’ll learn about water quality, underwater grasses, forests, wetlands, wildlife, cliffs and perhaps discover a cultural treasure.

Opportunities are now open to help out with:

Project Clean StreamProject Clean Stream.  In April, we need helping hands to pick up trash, plant trees and remove invasives as part of Project Clean Stream, usually around Earth Day.

SRA partners with the Alliance For The Chesapeake Bay every spring to organize clean-up parties to help spruce up our watershed. This usually involves Saturday mornings, 9-12.

It’s a great chance to pitch in, tidy up our creeks, enjoy a lunch and meet new friends who love our river.

 

Water Quality Monitoring.  From April through October, we need crew to conduct weekly boat tours to monitor our river’s health.

As a Water Quality (WQ) Crew volunteer, you’ll be part of a team that collects water quality data that is shared with the scientific community.

Your choice of which day: Wednesday, Thursday or Friday mornings. Each tour is about 4 hours.  We provide training, the boat and the gear. You enjoy a morning river cruise, collect scientific data, and along the way, monitor wildlife, habitat and the river’s beauty.

 

Join The SAV Navy!  From June through September, paddlers of all skill levels are needed to help map and identify the underwater grasses, aka submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), in the river and creeks.

This is a great way to explore local waters in your kayak, canoe or other small boat while contributing to scientific understanding of the grasses. We supply the training and the gear.  You supply enthusiasm.  You set your own hours to map nearby SAV beds.

 

The GEMS Expedition.  Do you have explorer’s DNA in your bones like Lewis & Clark did on their famous walk of discovery? If so, we hope to hear from you!

We are recruiting explorers, naturalists, and foresters for a land-based expedition to map 500 special ecological features throughout our watershed: wetlands, trees, ferns, plants, wildlife, creeks, historical and cultural features.

Armed with a field guide, GPS, camera, compass and good hiking boots, you’ll discover hidden gems of the Severn River and help create a GIS map of the ecological wonders in our watershed.

 

Do You Have A Story Tell? Ahoy to all writers, photographers, reporters and memoirists who have a story to tell about the Severn River.

Whether your interest is the wildlife, the people, the forests, the history, the culture, the sailing … we can be partners!

SRA can create internships for budding journalists of all ages who want to tell a story, cover meetings, take pictures and build up their clip file with published stories and images.

For more information on these opportunities, send an email to: Info@severnriver.org