Become a local WAV Coordinator!
Water Action Volunteers is a statewide volunteer stream monitoring program in Wisconsin. As a result, the program relies heavily on our partners – WAV Coordinators affiliated with local organizations or watershed groups – to engage, train, and support volunteers to monitor local waters. The primary role of WAV staff at Extension is to support our local coordinators!
Who can be a local WAV Coordinator?
Typically, local WAV Coordinators are affiliated with an organization, whether that be a friends group, a non-profit organization, or county or city government agency. Local coordinators may be volunteers, board members, or staff of the organization.
What’s most important is that the local coordinator has the capacity to support and train volunteers, and that there is someone able to fill the role and continue supporting the volunteers if the local coordinator leaves the organization.
The WAV Program currently partners with nearly 50 local groups and organizations to support and train volunteer stream monitors around the state.
What is the role of a local WAV Coordinator?
Overview of the WAV Coordinator Role
The role of a local WAV stream monitoring coordinator varies depending on the capacity of the individual coordinator or organization. Here is a basic guide for what many local coordinators do to support volunteer stream monitoring in their area:
- Teach stream monitoring trainings, either one-on-one or group trainings. (WAV staff will train you on our approved methods and can provide you with teaching resources!)
- Keep track of your organization’s stream monitoring volunteers. Stay in contact with local volunteers once they are trained to answer questions and give support and encouragement.
- Maintain and distribute monitoring equipment to volunteers.
- Help volunteers locate priority monitoring sites, in collaboration with WAV staff and the local DNR stream biologist.
- Review volunteer data for data quality and proper methods, in collaboration with WAV staff. Re-train volunteers as needed.
- (optional) Bring local volunteers together to learn, connect, do stewardship activities, and celebrate their work!
- (optional) As your monitoring effort grows, apply for external grants and funding to purchase additional monitoring supplies beyond the supplies initially provided by the WAV program.
The WAV Program also supports folks in becoming Project RED/AIS coordinators. Contact us to learn more!
Interested?
Please contact us to talk about your monitoring goals and how we can support your organization!